Unreliable Trucks and Cars

[nissangirl74]

Autoguide.com has released their list of the ten most unreliable cars and trucks for 2013. The good news is that there are no Nissans on the list. What may surprise you is the fact that one of the Big Three holds 8 out of the 10 positions. The winner (loser)? Ford. I had heard that Ford had some issues with their Ford Touch infotainment system and the ecoboost engine, but I had no idea it was this bad. Admittedly, lots of these articles ARE biased and written by haters. I've only driven one of the cars, the Focus Hatch. It isn't in our driveway, so you can guess how well that went. Anyone who has driven any of the others, feel free to chime in on your own opinions. What do you think? Is this guy just a Ford hater or does he speak the truth?

1. Ford Explorer 4WD
2. Ford Focus Hatch
3. Jaguar XF
4. Mini Cooper Countryman
5. Ford Explorer 2WD
6. Lincoln MKX
7. Dodge Ram 2500
8. Jaguar XJ
9. Lincoln MKT
10. Ford Flex w/EcoBoost

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2013 ... ign=weekly

[Bubba1]

Unsurprising to me that Ford dominates the list plus a pair of Tata's (Jag). My Ford touch really is that problematic and Ford's insistence to tweek instead of replace (understandable given their big investment) is making them look worse than the vehicles are. Jag is traditionally on this list, but below average reliability does not seem to be a factor to those who buy them. The only mild surprise to me is that a Mini is there instead of a Land Rover.

[frapjap]

My Ford touch really is that problematic and Ford's insistence to tweek instead of replace (understandable given their big investment) is making them look worse than the vehicles are.

This.

Yes, the system should work flawless if its in production, but the infotainment system isn't the end all to a Ford vehicle being reliable. Due to those bugs and system hiccups in the My Ford Touch, the vehicles end up in the dealership more often and thus, look less reliable.

[ScrapMetal]

Ford had a recall on their 1.6L Ecoboost engines sometime ago, they could potentially catch fire. Since I for one only care about their trucks and the Mustang, this doesn't really bother me.

[Loki]

Kinda strikes me as a hater considering the Explorer is on there twice, yet there is no reference to drivetrain issues. I'll be taking a rental Focus to Detroit and back next week, I'll chime in if I found it particularly disappointing. I don't find this article particularly useful when most cars are summed with vague claims of "below average" reliability.

They find the back seat very tight, even by compact standards

I've had 6' tall friends sit in driver's and behind driver's seat while checking out a Focus and they said leg room was just fine. Maybe not cross-country roadtrip fine, but it's a small, cheap car.

Quality? What’s that? Don’t ask anyone at Ford because apparently they don’t know.

I'm sensing some hate.

"As with the other model, MyFord Touch apparently turns this utility into my Ford SUCKS."

Really? I mean....really?

[MinisterofDOOM]

Their data comes from Consumer Reports. Take that as you will.

[Jesda]

I also question this list. No Land Rovers, no VWs... is this one of those "the cupholder is slightly too small therefore the vehicle is unreliable" surveys?

[AZhitman]

I've had 6' tall friends sit in driver's and behind driver's seat while checking out a Focus and they said leg room was just fine.

I can tell you that this is unequivocally not true.

I'm 6'1", and I couldn't get IN the rear seat.

I liked the Focus ST - but there's no way two six-footers are sitting in-line in that car, unless the driver is sitting abnormally close to the wheel. Not gonna happen.

I hated the fact that no matter how I tried to get in/out, I whacked my head on the C-pillar - hard.

[Jesda]

Depends on how much of your height is divided between torso and legs.

The 94-04 Mustang, for example, has a front seat, clutch, and manual shifter location that most publications hate. I have a long torso and a pair of stout little midget legs so I find it to be almost ideal. Ford must have used Hank Hill as an interior design benchmark.

[Loki]

I've had 6' tall friends sit in driver's and behind driver's seat while checking out a Focus and they said leg room was just fine.

I can tell you that this is unequivocally not true.

I'm 6'1", and I couldn't get IN the rear seat.

I liked the Focus ST - but there's no way two six-footers are sitting in-line in that car, unless the driver is sitting abnormally close to the wheel. Not gonna happen.

I hated the fact that no matter how I tried to get in/out, I whacked my head on the C-pillar - hard.

Well this is one thing I'll have to test out when I rent my Focus. Honestly I really, really wish I just had the option of a Focus ST 2-door hatchback. It can't be any worse than cramming four 6' guys into a 240SX convertible, which I have done in the past (it was either that or walk), in which case I assumed a NASCAR-like driving position.

[nissangirl74]

I'm 6'1", and I couldn't get IN the rear seat. (

I'm 5'7"-ish and I was VERY uncomfortable. The salesgirl who went with us on the test drive was shorter than me and said it sucked. She sat in the back with her legs swung over into the seat.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I have stupid-long legs (for perspective: I can simply step onto the tailgate of my dad's 4x4 Ram with 285-75-16 tires without overstretching) and am tall, so I have the opposite problem from Jesda. It's not really LEG room I need. It's KNEE room. Last focus I sat in at a carshow lacked it in a bad way. So does my LS, though. Rear seats with actual keeroom are pretty rare. I could sit comfortably behind myself in my Q. I can sort of manage it in a 6th gen Maxima, but my head ends up in the ceiling. Compacts that fit adults in the back are impressive because even BIG cars have trouble with it. The focus, though...not on that list.

[AZhitman]

Realistically, if you need to transport 6-footers in the back seat, you buy a crossover or a large sedan.

Compacts, hatches, GTs and sports cars ain't for field trips.