Reliability history: which vehicles hold up best.(Annual Auto Issue 2002)(Buyers Guide)(Directory)

The CONSUMER REPORTS annual auto-reliability survey provides a detailed view of how individual cars and trucks are holding up. Our most recent survey recorded our readers' experiences with 512,000 vehicles, spanning model years 1994 through 2001.

We refined the 2001 survey to reflect the changing automotive landscape. Body rust, for instance, has ceased to be a major problem, so we eliminated it as one of the 14 separate trouble areas we ask about and grouped it with paint and trim. In its place, we added power equipment (such as power windows, locks, seats, and audio systems) as a new entry. Manually operated equipment is still included in the body-hardware category.

For the past few surveys, we've asked about air-bag problems, including malfunctions not related to accidents. The problem rate has been reassuringly low. We'll keep tracking this to see how well air-bag systems hold up.

TROUBLE SPOTS

Among the 2001 models, the most complaints were for items we group as body integrity: rattles, squeaks, and leaks. Among middle-aged and older (1998 and earlier) models, electrical components--the battery, charging system, wiring, and lights--prompted the most complaints.

Some components seem to deteriorate quickly as vehicles age. Brake systems were cited as a headache for five- to eight-year-old cars, although we ask respondents to exclude normal-wear items such as brake pads. Power equipment and body hardware were major sources of complaints for nearly all model years. The fewest problems were with the exhaust, cooling, and ignition systems, and the engine. Air conditioning was problematic for the oldest cars in the survey, model years 1994, 1995, and 1996.

SNAPSHOT: 2001 MODELS