When TrueDelta first started posting results a year ago, we posted an “official result” with a minimum of 18 responses that included 72 months of data. Asterisked results were provided with at least ten responses that included 40 months. These numbers were chosen based on where the results seemed to stabilize. In subsequent result sets the minimums were increased because… More →
Month: October 2007
How many 2008 models will be in the February results?
One of the major advantages of TrueDelta’s research process is that, if enough owners participate, we can have initial results for new models very quickly. The best proof of this so far: the 2008 Buick Enclave (and the related GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook). Thanks to the help of EnclaveForum.net, with assists from AcadiaForum.net, Saturnfans.com, and SaturnOutlookForum.net, we’ve already received over… More →
Posting preliminary results to the VRS
In the past, results to the Vehicle Reliability Study have first been posted a couple weeks after the end of data collection, or about 45 days after the end of the quarter. This month I’ve decided to try something different. Most people who respond to the survey do so in the first week of data collection. So this time I… More →
Integrating the VRS and VRHS
It dawned on me while traveling this past weekend that the site could be greatly improved, and many current problems eliminated, if the Vehicle Reliability Survey and Vehicle Repair History Survey were much more tightly integrated. Below you’ll find my initial thoughts. Feedback would be appreciated. Why haven’t these surveys been integrated all along? It’s a matter of history. The… More →
State of the Site 2007
TrueDelta.com turned three at the end of September, and the third year was a good one. We started providing Vehicle Reliability Survey results, and provided updates each quarter, as promised. Each time more models have been included, despite increases in the minimum sample sizes. In a growing number of cases TrueDelta has provided reliability information on a model before anyone else. Next… More →
Don’t be so quick to blame American labor
When Toyota’s current reliability issues made headlines this past week, many people were quick to assume that manufacturing the cars in the U.S. was the source of the problem. I’d avoid such a rush to judgment. I’ve noticed that Acura and Honda owners are especially likely to assume that Japanese-made Acuras and Hondas are much better built than American-made Acuras… More →
“Declining reliability” in Consumer Reports
Each year Consumer Reports posts a list of models whose reliability has declined. But in some cases this “declining reliability” is a sign that they really didn’t have enough data a year ago. Many times with models that were introduced in the winter or spring they report a “better than average” result, only to report a year later that reliability… More →
Toyota loses “most favored” status over at CR
For years, Consumer Reports has recommended new Honda and Toyota models even without reliability data on them because cars from these manufacturers had been consistently reliable. However, this has changed in recent years as Honda’s and Toyota’s have become less consistent and the gap between all makes has narrowed. So to me the practice seemed questionable. A couple months ago TrueDelta reported… More →
Reporting repairs might actually help your resale value
Over on Bimmerforums.com, someone recently asked, “If my vehicle had problems, how would it benefit me to report it? It would only cause my resale to drop later if I had problems.” No doubt this question has crossed many people’s minds. Seems logical. But there is a major flaw in the logic: TrueDelta isn’t the only one reporting vehicle reliability… More →
Another “hidden” price increase: Audi
I’ve written before about what I call “hidden price increases,” where the manufacturer raises the invoice price paid by the dealer but leaves the sticker price that the public sees unchanged. Since the invoice price often determines the actual price you pay more than the sticker price does, car buyers end up paying more, but without realizing that anything has… More →