Buick becomes first U.S. brand to crack top three in Consumer Reports' reliability rankings

Buick, the 117-year-old General Motors brand seeking to shake its geriatric image, became the first from the U.S. to crack the top three in Consumer Reports' reliability rankings, trailing only Lexus and Toyota.

Tesla Motors' Model S sedan recovered its recommendation, after losing it last year, in the annual survey of Consumer Reports readers. But its Model X sport utility vehicle wasn't recommended because of multiple issues, including problems with the electronic controls on its 17-inch dashboard screen and failures of its falcon-winged doors, said Jake Fisher, the magazine's director of automotive testing. The Tesla brand ranked 25th among the 29 rated.

The survey, a buying source for car shoppers that has been dominated by Japanese automakers, has more international representation this year. Besides GM's Buick, Volkswagen's Audi luxury line ranked fourth and Kia Motors' namesake brand came in fifth. Sedans, selling poorly amid low fuel prices, scored best, while hot-selling SUVs are among the most error-prone models because of their complexity, Fisher said. Dashboard infotainment systems and fuel-saving multispeed transmissions caused the most trouble.

"Certainly, Lexus and Toyota know what they're doing, but look at the top five: We've got America, Germany and South Korea — it's anybody's ballgame at the top," Fisher said in an interview Monday before the survey was released. "GM is making some very good cars today and Buick's cars are very reliable."

The magazine's survey started in 2001 and at the time looked back at more than 20 years of data. That means Buick's entry into the top three is the first for a domestic brand in more than 35 years of record-keeping.

Buick has consistently scored in the top 10 of the Yonkers, N.Y.-based magazine's list, and climbed higher this year in part because of the simplicity of its model line, which is heavy on sedans and short on SUVs. Buick's most reliable model is the Verano compact car, one of its slowest sellers, while its Enclave SUV scored the lowest in the brand.

Buick's high rating is "sure to be a wake-up call to other manufacturers," Fisher said.

Asian brands continued to outperform those from other regions, with all of them in the top half of the survey.

Lexus and Toyota were first and second for the fourth consecutive year. All nine Lexus models had above-average reliability ratings, as did all Toyota models except the 2016 Tacoma pickup. The Lexus CT200h hybrid and its corporate sibling, the Toyota Prius, each scored 94, the highest among the more than 300 models rated by Consumer Reports readers.

Tesla's Model X ranked sixth from the bottom of the survey, with a score of just 12. The Model S scored 44, giving it average reliability, enough to win back the magazine's recommendation, Fisher said. Tesla's electric-drive system is reliable, but the brand loses points for fancy features, such as power door handles that pop out from the side of the car, touch screen controls and the Model X's falcon-wing doors.

"What's bringing them down is the gizmos," Fisher said. "We saw many complaints with the falcon-wing doors, with people not able to get in or out of the vehicle."