Consume Reports

[spider2081]

Boy, Consumer Reports sure has given the Fiat 500 and 500L some pretty poor reliability ratings. I expected some issues with the 500PE and 500L when we purchased them. I was thinking it is common to have start-up issues when new designs and/or manufacturing production lines are put into operation. The 500PE has had the half shaft replaced, the rear hatch latch switch replaced and a PCV valve replaced we have driven it 36,000 miles in 3+ years. The 500L had a the thermostat housing replaced it pretty much leaked form the beginning. It now has close to 5000 miles on it. 2 weeks ago we got rear ended by a Toyota Tacoma 4 wheel drive. No injuries but about $3,000 dollars damage.
We are still happy we purchased the cars.
Hopefully the Consumer Reports ratings will improve next year.

[aj81spider]

Just to illustrate why Consumer Reports rating is warranted. Here is my experience with new cars:

I bought a Toyota pickup truck in the 90's. First 3 years 50,000 miles - no service required except oil changes.
I bought a 2006 Honda Civic (first year of current style) - First 3 years 75,000 miles - no service required except oil changes.
I bought a 2010 Honda Civic - First 3 years 60,000 miles - no service required except oil changes.

When I buy a new car I expect to never have to go back to the dealer again. Going back 3 times in 36 months would make me never buy that brand again.

As an example, squeezed in there was a Mazda 626 that needed a head gasket at 50,000 miles - I'll never buy a Mazda again.

Fiat has a long way to go before it reaches modern acceptable levels of quality. 3 trips to the dealer in 36 months may be an indication of why they are rated last in almost every quality survey I've seen.

[narfire]

When I buy a new car I expect to never have to go back to the dealer again.

So do I. However I had leased a new 97 Chev Tahoe and ended up with over $10,000.00 in warranty repairs in the first 60,000 kms. After the 13th time being towed to a dealer in two years I bought a 99 Expedition. I sold that with 420,000 kms on it ($1000.00) and see it around town where I work with over 500,000 now on the clock. I had a few things to deal with on that car other than routine maintenance but sure was reliable and decent to drive in town or on the logging roads.
Wonder what the consumer reports said about those two vehicles?

[spidernut]

Both SUVs were not rated well in Consumer's Reports. It is extremely accurate on reliability. My 2009 Civic had one bad shock from the factory replaced on my first visit for an oil change. It has 77,000 miles on it and has never been in the shop. My Plymouth van had its first problem at 100,000 miles...a leaking head gasket. It now has 137,000 miles and has been in the shop only for a bad e-brake mechanism and a transmission shift module.

Fiat does have a very long way to go if they want to avoid the Fix It Again Tony reputation. I know someone in Europe who said that they're very trouble prone cars even in Europe where they've been making them for a century. I do hope they get their act together.

[SoFlaFiat]

I've never read a consumer report about my truck but I'll write one!
In 226348 miles, I've replaced one injector.
That's the whole report...

That said, it's a real shame Ford isn't still running the 7.3 LT International in their trucks as I have heard nothing good about the newer engines.

[spider2081]

So this months Consumer Reports contains "Owners Satisfaction Survey" Owners of cars rate them based on if they would purchase them again.

The 500L came in 9th out of 23 in the compact class and the 500 came out #1 out of 12 in the sub-compact class. Interesting how cars rated so poorly for reliability last month could be so well liked by their owners.

Comments welcome

[spidernut]

This is actually not an uncommon factor in Consumer Reports Ratings. Fun factor and other positive attributes often trump reliability when it comes to owner satisfaction.

For example, Jeeps are notoriously pieces of donkey crap when it comes to reliability, but talk to a Jeep owner. They'd drive nothing else. Chevy Suburbans are horrible when it comes to reliability, but people buy them again and again because they fit their needs well as no other vehicle can. Look at the die-hard VW fans. Again, another very trouble-prone car after 50,000 miles yet they keep buying them again and again because they love them.

If people bought cars solely based upon reliability, we'd all be driving Civics and Corollas.

[Exit98]

LOL John,

You hit the nail on the head. It would have taken me a lot more words to make the point.

Why people in suburbia drive Jeeps mystifies me, but I'm old enough to know that my view isn't the only view. Still, I shake my head. Never mind when I see a 115 lb. woman driving a 6000 + behemoth to the grocery store.

[bobplyler]

Never mind when I see a 115 lb. woman driving a 6000 + behemoth to the grocery store.

Whoever invented power steering ought to be shot.

[spiderrey]

I bought a new mazda 626 a while back. Traded it in with over 170,000 miles on the clock. Still looked new and ran like new. the only thing that was ever replaced was the alternator and it was under warranty.

[AndyS]

Fiat has never been known as a builder of highly reliable cars, and they have joined up with Chrysler, who always has been the least reliable domestic car maker. No big surprise they are not up there with Honda and Toyota, but I was hoping they wouldn't end up rock bottom of the list like they did.

A friend is already having problems with his Abarth 500, a shifting issue dealing with the tranny, and the dealer can't seem to fix it.

customer satisfaction scores--the funniest one of those historically was Road and tracks satisfaction scores way back when of the original Lotus Elan. The Elan had the lowest reliability of any car they had ever surveyed in their history to that point, (literally dozens of issues within a couple of years was common) but the "would you buy another " box was checked a very high % of times by the Elan owners. the cars were just so much more fun to drive than anything else at that time, even if the car hardly every worked right, their owners still loved them.

[bradartigue]

Never mind when I see a 115 lb. woman driving a 6000 + behemoth to the grocery store.

Whoever invented power steering ought to be shot.

Whoever invented the SUV should be as well.

I look back at the five Audis I bought between 1998 and 2007 and realize I knew the dealer so well because I was there so often. Wonderful to drive but I sold the only reliable one in 2003 (it was the 1998) and the rest I never kept out of warranty. Terrible reliability. Did I love the cars - absolutely - in every way they were fantastic to drive - so I get where people can rate an unreliable car highly in general. Did I love the reliability? Nope. They never left me stranded but the warning lamps for various minor failures were a six-times-a-year occurrence.

I had a Land Rover for a while, loved it. A 2003 Disco. Glitchy doesn't begin to describe a Rover, but I loved it. Worst rated car probably ever by CR. Would I buy another one? Yep. With low expectations of reliability.

None of my Spiders ever threw a CEL though...

[toplessexpat]

I've owned a Land Rover of some description since 1996. Firstly County's of various guises (4.2 V8 LSE, 2.5 TDi Vogue), then the L322. Touch wood - they've always been remarkably fault free - even the "legendary" air suspension. Ok, so the annual service is a little on the high side - and I suspect that the level of preventative maintenance undertaken is above the higher scoring cars in the CRs. My only grumble is the quality of the interior - the leather combination we have has worn pretty poorly IMHO, and my LR dealer isn't particularly helpful (they suggested that it's my fault as I "wear jeans too much"!! ).

Our Audi is our first investment in the marque - and has so far lived up to their moniker. The only time that something weird seems to happen is a direct result of the car going in for a service (!) - it may be being replaced in the near future, and I'm going to miss the ridiculous power that the S4 has.

I know this thread started with the newer Fiat 500s, I've never owned one and can't attest to their reliability. My spiders though, have always been great. When something goes awry then it's nearly always age related, and when it's not it's generally owner/operator issues.

I think the key to my relatively low level of reliability issues across all my cars is that I don't mind carrying out a certain level of low level preventative maintenance on an ongoing basis.

[johndemar]

I've never read a consumer report about my truck but I'll write one!
In 226348 miles, I've replaced one injector.
That's the whole report...

That said, it's a real shame Ford isn't still running the 7.3 LT International in their trucks as I have heard nothing good about the newer engines.

My 97 only has 189,872 miles on it. The only thing I had to replace was the cam positioning sensor.
Everything else is just regular maintenance. I see no reason to replace it any time soon.