Ford Gains, Acura and Cadillac Fade in Consumer Reports Reliability Poll

Japanese brands again captured five of the top 10 spots in this year’s auto reliability survey by Consumer Reports. Buick, which ranked seventh, was again the only domestic brand in the group.

The biggest gainer this year was Ford, which climbed six places to 17th. The biggest declines came from Acura (down seven places to 18th) and Cadillac (down seven to 25th). Results are based on data about more than 740,000 vehicles.

This year’s scores ranged from +64 for Lexus to -177 for Fiat. The highest-ranking European brand this year was Audi, which climbed from fifth to third in the overall rankings. Luxury brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz each rose three positions to 11th and 21st, respectively.

Anchoring the bottom of this year’s reliability ratings in declining order are Ram, Jeep and Fiat.

Factors eroding a brand’s score include new vehicle platforms, new fuel-saving powertrains and the introduction of new electronic features. Complex infotainment systems were a major source of owner complaints, many of them relating to system freezes, according to the magazine.

Earlier this year CR gave the Tesla Motors Inc. Model S electric sedan a perfect 100-point road test score. But the magazine does not recommend the car from a reliability standpoint because of the number of owner complaints it logged about the drivetrain, charging system and various body squeaks and leaks.