Guess I’ll consider myself lucky! I have a 19!

 

I've used CR as a tool for buying things, but not as the only source of comparisons.
They did good for what I was buying,..............lawn mower, washer & dryer, & a TV, their reviews were spot on & agreed with other reviewers..
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When I wanted a new washing machine in the house, I got the CR account again as I had used them in the past. They rated the best of the best in new high efficiency washers. But the response of people who actually bought these washers was that they were the worst thing to happen to clean clothes ever designed. CR was pushing some liberal agenda rather than what actually cleans clothes. I checked consumer feedback and found that Speed Queen made in the USA washers were top consumer rated brands for cleaning. They did not even get a mention in CR.

 

I think most of the responses are missing the point. The reliability survey is a consumer driven report. Consumer Reports does the analysis, but the responses are real world and not based upon a couple of reporters driving several cars/trucks for months. Bottomline, Ford is not as reliable as the Toyota, Honda, or Kia. As RL1990 stated, powertrain (i.e. cam phasers, leaking oil pans, 10 speed transmission), IWE, door locks, warped dashes, poor fit & finish, rear window defrosters, and pano moonroof issues all influence the responses. Every manufacturer has their issues, but where they rank in a list obviously exposes some raw feelings.

 

I have found CR to be of average accuracy and should not be used as the sole basis for making a purchasing decision, as there are many more, less-biased sources out there now. I quit reading their reviews long ago as I have found their ratings to be way off base, and their bias towards American manufacturing is clear.

One thing to consider, while CR uses consumer driven reports, how many times do satisfied/happy customers respond to surveys versus an unhappy/unsatisfied owner? People with complaints will respond much quicker and in higher numbers resulting in collecting skewed data.

According to Wiki, funding for Consumer Reports has recently been provided by public interest research groups, the Kentucky Equal Justice Center and the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network among other advocacy organizations. "Public interest" and advocacy groups usually have agendas they wish to impose upon the general public.

 

I used to subscribe to CR and followed their recommendations on several purchases and regretted every one of them. Just like JD Power, where does their money come from.

 

"In-car electronics".
If you look at their reliability charts the F150 is "much better than average" or "better than average" in all categories EXCEPT for in-car electronics which is rated as much below average. The bane of modern vehicles. I've been shopping Jeep Wranglers recently. That same category - electronics - is what keeps their reliability scores terrible.

And yes, Consumer Reports is pushing an agenda. Getting rid of fossil fuel burning engines is one of them. So is promoting electronic nannies - the very things that cause so many of the "In-car electronic" problems - is one of them. Automatic collision braking, lane keeping assist, etc, - now they are promoting a feature for a vehicles that will not allow them to start until the vehicle determines you are sober enough to drive.

So yes, I do check Consumer Reports data on vehicles (and other "stuff") before buying. But it is just another piece of data to add to what I get from other sources and it IS NOT the determining factor in what I buy.

 

Ah, the internets...

You could go look instead of making it sound like a nefarious plot to take over our minds. They're not funded in remotely the same way. J.D. Power makes money by selling its research findings and licensing fees. If a company wants to feature J.D. Power in an advertisement (like those car commercials you might see), the company has to pay a licensing fee for it. A d car companies pay J. D. Power big money for access to consumer survey data. Consumer Reports is funded by subscription fees, including to their website. You can get free access via your library, who pays a subscription fee. They also get grants and donations, but not from companies. No influence from auto companies or other manufacturers.

 

Never trusted CR much dating back to their reviews on Corvairs. Even if based on annual subscriber survey. Most owners happy with something just shut up and smile, those disappointed tend to complain loudly and publicly. Cr also has frequently displayed their own editorial opinion based review bias. KM

 

So this is their secret liberal agenda? If so they're doing a horrible job pushing the agenda since they rated all Teslas in worst category. I swear people will put politics in everything these days.