I originally created the Car Repair History Survey to serve as a supplement to the main survey, the Car Reliability Survey, for people who wanted to report on cars not yet in the main survey or to report on repairs that occurred before they joined. The original Car Repair History Survey was minimalist–to a fault. There was no easy, intuitive… More →
Month: March 2010
So close
We headed into yesterday with 61,876 cars signed up for the Car Reliability Survey. The previous day, 147 cars were enrolled, among the best days ever. So 62,000 was within reach. And if we got there, it would only be ten days since the 61,000th car was enrolled. The previous record for growing by 1,000 cars: 13 days. Ten days… More →
Jaguar, Porsche, and the J.D. Power’s 2010 VDS
Since TrueDelta promptly updates its Car Reliability Survey results four times a year, we can report on new models ahead of anyone else. Last year, we announced that the 2009 Jaguar XF was faring poorly. This provoked a blistering backlash from owners at a particular Jaguar forum. In the end, threads on reliability were deleted and future ones all but… More →
How to read the reliability stats: internal consistency?
When looking over the results of our Car Reliability Survey, I check for consistency across model years. As the sample sizes grow, they’re consistent more often than not. When one result is out of line with the others, the question is then whether we’re looking at an inaccurate result, or whether that particular model year might actually require more repairs.… More →
Hondas and Toyotas continue to predominate
Antoine of MazdaForums asked me which five models have been most researched recently. Turns out I hadn’t updated the Most Popular Car Price Comparisons list in a while. Since last July, in fact. Since it has been eight months, there must be quite a few changes, right? Well, not exactly. Hondas continue to dominate, followed by–despite the current crisis–Toyotas. Both… More →
Auto industry insanity defined
Edmunds AutoObserver Michelle Krebs, commenting on the termination and replacement of Cadillac’s leadership, concluded, “If GM is going to change and is going to succeed, it must change people.” Paraphrasing Eistein, she added that “Doing the same thing over and over again with the same people in the same positions and expecting a different result is…insane.” Michelle Krebs is far… More →
Toyotas in “Modern Family” — unsafe?
An article in this week’s Advertising Age and Automotive News (they’re sister publications) investigates why the family in the new hit sitcom ‘Modern Family’ “still drives Toyota product.” The author found it “jarring” that the family “chatted happily while traveling in, of all things, a Toyota.” The answer: Toyota paid for product placement, the contract runs through the end of… More →
Buick Regal pricing analysis
In recent years Opel, the German subsidiary of General Motors, has offered some very desireable cars. But the company has rarely offered these cars in the U.S. and when it has they have not sold well. A decade ago Americans failed to buy the Cadillac Catera, and more recently they left the Saturn ASTRA sitting on lots. Opel’s latest hit,… More →
Specs for 2000s and 2001s added to the database
It was long overdue, and I’ve now added bodystyle and powertrain specs for 2000 and 2001 models to the database. What this means–it’s now possible to participate with 2000 and 2001 model year cars in all surveys, including the “Why (Not) This Car?” survey, Gas Mileage Survey, and Car Repair History Survey. It took me about 33 hours to enter… More →
2010 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain–shaky launch
With the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain General Motors finally figured out what car buyers are looking for in a compact crossover. Dealers have had trouble keeping them on lots. But did GM work out all of the bugs prior to launching the vehicle? With prompt quarterly updates, TrueDelta’s Car Reliability Survey can answer this question well ahead of… More →