Car Buyers Should Check The 'Car Complaint Index'

Sara Underwood
Reporting

(CBS4) BOSTON If you’re in the market for a shiny new sport utility vehicle, sports car, or sedan, no doubt you’ll want to do some research before you make your purchase.

But we’re going to make it easy for you and do some of that research for you, by giving you a look at some of the most complained about cars in the country.

Every year, the Center for Auto Safety puts out their car complaint index which tells consumers what cars receive the most complaints.

And consumer attorney Craig Thor Kimmel says it’s a great place to start your research when looking to buy a new car.

“What we try to do is use it for consumers as an additional tool either when they’re buying a car, or to understand something that’s going on with their vehicle that they now own,” said Kimmel.

The complaint index is based on a ratio of the number of complaints on a vehicle to the number of vehicles sold.

“The more complaints that are made per thousand vehicles, the higher a car will go on the list,” said Kimmel.

The top vehicles on the list for 2006 are: the Dodge Magnum, Ford GT, Suzuki Verona, Pontiac GTO, and the Land Rover LR3.

Kimmel says “they always come up short because of reliability issues. They’re like the cubs, they’re loveable, people buy them because they’re great looking, they have great features, but they always come up short.”

Rounding out the top ten are: the Chrysler 300, Buick Terraza, Nissan Armada, Nissan Quest, and the Toyota Prius.

But keep in mind, just because a vehicle is on the list, doesn’t necessarily mean it should be.

"I’m a Prius owner and every year I talk about this car because it’s on the list. Do you know why it’s on the list in my opinion? Because people don’t understand how this hybrid works,” said Kimmel.

Despite the list’s shortcomings, experts say it’s a tool that consumers should definitely check out.

According to Kimmel, “it’s not the be all, end all, but it’s certainly something you should be aware of.”

A spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers told us consumers should check out as many resources as possible, including this list, before they buy a new set of wheels.

If you’d like more information on how to access the complete car complaint index, go to www.lemonlaw.com.

Car Buyers Should Check The 'Car Complaint Index'

Sara Underwood
Reporting

(CBS4) BOSTON If you’re in the market for a shiny new sport utility vehicle, sports car, or sedan, no doubt you’ll want to do some research before you make your purchase.

But we’re going to make it easy for you and do some of that research for you, by giving you a look at some of the most complained about cars in the country.

Every year, the Center for Auto Safety puts out their car complaint index which tells consumers what cars receive the most complaints.

And consumer attorney Craig Thor Kimmel says it’s a great place to start your research when looking to buy a new car.

“What we try to do is use it for consumers as an additional tool either when they’re buying a car, or to understand something that’s going on with their vehicle that they now own,” said Kimmel.

The complaint index is based on a ratio of the number of complaints on a vehicle to the number of vehicles sold.

“The more complaints that are made per thousand vehicles, the higher a car will go on the list,” said Kimmel.

The top vehicles on the list for 2006 are: the Dodge Magnum, Ford GT, Suzuki Verona, Pontiac GTO, and the Land Rover LR3.

Kimmel says “they always come up short because of reliability issues. They’re like the cubs, they’re loveable, people buy them because they’re great looking, they have great features, but they always come up short.”

Rounding out the top ten are: the Chrysler 300, Buick Terraza, Nissan Armada, Nissan Quest, and the Toyota Prius.

But keep in mind, just because a vehicle is on the list, doesn’t necessarily mean it should be.

"I’m a Prius owner and every year I talk about this car because it’s on the list. Do you know why it’s on the list in my opinion? Because people don’t understand how this hybrid works,” said Kimmel.

Despite the list’s shortcomings, experts say it’s a tool that consumers should definitely check out.

According to Kimmel, “it’s not the be all, end all, but it’s certainly something you should be aware of.”

A spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers told us consumers should check out as many resources as possible, including this list, before they buy a new set of wheels.

If you’d like more information on how to access the complete car complaint index, go to www.lemonlaw.com.