CarMD study – Toyota has fewest check engine light-related problems
Tim Esterdahl | Dec 02, 2011 | Comments 5
CarMD.com recently released its first annual CarMD Vehicle Health Index which provided a ranking of vehicles and top manufacturers. According to the study, Toyota is the top-rated manufacturer based on the average repair costs and the percentage of problems related to a “check engine” light.
A recent CarMD study found that Toyota's had the fewest check engine light-related problems of any U.S. manufacturer.
Toyota, including both Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles, has the lowest rating for 2011 with 0.67. In this report lower ratings were more desirable. The number two spot went to Hyundai, followed by Honda, Ford and General Motors.
This study from CarMD.com is actually the first to index vehicles using statistics based on repair costs and engine failures of vehicles, as opposed to manufacturer cost and safety ratings. The index rating for the study is based on the lowest combined average repair costs and issues for vehicles with a model year of 2001 through 2011. It looked at data in the United States between the dates of October 1, 2010 and October 1, 2011.
The annual report also included rankings for the best-selling 100 vehicles, along with the top 3 vehicles in each category and the most common issues by manufacturer. According to Art Jacobson, vice president of CarMD, the report was released using unbiased information to give a transparency to purchasing a new vehicle.
While looking at the top 10 ranked vehicles, Honda and Toyota together account for 4 of the top 10. The 2009 Toyota Corolla ranked number 1 with the lowest repair costs on average and the lowest check engine-light related issues. The 2009 Toyota RAV4, the 2009 Toyota Camry and 2008 Toyota Highlander were the top-rated Toyota vehicles in the study.
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Filed Under: Auto News
that is why I stick with toyota and Hyundai just recently made the switch from 09′ corolla (excellent no problems) to a 2011 Hyundai V6 Santa Fe. I must say, the newer Santa Fe is much better overall v6 vs. v6 as compared to the RAV4. Only time will tell. I wanted to keep the trouble free corolla, but 13K trade in at 2 years and 27K since only paid 16.2K cannot be beat for trade in value. I doubt the new Hyundai santa fe will compete come 2-3 years trade in time, but I hope it isn’t too bad. Hyundai is making a huge improvement, I just wish the resale will follow suit in 2-3 years time like Honda and Toyota.
Your caption of the Toyota symbol and sentence stating Toyota has top honors in the US manufacture vehicles. When did GM and Ford become US manufacturer’s? lol…
mk – I’d guess your Hyundai will do great. They’re on a roll and all the quality indicators are really positive.
Mickey – LOL – good call.
ased on a new study from CarMD, a “personal car doctor” service that plugs into a vehicle and clues drivers in as to why the Check Engine light is on, however, you wouldn’t have an inkling that all is not well with Toyota and Honda. In the study, or First Annual CarMD Vehicle Health Index, as it’s called, Toyota and Honda earn the No. 1 and No. 3 rankings, respectively.
Generally speaking luxury brands actually hurt their parent brands, with Buick and Infiniti as exceptions. Although the average repair costs were actually lower with the luxury brands, the reported repair instances were higher based on a percentage of vehicle population – in most cases about twice as common.