Every once in a while I come across an evaluation of TrueDelta’s Vehicle Reliability Survey results that reads, “Man, the X must be junk.” Such evaluations are always based on noticing that the repair rate for the model in question is among the highest reported for the model year.

But it’s important to also consider the absolute repair rate. Sure, a model might require 50 percent more repairs than the average car. Sounds bad, right? But the difference is probably still less than half a repair trip per year for at least the first few years.

This is why TrueDelta, unlike others, provides the absolute repair rates. This way, people can get a sense of how many repairs a car will require, and decide whether they are comfortable enough with this number to buy the car they most like to look at, sit in, and drive.