Top 10 Least Reliable Cars and Trucks

Since its founding in 1936, Consumer Reports has become the go-to source for shoppers. From new refrigerators to bottles of wine, Blue-ray players to homeowner’s insurance, if it’s on the market it’s likely the non-profit organization has scientifically tested it. Of course the consumer watchdog is probably most famous for its vehicle reliability ratings.

Conscientious shoppers in the market for a new ride turn to the magazine’s pages for advice. They search out cars and trucks with most the red dots, and shun ones that get black marks. The group’s survey methodology, while controversial, paints a broad and easily understood picture for buyers.

To earn a coveted “Recommended” rating, vehicles must perform well in the organization’s testing and have a reliability score of average or better. But what about cars and trucks that fail to make the grade? Here’s a list of the Top 10 Least Reliable Vehicles according to Consumer Reports. If you’re familiar with their ratings you’ll know products from the Detroit Three typically don’t score as well as their Japanese competitors. Needless to say there’s trouble brewing in Dearborn. Team America… oh no.

It’s cool looking, it’s spacious and it’s got a luxurious interior, but one thing the Ford Flex lacks is reliability. According to the folks at Consumer Reports dependability of the EcoBoost model is “well below average.” However, the base version manages to do a little better. Testers take issue with the company’s MyFord Touch infotainment system as well as the crossover’s wide turning radius and hampered rearward visibility. Even with twin turbochargers and 365 horsepower the Flex can’t outrun its issues.

Is it any surprise the Lincoln MKT wound up on this list of lackluster vehicles? It shouldn’t be since this highbrow hauler is basically a platinum version of the Flex. The folks at Consumer Reports complain about many of the same things they do regarding the Ford. According to them the MKT’s handling is “cumbersome” and its driving position “compromised.” MyLincoln Touch was just as infuriating as its blue-collar brethren. The vehicle’s turning circle and tiny third-row seat make no friends, either. On the plus side they enjoy the Lincoln’s quiet, luxurious cabin and powerful optional engine. Like the EcoBoosted Flex, reliability is well below average.

Let’s start with the good. Jaguar’s flagship XJ is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine, though a supercharged V6 and all-wheel drive are available for the 2013 model year. It’s powerful and refined… and presumably thirsty as well, with a wonderfully smooth ride.

Now for the bad news. The trunk is small and the low roof line cuts into rear-seat headroom. Additionally the folks at CR find the car’s touch-screen interface complicated. See a pattern here? Perhaps all of the editors at Consumer Reports are octogenarians and anything with a circuit board sends them into epileptic convulsions. Apparently the system’s usability is not that great; of course reliability is likewise poor.

It’s obvious the testers at Consumer Reports are not fans of heavy trucks. They’ve probably never had dirt under their fingernails or been at a construction site before. Their criticism of the Ram 2500 centers on refinement. According to them the pickup’s ride is harsh when unloaded, while the up-level Cummins turbo-diesel engine is raucous. Also, the truck’s six-speed automatic transmission does not shift smoothly. What do you expect? The Ram 2500 is a work vehicle not a Lexus ES350! Reliability of the diesel model is well below average, which is why this tough pickup is in a tough spot, on this top 10 list.

Well lookie what we have here, another Ford product! The Lincoln MKX is a midsize luxury crossover that’s based on the relatively pedestrian Ford Edge. According to Consumer Reports its reliability is much worse than average. Aside from questionable dependability, testers take issue with the vehicle’s touch screen-based infotainment system as well as its secondary controls, no surprise there. A supposedly unrefined transmission was another sore spot, as was the cabin. They thoroughly enjoy its luxurious look and feel but are not enthusiastic about outward visibility or the intrusion of road and wind noise.

Uh oh, this is not good. Someone in Dearborn is going lose their job… scratch that, an entire department at Ford is going to get sacked. Another Blue-Oval vehicle is on this list, how embarrassing. Coming in at No. 5 is the V6-powered, two-wheel-drive version of the company’s Explorer SUV. This formerly truck-based utility gets a black eye from you-know-who, or rather a series of black dots on its reliability report card. The editors enjoy its interior calling it “well-finished and relatively quiet.” The usable third-row seat is also worthy of praise, but the 3.5-liter V6 comes under fire for its coarseness, though it is powerful and efficient. Not surprisingly, the Explorer shares an underlying architecture with the Ford Flex, which is apparently the kiss of death when it comes to quality.

At first blush the people at CR seem to really enjoy the MINI Cooper Countryman. They praise its fun-to-drive nature, comfortable seats, quick steering and “fantastic agility.” But then the rose withers. They find the compact crossover’s controls frustrating to use, its ride stiff and cabin noisy. Uh oh, this isn’t looking good, and it’s not. Like an asteroid entering earth’s atmosphere reliability has fallen to well below average. What are the chances it’ll explode before impact?

Kitteh just can’t behave. First it ripped up the curtains and now it’s knocking nana’s ash urn off the mantle. Another Jag has wound up on this list of unreliable vehicles. Where the big, bad XJ is all about obscene levels of luxury the XF sedan is designed to deliver a sporty driving experience, and for the most part it does. Consumer Reports calls the ride steady and its handling agile, just like a cat on the prowl. Testers find the interior snug but nicely trimmed with rich wood and leather. Unfortunately for parent company Tata the car’s electronics don’t fare as well. CR bitches about the XF’s touch-screen controls, calling them “slow and fussy.” Reliability is in the crapper as well.

Quality? What’s that? Don’t ask anyone at Ford because apparently they don’t know. Now the Focus is in Consumer Reports’ crosshairs. Testers have a lot of positive things to say about the compact hatchback (or sedan), praising its sporty handling, well-controlled ride and solid interior. But it’s equal parts pleasure and pain with this car. They find the back seat very tight, even by compact standards. As with other Fords the controls are complicated and the Focus’ dual-clutch automatic transmission does not shift smoothly, even after a software update that was supposed to fix the issue. In AutoGuide’s humble opinion that’s your fault for buying one; you should have gotten a manual gearbox. Problem solved. Icing on this failure cake is reliability which is projected to be “much worse than average.”

And here it is, the most unreliable vehicle according to our colleagues at Consumer Reports. The Ford Explorer is so problematic it earns two spots on this list. The plusses and minuses are essentially identical between the two- and four-wheel-drive models so we’ll spare you the monotony of rehashing everything for the second time, once more, again. As with the other model, MyFord Touch apparently turns this utility into my Ford SUCKS. Reliability is “much worse than average.”

Whether you agree with Consumer Reports’ survey methodology or not, the organization’s influence with shoppers is immense. People turn to the publication for advice; if a vehicle doesn’t perform well in their quality surveys it may not perform very well on the showroom floor.