Honda named as most pothole-proof brand

I am surprised that the 'luxury' brands didn't fare better than what they did....-Honda tops pot hole list
-Chryslers susceptible to pot-hole damage
-£309 average repair bill because of pot holes

Honda cars are best-equipped to cope with potholes on UK roads, with only 1.4% suffering significant damage as a result of damaged roads.

Honda owners emerged as those least likely to have to make a claim due to suspension or axle damage, with Toyota and Hyundai owners not far behind.

However, the cars most likely to suffer pothole-related suspension damage are Chryslers, which have a 12.2% chance of damage in an average year according to Warranty Direct. Overall, there's around a 6% chance of any car suffering such damage in an average year.

'We've found some cars have an uncanny ability to absorb the jolts from even the most severe road craters, while others aren't so resilient,' said Duncan McClure Fisher of Warranty Direct.

He also pointed out that luxury brands, such as Jaguar, Mercedes and Land Rover all featured in the least-resilient list.

'Particularly surprising is that high-end manufacturers are just as vulnerable, if not more so, than 'value' manufacturers.'

According to Warranty Direct, the average pothole-related repair is £309, but some have been as high as £2420.

Most resilient brands
1. Honda
2. Toyota
3. Hyundai
4. Nissan
5. Kia
6. Mitsubishi
7. Mini
8. Suzuki
9. Ford
10. Mazda

Least Resilient Brands
1. Chrysler
2. Smart
3. Mercedes-Benz
4. Land Rover
5. Jaguar
6. Saab
7. Fiat
8. BMW
9. Seat
10. Vauxhall

Source;
http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/honda-named-as-most-pothole-proof-brand/260541

Million Mile Joe honored with 2012 Honda Accord and parade

Submitted by Adam Yamada-Hanff on Tue, 10/25/2011
Joe LoCicero a 53 year old man from Norway, Maine has done the unthinkable. He has driven his 1990 Honda Accord over 1 Million Miles! To celebrate this extremely amazing accomplishment, Honda threw a surprise parade in Saco, Maine for “Million Mile Joe” as he as come to be known.

The parade, along the Main Street of Saco, was complete with a giant odometer float powered by six people spinning life-sized hamster wheels. An airplane flew over with a banner that read “Way To Go Joe.” Local schools got involved as well, as students from Biddeford High School made floats to honor Joe. One of the creative floats was a replica of Joe and his 1990 Honda Accord nicknamed, “True Blue” due to its light blue color and a road adorned with banners marking special life occasions like Graduation, Just Married, Another Road Trip, and Million Mile Joe! The Westbrook High School marching band and color guard performed, and the Saco Middle School Marching Band performed as well. Shoestring Theater stilt walkers were part of the parade. Over-the-top costumed characters walked the streets, which included one person dressed in a number "1" costume with six other people dressed in "0" costumes, maps of Maine, and a pine-tree car air freshener. Joe and his wife, Sharon, happily waved to the crowd.

The parade interrupted a brief press conference where Joe received an oversized key to a new 2012 Honda Accord EX from Ashley Marble, Ms. Maine. The new car is a well earned gift from Honda to Million Mile Joe, but what is in store for “True Blue?” Joe is uncertain about what to do with his 1990 Honda Accord since he has new Honda Accord, complete with a lot of safety features and creature comforts his old Accord lacks. He was going to try to sell it for $1 million to a Honda dealership so they could showcase Honda's reliability, durability, and longevity but so far nobody has taken him up on his offer. (ummm.... really?!?)

“We at Honda are extremely proud of Joe. His accomplishment is really a testament to the reliability of the Honda Accord,” said Jessica Fini, a Honda PR spokeswoman. Tom Peyton, Honda's brand manager adds, "Joe's journey is a testament to his Honda's reliability and how people have come to count on Honda for more than 50 years to get them to where they need to go.”

A normal driver clocks around 10,000-15,000 miles on their odometer every year. It took Joe 15 years to get 1 million miles driving 62,500 miles a year. It would take an average driver 66-80 years to get to 1 million miles. That is farther than the average lifetime of 7 cars. Additionally 1 million miles would take you around the globe 40 times, it would be 4 trips to the moon... and back, and it would cost you $2 million in a taxi fare.

According to Honda, Joe is the the first person officially documented to have put 1 million miles on a Honda vehicle. Joe should feel quite proud of his accomplishment. Congratulate him on the Honda Facebook page

Way To Go Joe!

Source;
http://www.torquenews.com/1070/million-mile-joe-honored-2012-honda-accord-and-parade

Consumer Reports' 2011 Annual Car Reliability Survey: Ford drops, Chrysler rises, Scion leads

To continue the list from Ford....

Dodge (8) up
GMC (13) down
Mini (6) up
Buick (5) down
Cadillac (5) down
Audi (7) even
Porsche (2) down
Jaguar (2) not available


In recent years Ford has been a model of American reliability, competing well against Japanese makes that have dominated for decades. But three of its new models are blemishing that record.
The new Ford Explorer, Fiesta, and Focus all had below-average reliability in their first year. As a result, Ford’s overall reliability rank among 28 major car makes slipped from the 10th to the 20th spot this year—the biggest drop for any major nameplate in Consumer Reports' 2011 Annual Auto Survey.

Ford’s drop can also be attributed to problems with new technologies: the new MyFord Touch infotainment system and the new automated-manual transmission used in the Fiesta and Focus. On the bright side, the Ford Fusion Hybrid sedan remained outstanding, and other Fusion versions were above average.

While Ford’s star has fallen, Chrysler’s has risen. Jeep has moved up seven spots to 13, becoming the most reliable domestic brand, and all its models for which Consumer Reports has sufficient data scored average in predicted reliability. Chrysler and Dodge moved up 12 and three spots in ranking, respectively.

Chrysler had better results with its new models, including the freshened Chrysler 200 (formerly Sebring) sedan and the redesigned Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs. The Chrysler brand moved up in Consumer Reports survey, but its rank is based on just two models: the 200, which was well above average, and the freshened Town & Country minivan, which tanked. The remaining model, the 300, is too new for Consumer Reports to have sufficient data.
Reliability methodologyFindings are based on responses on 1.3 million vehicles owned or leased by subscribers to Consumer Reports or ConsumerReports.org. Conducted by Consumer Reports’ National Survey Research Center, the survey covers model years 2002 to 2011.

Consumer Reports’ expert team of statisticians and automotive engineers used the survey data to predict reliability of new 2012 models. Predicted reliability is Consumer Reports’ forecast of how well models currently on sale are likely to hold up. To calculate predicted-reliability ratings, CR averages the overall reliability scores (used car verdicts) for the most recent three model years, provided that the model remained unchanged in that period and also didn’t substantially change for 2012. If a model was new or redesigned in the past couple of years, one or two years’ data may be used, or if that’s all that’s available. On rare occasions, Consumer Reports makes predictions for a newly redesigned model, but only if previous versions had outstanding reliability.

Fortunes change for the Big ThreeEven with Chrysler’s improvement, Detroit models still have reliability problems. Of the 97 domestic models and versions for which Consumer Reports has sufficient data, 62 (64 percent) rated average or better in CR’s new-car reliability ratings, leaving 35 as below average.

General Motors has stumbled after edging up last year. The Buick and Cadillac brands, in particular, appear to have taken a step backward; Chevrolet held steady and GMC dropped one spot. The new Buick Regal and Chevrolet Cruze were below par in reliability.

Asian brands roll onJapanese brands continue to dominate Consumer Reports survey’s upper echelons and took the top nine spots. They were led by Scion, Lexus, Acura, Mazda, Honda, and Toyota. Of the 91 Japanese models for which Consumer Reports has sufficient data, 87 (96 percent) were rated average or better in predicted reliability; 24 Japanese models earned the highest rating.

The biggest improvement was from Mazda, which moved up eight spots from last year. All its models were rated above average. Scion remains the top brand in Consumer Reports’ survey, but only two models of its three, the xB and xD, had sufficient data to be included. Lexus, with 11 models included, rebounded seven places from last year.

Mixed results from EuropeEuropean models continue to be a blend of reliable and not so reliable vehicles. Overall, European vehicles’ reliability is slightly below that of domestic models. Of the 58 European models for which Consumer Reports has sufficient data, 37 (64 percent) scored average or better in predicted reliability.

Among European brands, Volvo ranked the highest at 10th overall. It was helped by the redesigned S60, which was above average in its first year. Volkswagen was able to hold on to 16th place in the ranking; seven of its 11 models scored average or better.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW improved, but results were inconsistent for their various models. BMW’s redesigned X3 SUV did well, for example, but the redesigned 5 Series sedan was well below average. Mercedes’ compact GLK SUV improved, but its flagship S-Class luxury sedan fell to below average.

Reliability, recommendations, and further insightsConsumer Reports Annual Auto Survey Ratings are unrelated to vehicle road-test results, but are a key factor in determining whether or not Consumer Reports recommends a car. CR only recommends models that have performed well in tests conducted at its 327-acre Auto Test Center in Connecticut, and that have average or better predicted reliability based on its annual survey. In addition, vehicles must perform at least adequately in government or insurance-industry crash and rollover tests, if tested, in order to be Recommended by Consumer Reports.

Full reliability history charts and predicted-reliability ratings on hundreds of 2012 models, plus a list of what’s up and what’s down, best and worst models, and a comparison chart of brands can be found online in our Reliability special section, in the December issue of the magazine, and in the upcoming Consumer Reports Cars publication, Best & Worst New Cars for 2012, on sale November 15, 2011.

Source;
http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/10/consumer-reports-2011-annual-car-reliability-survey-ford-drops-chrysler-rises-scion-leads.html

Honda’s durability tested with 1M mile target mileage

Built with high-grade materials and innovative engineering, Honda vehicles are commonly regarded as reliable and with high re-sale value.

A Honda owner from Maine, U.S.A. stands by the brand’s reputation and geared up for a personal challenge to register one million mile reading in his 1990 Accord. That translates to over 1.6M kilometers.

Now known as Million Mile Joe, Joe LoCicero is an insurance claims adjuster who logs around 62,500 miles a year in driving from dealer to dealer. “I feel like a human ping-pong ball crossing the state,” said Joe. His mileage is more than 4x farther than an average driver’s 14,000 miles per year.

It all originated when his Accord logged 300,000 miles. He started keeping track of his mileage and now has 661 photos of his car’s odometer. Million Mile Joe showed Honda’s Ron Russell the odometer of his car.

Initially, Russell saw nothing extraordinary with his Accord as he thought seeing 93,800 miles on the odometer. What he thought was 93,800 was actually 938,000 miles. With only 1,551 miles to go, Million Mile Joe expects to reach 1M miles anytime soon.

“It is not everyday that we see one million reading on the odometer. What is common though is a Honda vehicle that you can rely on to withstand the test of time and provides you with high resale value,” said Voltaire Gonzales, vehicle sales and corporate communications head of Honda Cars Philippines, Inc.

Honda’s build quality has earned the motorists’ confidence through the years. To ensure continued excellent running condition, proper maintenance must be diligently observed.

Honda vehicles are actually affordable to maintain as it comes every 10,000 kilometers or 6 months, whichever comes first.

Unlike other vehicles that require service visits every 5,000 kilometers, Honda entails lesser visits that result to lesser cost, lesser downtime, more savings and more time with family and friends.

Source;
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/motoring/15225-hondas-durability-tested-with-1m-mile-target-mileage

Honda Rated Most Reliable UK Car Manufacturer

Honda has been rated the UK's most reliable car manufacturer in the What Car? and Warranty Direct reliability study.

Honda has been rated the UK's most reliable car manufacturer in the What Car? and Warranty Direct reliability study. The Japanese motoring giant out-performed its rivals to hit the top of the What Car? league table thanks to a rock-bottom nine per-cent first year failure rate.

Furthermore, the capable HR-V and CR-V sports utility vehicles were rated first and second in their sector, and the Civic came third in the small hatchback category.

What Car? Editor In Chief, Chas Hallett, commented: 'the success of Honda in this year's reliability study is very impressive - especially as this is Honda’s sixth overall win as the UK’s most reliable car maker. Reliability is key for car buyers. The car makers at the bottom of the study have a lot of work to do to catch up with Honda'.

What Car? is not the only prestigious title to recognise Honda's exceptional reliability. The 2011 Which? Car Survey named this dependable constructor the Most Reliable Brand. Furthermore, this year's JD Power Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study saw Honda retain the number two spot in the overall league table – the highest-placed volume manufacturer. Sounds like hassle-free ownership is virtually guaranteed. Excellent work.

By Stephen Turvil, motoring.co.uk

Source;
http://www.motoring.co.uk/car-news/honda-rated-most-reliable-uk-car-manufacturer_32297

Honda tops British brand reliability poll

Japanese and Korean carmakers dominate a new list compiled by British warranty specialist MB&G of marques that have generated the fewest claims over the past year, giving an indication of brand reliability.

Honda took top spot, followed by Lexus, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Suzuki. Kia took sixth place followed by Hyundai, Subaru, Mazda and Nissan.

It is no coincidence the top 10 most reliable cars are Japanese and Korean manufactured, with many cars including Toyota, Honda and Nissan manufactured in Britain. They have had a reputation for reliability for many years, which is demonstrated by these results.

“Our survey only looks at frequency of claims and not the average value of the claim, which can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The average claim value is affected by labour rates and parts prices and can also vary by region,” a spokeman for MB&G commented.

The average age and mileage of cars being handled by MB&G is increasing, but the corporate/SME market generally resists extending warranties beyond the one provided by the manufacturer.

Source;
http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/41737/honda-tops-british-brand-reliability-poll