When you spend $76,000 for a car, you expect it to be bulletproof.
What you don't expect is for Consumer Reports to call it "unreliable," and for J.D. Power and Associates to give it below average ratings across a range of manufacturing quality measures.
But had you bought a 2006 Range Rover, both would be the case.
J.D. Power gives the Range Rover a below average rating for overall manufacturing quality, a score it says is "based on problems that have caused a complete breakdown or malfunction of any component, feature or item, i.e., components that stop working or trim pieces that break or come loose."
Trim pieces that break or come loose? This sounds not only unacceptable on an expensive car but also like a step back in time. This is 2006, not the 1960s, or even the 1980s, when cars still died by the side of the road for no apparent reason, and vehicles would suddenly catch fire and create freeway bottlenecks.
These days, there are a lot of solid vehicles on the road. But the latest figures on automotive reliability show that just because you spend large sums on a car does not necessarily mean it won't break down--or that you won't have to make frequent visits to the dealership. If you're driving a $40,000 Volkswagen Touareg, which Consumer Reports says has a higher than average rate of problems with its electrical systems, you might have to borrow a Volkswagen Golf hatchback while you wait for service. Is this what you signed up for when you bought your luxury wheels?
To help you avoid such predicaments, we've compiled a list of the least reliable luxury cars on the market. The five models in the slide show are the only new luxury cars with both the lowest-possible scores for predicted reliability from Consumer Reports and below average "overall manufacturing quality" scores from J.D. Power. Included on the list are two Land Rover SUVs, a Lincoln, a Saab and that aforementioned Touareg.
Land Rover and Volkswagen both told us their companies are working hard to improve reliability.
"Land Rover considers quality products of paramount importance and is continuously working towards achieving total customer satisfaction," a Land Rover spokesman said, adding that this year's survey showed a slight improvement for its cars. The company is investing heavily in manufacturing and engineering, and is expecting to see an "upward trend" in quality as a result.
"We have instituted a number of programs and initiatives with our customer satisfaction teams, dealers, engineers and factory representatives to improve overall quality of the Touareg and the ownership experience," a VW spokesman said. He noted that the efforts are starting to pay off, with higher reliability scores compared with last year.
Saab, a General Motors (nyse: GM - news - people ) brand that made our list with its 9-3, objected to the ranking. A Saab spokesman says the company's internal data show that the most recent Saab 9-3s "have very good quality results," and that labeling the car "unreliable" paints the wrong picture for potential buyers.
Meanwhile, Ford-owned Lincoln, whose $50,000 Navigator SUV also made the cut, simply forwarded a press release about a study released in May by automotive consulting firm AutoPacific. The study showed that the car had the highest overall owner satisfaction score for 2006 models.
Consumer Reports uses prior model years to predict how current models will hold up (that's why you'll see 2005 cars in the slide show). Its reliability ratings are based on more than 1 million responses to the organization's annual questionnaire. Consumer Reports subscribers report any serious problems they had with their vehicles during the previous year--problems that they considered serious because of cost, failure, safety or downtime.
Because its predictions come from older model-year data--in fact, Consumer Reports says that looking at the three previous model years provides a more accurate look at reliability than considering just the last model year--the organization does not issue ratings for the newest cars. That includes model lines that have been around for a while but are fresh from overhauls.
J.D. Power's scores for manufacturing quality come from the organization's Initial Quality Study, which looks at owner-reported problems in the first 90 days of new vehicle ownership.
In addition to a car's overall manufacturing score, a vehicle will have three other ratings: a mechanical manufacturing score, based on problems with the engine or transmission and problems that affect the driving experience, such as abnormal noises or vibrations; a body and interior manufacturing score, based on problems with wind noise, water leaks, poor interior fit and finish, paint imperfection, squeaks and rattles; and a feature and accessory manufacturing score, based on problems with the seats, windshield wipers, navigation system, rear-seat entertainment system, heater, air conditioner, stereo system, sunroof and trip computer.