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Message: <blockquote data-quote="QTRHRSE" data-source="post: 220289" data-attributes="member: 10009">Toyota products have been on a downward spiral for some time now, it looks like the mainstream media is finally catching on. noesToyota skids in reliability rankingsConsumer Reports said it no longer recommends V6 versions of Toyota's Camry or four-wheel-drive V8 versions of its Tundra pick-up because of poor reliability.In the past, because Toyota (Charts) products have so consistently proved reliable, the magazine would assume at least average reliability for Toyota's brand new cars, without waiting for survey data from owners.But from now on, the magazine will wait for a full year of reliability survey data to come in before it recommends a Toyota product - as it does with most other manufacturers.Ford, in particular, is improving in quality, according to Consumer Reports. In all, 93 percent of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles showed average or better reliability in the most recent reliability survey.Among overall brands, Ford's Mercury brand ranked 11th, the Ford brand ranked 13th and the Lincoln luxury brand ranked 14th. Other than Buick, they were the highest-ranking domestic brands.Mike Hardie, Ford's director of quality, predicted that Ford would take the top position in Consumer Reports reliability rankings in the near future.Ford's quality has tended to be more consistent, with steady improvement year over year, than that of other domestic manufacturers, said David Champion, head of auto testing for Consumer Reports."GM and Chrysler have been more hit-and-miss," said Champion.Of the 39 cars rated "Most Reliable" in Consumer Reports new list, four are by domestic manufacturers. They are the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, two-wheel-drives Ford F-150 V6 and GM's Pontiac Vibe. The Vibe is built in cooperation with Toyota and shares its engineering with the Toyota Matrix."[/b][/i]<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/16/autos/cr_reliability/index.htm?cnn=yes" target="_blank">http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/16/autos/cr_reliability/index.htm?cnn=yes</a>October 16, 2007Consumer Reports 2007 Annual Car Reliability Survey highlights"After years of sterling reliability, Toyota is showing cracks in its armor, according to data from Consumer Reports' 2007 Annual Car Reliability Survey. By contrast, Ford's domestic brands have made considerable improvements.The V6 version of the company's top-selling Camry, and the four-wheel-drive V8 version of the Tundra pickup, both redesigned for 2007, now rate below average in Consumer Reports' predicted reliability rating."<a href="http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2007/10/car-reliability.html" target="_blank">http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2007/10/car-reliability.html</a>October 2007Reliability trendsOur latest survey tracks a decadeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s worth of troubleOver the years, the reliability of Toyota-built vehicles (including Lexus and Scion) has been nothing short of sterling. However, our 2007 Annual Car Reliability Survey indicates that the Japanese automaker has slipped a bit. Three models manufactured by Toyota, including a version of the top-selling Camry, now rate below average in our predicted reliability.By contrast, Ford's domestic makes have made considerable improvements in reliability. Of the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models in our survey, 93 percent scored average or better in predicted reliability.Other news from our latest survey:* Overall, Asian models still dominate in reliability, accounting for 34 of the 39 models in the Most reliable new car list. Thirty-one are Japanese and three are South Korean.* Despite Toyota's problems, the automaker still ranks third overall in reliability, behind only Honda and Subaru, with 17 models in the best list. Honda has seven with a smaller model lineup.* Only four domestic models made the Most reliable list: the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Pontiac Vibe, and the two-wheel-drive Ford F-150 with the V6 engine. U.S. makes, however, account for almost half the models--20 of 44--on the Least reliable list. There are 13 from GM, 6 from Chrysler, and 1 from Ford.* European makes account for 17 models on the Least reliable list. This includes six each from Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen/Audi.link:<a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/pr...rview/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/pr...rview/index.htm</a>Ford quality improves, Toyota drops, Consumer Reports saysThe Detroit NewsFord Motor Co. has significantly improved the quality of its cars and trucks, while Toyota Motor Co. slipped out of the No. 1 spot in Consumer Reports newest survey on vehicle reliability.According to data released today by the well-read consumer advocacy publication, 41 of Ford's 44 models scored average or better in predicted reliability.Honda Motor Co., meanwhile, edged Toyota out of the top spot. Three Toyota vehicles lost Consumer Report's "buy" recommendation. For the first time in the survey's history, a version of the Toyota Camry - the V6 - isn't recommended by the publication.<a href="http://detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...PDATE/710160435" target="_blank">http://detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...PDATE/710160435</a></blockquote>