The 2008 Toyota Yaris subcompact sedan and hatchback averaged of just five problems per 100 vehicles between June 2008 and June 2009 in a newly updated TrueDelta reliability study, making it the survey's most trouble-free new car.
The 2006 Subaru Impreza matched that problem rate -- impressive for a car that has been on the road for a while -- but newer Imprezas (2008 brought a full redesign) haven't done as well.
The Yaris slipped ahead of Toyota's Prius hybrid, a previous winner in the TrueDelta surveys. The Yaris has improved slightly since the reliability study's last quarterly update, and the Prius has shown a few more problems -- though still fewer than most cars at 11 problems per 100 vehicles. (Those Prius data don't apply to the redesigned 2010 model that went on sale earlier this year.)
Owners of some cars, including the 2009 Prius, reported no problems at all in that 12-month period, but not enough responded to the survey for TrueDelta to consider the results fully valid. Cars in the organization's official data must have at least 25 responses.
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The worst-performing new vehicles in the survey continue to be the Dodge Journey midsize SUV (105 problems per 100 vehicles), Jaguar XF luxury sports sedan (105 problems per 100 vehicles), and the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (145 problems per 100 vehicles). These data say that on average each owner of these fairly new vehicles has already needed to take it in for repairs, though that average is skewed slightly by troublesome vehicles that have required multiple trips.
The average 2008-model vehicle in the survey has suffered about 50 problems per 100 vehicles, TrueDelta has said.
TrueDelta has highlighted with this reliability update that it has data for its first 2010 model, the Kia Soul subcompact hatchback. The Soul has been reliable so far, averaging 15 problems per 100 vehicles, but owners have reported problems with the available lights mounted in the car's speakers. The Soul may also see more problems as time progresses; as the car only went on sale this spring, any problems suffered would have been within the early weeks of ownership.
Among older cars, TrueDelta has reported consistent problems with the Audi A4 and A6 luxury cars; the 2001 A6 (shown) had the most reported problems of any car in the survey -- 233 per 100 vehicles -- and the much newer 2005 A4 was a close runner-up with 217. The current generation of A4, introduced as a 2009 model, has been much more reliable; TrueDelta has no data on new A6s.
The 2001 Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans nearly matched the Audis for repair frequencies, at 205 problems per 100 vehicles; TrueDelta identified the power steering, fuel, and water pumps as common trouble spots. But unlike Audi's improvements to the A4, even the new versions of Chrysler's vans have been trouble-prone, as the 2008 models have required an average of 98 problems per 100 vehicles.
The winners among older cars are two 2002 Hondas, the Civic and Accord (shown), which needed only 13 and 22 repairs per 100 vehicles respectively. Despite their age and higher mileage, that represents fewer repairs in a year than the average brand-new vehicle.
Note that the survey would likely report some different winners and losers if TrueDelta had data on more cars, but even as-is the results can suggest some cars that are unlikely to require too much work and some that it might be best to avoid.
In comparison to the oft-cited Consumer Reports reliability survey, participants in the TrueDelta research "panel" sign up and provide the year, make, and model of their cars once, and are surveyed throughout the year. TrueDelta says this reduces the problem of people only filling out the reliability surveys when they have a complaint to report and allows for information to be fresher.
Also unlike Consumer Reports, TrueDelta provides numerical data and a listing of each problem that occurred in a surveyed vehicle.
But also unlike Consumer Reports, TrueDelta does not have data on 1.4 million cars. 51,000 cars are registered in the TrueDelta panel, allowing the organization to report reliability data on only a relative handful of makes and models, whereas Consumer Reports reports data on almost every year-make-model combination going back 10 years. TrueDelta also reports reliability based on smaller minimum sample size than Consumer Reports -- 25 vehicles versus 100.
Sign up to participate in the TrueDelta reliability survey on their web site. You'll need to spend only a few minutes per year answering e-mail surveys, and car buyers will be able to benefit from the information you provide.
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