Toyota, Honda lead quality rankings but GM gains

10/26/2010
ASSOCIATED PRESS

DETROIT — Consumer Reports magazine says Honda and Toyota still make the most problem-free cars and trucks, but Ford is closing in fast and General Motors has made big improvements in the past year.

Consumer Reports is widely used by buyers to judge car and truck reliability. The magazine says it's the third-largest factor used by Americans to pick vehicles, topped only by brand loyalty and recommendations from friends and family.

The magazine's 2010 rankings also show gains for Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia and a strong performance from Japan's Suzuki. European automakers generally fared poorly, as did the Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler brands.

The magazine is basing its rankings on surveys returned by 960,000 of its subscribers.