Consumer Reports names 20 worst cars for reliability
They are a motley lot, this rogue's gallery of least reliable cars.
There's something in there for everyone -- luxury and mainstream, sports cars and big SUVs, big and small.
The one thing they have in common: their owners have to spend a lot of time taking them into mechanics because of mechanisms that don't work right.
Consumer Reports magazine created the ratings, which hit this week in the December issue, based on thousands of responses to its owner surveys.
Fiat Chrysler vehicles, including Fiat, Dodge, Chrysler and Ram, finished generally near the bottom of the pack, as brand's go. Fiat 500L was the least reliable single model.
The same problems, however, crop up among many of the cars on the list. They include balky transmissions, leaks, climate controls that don't control the climate and a raft of issues around fancy navigation and in-car entertainment systems.
Overall, Lexus is the most reliable brand. Fiat is the least, by a long shot.
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