1.      Generally

While the original Reliability Index Values and Averages have their merits, one shortcoming is that they are assigned to pairs of model years, rather than individual model years. This may mask a peculiarly bad year. On the other hand, the Reliability Percentranks, Grades and Scores are assigned to individual model years, but are still based on a model's performance over a two-year vehicular age range, whenever possible. When a Reliability Percentrank, Grade, or Score is based on data from only one year, the background of the cell is softened by diagonal white lines. For a detailed discussion of the methodology used to obtain  Reliability Percentranks, Grades, and Scores, check the Methodology page.

An additional advantage of the Reliability Percentranks and Grades is that they are quite independent, with an occasional exception, of the vehicular age range, for age ranges 2-4 years, 3-5 years, 4-6 years,  5-7 years, and 6-8 years. This may be seen from Tables I-MV1993RP, I-MV1993RGH, and I-MV1993RGE, but may be seen from Tables I-MVRP, I-MVRGH, and I-MVRGE as well.

All, or nearly all, operations involved in generating the Reliability Percentrank, Grade and Score tables have been double checked, or checked more often when an error was found; however, no doubt errors persist. Should any be found, please kindly advise.

2.       Consumer

The consumer may use the Reliability Percentrank tables, the Reliability Grade tables, and the Reliability Score tables to evaluate the reliability of a used motor vehicle model or project the reliability of a new motor vehicle model. In either case, one should always bear in mind that the reliability of an individual vehicle may part from that of the model's reliability, especially in instances of abuse or neglect.

The Reliability Percentrank tables give the relative reliability of a model on a scale from 0.00, the lowest value, to 1.00, the highest value. Table I-MVRP gives the Reliability Percentranks of nearly all models sold in North America (for exceptions, see the Methodology page), by line and manufacturer, for model years 1988 to 1997, as well as 1988-1997 and 1993-1997 averages. In addition, there are separate tables for small cars, sports cars, sporty cars, coupes, family cars, large cars, cars marketed as upscale, cars marketed as luxury, sport utility vehicles, minivans, and pickups, which list vehicles of the specified category in descending order of their Reliability Percentranks, and (b) separate tables for the best of 1988, the worst of 1988, the best of 1989, the worst of 1989, the best of 1990, the worst of 1990, the best of 1991, the worst of 1991, the best of 1992, the worst of 1992, the best of 1993, the worst of 1993, the best of 1994, the worst of 1994, the best of 1995, the worst of 1995, the best of 1996, the worst of 1996, the best of 1997, the worst of 1997, the best of 1998, the worst of 1998, the best of 1999, the worst of 1999, the best of 2000, and the worst of 2000, which list vehicles in descending order of their Reliability Percentranks for the specified year.

The tables giving the Reliability Grades - High Standards may be useful for those consumers who may not be desirous of owning the the most reliable, but are desirous of owning something not too distant from the most reliable, and for those consumers whose goal is one day to own something close to the most reliable. For the latter, these tables may tell the consumer how far along he/she has come in obtaining that goal.

The tables giving the Reliability Grades - Exacting Standards may be of use to those consumers who want to own only the best, at least with respect to reliability, or for those consumers whose goal is one day to own the best, at least with respect to reliability. For the latter, these tables may tell the consumer how far along he/she has come in obtaining that goal.

Also, these percentrank and grade tables may be useful for indexing the difference between the standards of workmanship and performance that a consumer may hold and those that a prospective craftsman may hold. For example, if it is necessary for a Toyota or Honda owner to employ a craftsman who drives a Big Three engineered vehicle, it may be prudent to watch the craftsman like a hawk to avoid disappointing results. 

3.       Manufacturer

A manufacturer interested in marketing a product to consumers of higher, high, or exacting standards of workmanship and performance may use the Reliability Percentrank and Grade tables, as experience or business judgment directs, to index the standards of workmanship and performance that may be expected of the (1) hourly employees, (2) supervisors and managers, and (3) officers of a prospective supplier. Once a percentrank or grade average has been found for each of the three groups, weights may be ascribed in accordance with the manufacturer's experience, to give a composite score.

4.       Professional Craftsmen

A craftsman may use the tables for measuring the standards of workmanship and performance of a prospective employer, in order to assess how much attention need be paid detail.

5.       Researchers

Researchers are invited to find correlations between a person's social, psychological, and intellectual characteristics and the Reliability Percentrank of the vehicle he/she drives. Some, of course, will just be interesting, but others may be valuable in commerce, manufacturing, or marketing.

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