Worst Used Cars - C&R

[Norm Peterson]

If CR had only determined their verdict as rigorously as they design and conduct their testing of hard goods that can be objectively evaluated.

I looked the article up in my printed annual book, and what CR's explanation amounts to is that any given verdict depends on everybody else's survey results as well as your own. For 2010, CR used a 3% problem rate as "average", and any given model car could have less than 3% or much less than 3% problem rates and still be given an average or below average verdict depending on how good other model cars were in that particular year.

IOW, a 2% problem rate might get two arrows up if the average for the rest of the industry was at 4%, or it could get one or maybe even two arrows down if the industry average was below 1% instead. You're at the mercy of everybody else's survey as much as your own build quality.


Norm

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[Fatguy]

For what it’s worth guys there are 4 S550s and one original Boss 351 (with hood tach and adjustable rear wing) in my neighbourhood. Or were - as now there is just my V6 and the Boss 351. The vert GT was traded in for a turbo 4 Camaro (probably a straight trade). One of the turbos was traded in for a Corolla (this isn’t pretty). The other turbo just disappeared. I would guess they were traded in because of reliability problems. The Corolla says it all - and this guy drove a black Stang with stripes.


That is reality. I won’t upgrade to a GT because of reliability engine issues. I am happy with my V6 because it is totally reliable - so far - and the same goes for a few other Herts owners. Reliability matters and listening for potential engine noises and associated problems on a new car still in the break in period is totally insane!

Read that last sentence! Perception says it all.,.

 

[SmalliesRUs]

I used to work in the coatings business and this would not be the first time CR would have been wined and dined... Ahem, Behr, Ahem

 

[Alan2955]

Wow. Is this publication the real deal or are they financed by companies who pay them for better reviews? My mustangs have always been bulletproof. My first one, a 2000 gt got totaled in a brutal highway accident and when I went to the junkyard to get the sound system out, the guys that worked there were doing donuts in the car around the parking lot. My previous one, an '11 GT clocked 80k plus miles and never had to go to the dealership once. I expect the same with my '15.

So what's going on here exactly? I know the original sync system is awful but besides that what could be pulling these ratings down so low? And how can a car that can withstand 300 additional horses via supercharger and still run like a champ be deemed so unreliable? I'm at a loss.

People seem to constantly get mixed up about where Consumer Reports gets their reliability information. It’s based on the survey of their subscribers experiences. They don’t make up this stuff. It’s real world experience of actual owners. From reading the mustang forums it’s obvious that reliability is not a strong suit. I also own a Toyota Highlander and follow the forums on that. The difference in complaints is astounding. Absolutely nobody says their engine or transmission blew up on a Highlander. Nobody complains about the air conditioner failing, or electrical gremlins. In fact there’s very few complaints at all except about minor things like rattles and infotainment systems. . Toyota builds boring cars, but they’re definitely more trouble free.And it’s not just the mustang that gets a lot of complaints in forums. Everything Ford makes gets a lot of more complaints than Toyota for example.

 

[Norm Peterson]

People seem to constantly get mixed up about where Consumer Reports gets their reliability information. It’s based on the survey of their subscribers experiences. They don’t make up this stuff. It’s real world experience of actual owners. From reading the mustang forums it’s obvious that reliability is not a strong suit.

I'm pretty sure it was 'Sync' that dragged the Mustang's score down. IIRC, it wasn't just a Mustang issue either.

Keep in mind that Owner Satisfaction still ran high for the Mustang, so the 'reliability' score couldn't have been about mechanical reliability or electrical/electronic issues that would have affected the ability to drive it.


Personally, I probably wouldn't hold any problems with Sync against the Mustang. Wouldn't use it.


Norm

 

[bluebeastsrt]

I feel sorry for the poor bastard that buys the 2015 GT I traded in 2 months ago.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I feel sorry for the poor bastard that buys the 2015 GT I traded in 2 months ago.

Heh . . . how many of the miles on that car were accumulated about one at a time just off Jackson Road between 73 and 206


Norm

 

[Jmtoast]

First couple years of any new model is going to be that way. Btw, my 2018 just lost a Cat after 10k miles. the other will also go. There's a tsb on 2018-19 cats so i'm not sure about the 18's either as far as reliability. I would say 2020 is the sweet spot for 550 mustangs

 

[Genxer]

All I have done is change oil and drive it... almost have 40k miles now. Guess my car is a unicorn? It would be interesting to see if abuse factors in to their "reliability" rating.

 

[Balr14]

CR evaluations are based on information provided by their subscribers. I think their subscriber base is not nearly as widespread or as diverse as it used to be. I haven't seem a CR evaluation for anything that I felt was accurate in years. The last thing I recall looking up on CR (before you had to start paying for it) was refrigerators. They rated Samsung one of the best and they suck.

 

[CycloneRy]

I would expect the models above to be higher in initial quality (Audi, Porsche) vs Ford

You can't tell me any one of those cars above are more practical or cheaper to fix per instance.

 

[canvert]

Consumer Reports indicated 2015 and 2016 had lower reliability. 2017 and onwards are better.

 

[ice445]

First couple years of any new model is going to be that way. Btw, my 2018 just lost a Cat after 10k miles. the other will also go. There's a tsb on 2018-19 cats so i'm not sure about the 18's either as far as reliability. I would say 2020 is the sweet spot for 550 mustangs

As far as I understand it that's pretty normal for boosted Coyotes, the stock cats just don't like having to filter that much power, haha. My 2020 has been solid so far, just some dash rattles that I fixed myself. I also expect to have the backup camera failure at some point since it seems like most of them die.

 

[Jmtoast]

As far as I understand it that's pretty normal for boosted Coyotes, the stock cats just don't like having to filter that much power, haha. My 2020 has been solid so far, just some dash rattles that I fixed myself. I also expect to have the backup camera failure at some point since it seems like most of them die.

it is normal but in this case the 18 and some early 19’s are actually defective. Mine just went faster than an NA car would.

 

[GreenS550]

People seem to constantly get mixed up about where Consumer Reports gets their reliability information. It’s based on the survey of their subscribers experiences. They don’t make up this stuff. It’s real world experience of actual owners. From reading the mustang forums it’s obvious that reliability is not a strong suit. I also own a Toyota Highlander and follow the forums on that. The difference in complaints is astounding. Absolutely nobody says their engine or transmission blew up on a Highlander. Nobody complains about the air conditioner failing, or electrical gremlins. In fact there’s very few complaints at all except about minor things like rattles and infotainment systems. . Toyota builds boring cars, but they’re definitely more trouble free.And it’s not just the mustang that gets a lot of complaints in forums. Everything Ford makes gets a lot of more complaints than Toyota for example.

This may be true. But, compare the percentage of Highlander owners that drag race or road race or modify their cars. When you go on Autotrader you will find a small percentage of Mustangs being sold used that have been modded. It only takes a few failures to get a bad reliability rating. You will have to look long and hard to find Highlanders that are modded. I take the reliability ratings with a grain of salt as a small number are seriously abused. That goes for the Camaro and Challenger as well.

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