20 Worst Cars of Model Year 2005

The 20 Least Reliable and Durable Cars of Model Year 2005

This page lists the 20 worst cars of model year 2005 by reliability-and-durability grade point average (R-D GPA). It has been updated from the original by including the including the rating for the Exhaust System, whenever available. Although there are very minor changes in order, the changes will help make comparison with R-D GPAs of earlier years more exact.

2005's Bottom 10 Cars: The Ten Worst Automobiles

The 10 worst cars of 2005 are listed below in ascending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (worst first), together with the corresponding R-D Grade.

  • The Cadillac SRX all-wheel-drive, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 0.28 and a Reliability-Durability Grade of F
  • The Chevrolet Uplander, with a R-D GPA of 0.36, an F
  • The Kia Sedona, with a R-D GPA of 0.41, an F
  • The Dodge Grand Caravan, with a R-D GPA of 0.43, an F
  • The Chrysler Town & Country extended, with a R-D GPA of 0.43, an F
  • The Dodge Caravan V6, with a R-D GPA of 0.44, an F
  • The Nissan Quest, with a R-D GPA of 0.46, an F
  • The Chevrolet Monte Carlo, with a R-D GPA of 0.47, an F
  • The Kia Sorento V6, with a R-D GPA of 0.48, an F
  • The Jeep Grand Cherokee V8, with a R-D GPA of 0.51, a D

Manufacturers of the 10 Worst

General Motors Corporation's share of the 10 least reliable-durable cars in 2005 decreased from 5 in 1985 to 3 in 2005, but increased from 2 in 1984, while Chrysler's share of the worst increased from 3 in 1985 to 4 in 2005, but matched its 1984 share. (Two changes that occurred in the 20-year interim worth mentioning at this point are: (1) Chrysler Corporation absorbed American Motors Corporation and (2) Daimler-Benz AG absorbed Chrysler Corporation. As a result of the second short-lived corporate marriage, I will refer to the Chrysler Division of Daimler-Chrysler as just Chrysler.)

Ford Motor Company accounted for none of the 10 worst in 2005, as it did in 1985, 1984, 1983, 1982, 1981, and 1980.

None of the Detroit 3 car makers (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) accounted for any of 2005's 10 best cars, 2004's 10 best cars, 1986's 10 best cars, 1985's 10 best cars, 1984's 10 best cars, 1983's 10 best cars or 1982's 10 best cars.

The following chart depicts each manufacturer's percent share of the Bottom 10 of 2005.

2005's Next 10 Worst Cars

The remaining 10 of the 20 worst cars are listed below in ascending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (worst first), together with the corresponding R-D Grade.

  • The Dodge Magnum, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 0.55 and a Reliability-Durability Grade of D
  • The Ford F-250 turbodiesel 4-wheel-drive pickup truck, with a R-D GPA of 0.56, a D
  • The Mazda RX-8, with a R-D GPA of 0.56, a D
  • The Volvo XC90 Inline 6, with a R-D GPA of 0.61, a D
  • The Saab 9-5, with a R-D GPA of 0.63, a D
  • The Dodge Dakota 4-wheel-drive pickup truck, with a R-D GPA of 0.63, a D
  • The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 V8 4-wheel-drive pickup truck, with a R-D GPA of 0.66, a D
  • The GMC Sierra 1500 V8 4-wheel-drive pickup truck, with a R-D GPA of 0.66, a D
  • The Audi A8, with a R-D GPA of 0.69, a D
  • The Nissan Titan 4-wheel-drive pickup truck, with a R-D GPA of 0.69, a D

Worth noting is that although there are 5 4-wheel-drive pickups among the 20 worst vehicles of 2005, the V8, 4-wheel-drive Toyota Tundra pickup truck is among the Top 20.

Manufacturers of the 20 Worst

General Motors Corporation accounted for 25% of the 20 worst cars of model year 2005 - down from 45% in 1985, 35% in 1984, 75% in 1983 and 1981, 80% in 1982, and 50% in 1980. Chrysler accounted for 30% of the 20 least reliable-durable cars of 2005 - same as in 1985 and 1984 and up from its 10% in 1983, 1982 and 1981 and its 25% in 1980; Ford Motor Company - 5% down from 10% in 1985, 1984 and 1982 and up from 0% in 1983, 1981 and 1980. American Motors was absorbed by Chrysler in 1987 and consequently accounted for 0% in 2005.

The Detroit 3 manufacturers (General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford) accounted for 12 of 2005's 20 worst cars.

The following chart gives each car maker's percent share of the Bottom 20 of 2005. 

2005's Next 10 (14 by Tie) Worst Cars

The last 10 of the 30 worst cars (14 of the 34 worst cars by tie) are listed below in ascending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (worst first), together with the corresponding R-D Grade.

  • The Chevrolet Venture, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 0.77 and a Reliability-Durability Grade of D
  • The Pontiac Montana SV6, with a R-D GPA of 0.80, a D
  • The Nissan Armada, with a R-D GPA of 0.86, a D
  • The Nissan Pathfinder, with a R-D GPA of 0.86, a D
  • The Chevrolet Aveo, with a R-D GPA of 0.88, a D
  • The Audi A4 Inline 4, with a R-D GPA of 0.88, a D
  • The Chevrolet Equinox V6, with a R-D GPA of 0.88, a D
  • The Volkswagen New Beetle convertible, with a R-D GPA of 0.90, a D
  • The Nissan Frontier 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 0.92, a D
  • The GMC Yukon XL 1500, with a R-D GPA of 0.92, a D
  • The GMC Safari, with a R-D GPA of 0.92, a D
  • The Chevrolet Trailblazer 6-cylinder, with a R-D GPA of 0.92, a D
  • The Chevrolet Suburban 1500, with a R-D GPA of 0.90, a D
  • The Chevrolet Astro, with a R-D GPA of 0.92, a D

Manufacturers of the 30 (34 by Tie) Worst 

Each auto maker's percent share, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent, of the 34 worst vehicles by R-D GPA is:

General Motors Corporation: 41.2% (down from 43% in 1985)

Chrysler: 17.6% (down from 23% in 1985)

Nissan Motor Company: 14.7% (up from 0% in 1985)

Volkswagen AG: 8.8% (up from 3% in 1985)

Kia Motor Corporation: 5.9% (new to the U.S. car market)

Ford Motor Company: 2.9% (notably down from 20% in 1985)

Mazda Motor Corporation: 2.9% (up from 0% in 1985)

Volvo: 2.9% (up from 0% in 1985)

Saab: 2.9% (up from 0% in 1985)

Chart of the 30 (34 by Tie) Worst Cars of 2005

The following bar graph depicts how much below average the Bottom 34 cars of 2005 are. The 34 worst are listed in ascending order (worst first).

This is a bar graph of the Reliability-Durability GPAs of the 30 worst cars of model year 2005 (34 by tie). The Reliability-Durability GPA of a car model is a composite measure based on the category and overall reliability ratings of Consumer Reports for age ranges 4-to-5 years and 5-to-6 years. Brand R-D GPA is an average of model R-D GPAs. Chart by James Benjamin Bleeker, January 14, 2012.

2005's Next 6 Worst Cars

The remainder of the Bottom 40 car models are:

  • The Volkswagen New Beetle Hatchback, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 0.93 and a Reliability-Durability Grade of D
  • The Chevrolet Impala V6, with a R-D GPA of 0.94, a D
  • The Pontiac G6 sedan V6, with a R-D GPA of 0.94, a D
  • The Chevrolet Avalanche 1500, with a R-D GPA of 0.96, a D
  • The Jaguar S-Type, with a R-D GPA of 1.01, a D
  • The Ford Expedition 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 1.18, a D

Thirty-eight of the 40 worst cars of 2005 have a Reliability-Durability GPA below 1.00. In 1985 there were 48 cars with a Reliability-Durability GPA below 1.00. This suggests some improvement at the bottom end of the spectrum from 1985 to 2005.

Manufacturers of the 38 Worst (Those with a R-D GPA below 1.00) 

Each automobile manufacturer's percent share, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent, of the vehicles with a Reliability-Durability GPA of less than 1.00 (a straight D) is:

General Motors Corporation: 44.7% (down from 48% in 1985)

Chrysler: 15.8% (down from 25% in 1985)

Nissan Motor Company: 13.2% (up from 0% in 1985)

Volkswagen AG: 10.5% (up from 2% in 1985)

Kia Motor Corporation: 5.3% (new to the U.S. car market)

Ford Motor Company: 2.6% (notably down from 17% in 1985)

Mazda Motor Corporation: 2.6% (up from 0% in 1985)

Volvo: 2.6% (up from 0% in 1985)

Saab: 2.6% (up from 0% in 1985)

Although Volvo and Saab were brands of the Detroit 3 in 2005, they were not in 1985 and were offloaded after 2005. Consequently, they are listed separately.

2005's Next 10 Worst Cars

The remainder of the Bottom 50 car models are:

  • The Chevrolet Cobalt Sedan, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 1.22 and a Reliability-Durability Grade of D
  • The Mercedes-Benz M-Class V6 SUV, with a R-D GPA of 1.24, a D
  • The Jeep Grand Cherokee V6, with a R-D GPA of 1.25, a D
  • The Porsche Cayenne, with a R-D GPA of 1.25, a D
  • The Land Rover LR3, with a R-D GPA of 1.25, a D
  • The GMC Canyon 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 1.26, a D
  • The Chevrolet Colorado 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 1.26, a D
  • The Jeep Wrangler 2-door, with a R-D GPA of 1.27, a D
  • The nonturbo Chrysler PT Cruiser, with a R-D GPA of 1.29, a D
  • The Nissan Xterra, with a R-D GPA of 1.31, a D

The 50 worst cars of 2005 have a Reliability-Durability Grade of D or F.

Manufacturers of the 50 Worst

Each automobile manufacturer's percent share of the 50 worst of 2005 is:

General Motors Corporation: 40%

Chrysler: 18%

Nissan Motor Company: 12%

Volkswagen AG: 8%

Kia Motor Corporation: 4%

Ford Motor Company: 4%

Mazda Motor Corporation: 2%

Volvo: 2%

Saab: 2%
Jaguar: 2%
Mercedes-Benz: 2%
Porsche AG: 2%
Land Rover: 2%
Although Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Saab were brands of the Detroit 3 in 2005, they were not in 1985 and were offloaded after 2005. Consequently, they are listed separately.

Computations

To compute the reliability-durability grade point average of the MY 2005 cars, Consumer Reports' reliability ratings for the age ranges 4-to-5 years and 5-to-6 years are used. The April 2010 and 2011 issues of Consumer Reports are the primary sources of CR's reliability ratings, with supplementation by CR's 2010 and 2011 New Car Buying Guides and Used Car Buying Guides.

CR's ratings are converted to numerical values following the standard academic pattern: a grade point of 4.0 (an A) is accorded a rating of Much Better Than Average, a 3.0 (a B) is accorded a rating of Better Than Average, a 2.0 (a C) is accorded a rating of Average, a 1.0 (a D) is accorded a rating of Below Average, and a 0 (an F) is accorded a rating of Much Below Average.

Then, for each age range, the grade point of CR's overall reliability rating is weighted 2/3 and the average of the grade points of the category ratings is weighted 1/3.

Finally, the average for the two age ranges is taken.

The Dodge Caravan V6, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and Audi A8 offered only one age range of data.

Best and Worst Vehicles of Each Model Year

The Best Cars of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1975  1976  1977  1978  1979  1980  1981  1982  1983  1984  1985  1986  ...  2004  2005

The Worst Cars of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1980  1981  1982  1983  1984  1985  1986  ...  2004  2005 

Additional Resources

The Best Car Brands of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

The Worst Car Brands of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

The Best Car Manufacturers of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

The Worst Car Manufacturers of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

Best Car Brands by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid:  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 

Worst Car Brands by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid:  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006

Best Car Makers by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid: 1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006

Worst Car Makers by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid:  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006

For additional car quality information, visit www.AutoOnInfo.net and CarsOnInfo.net.

In particular, for additional durability information, see:

http://www.AutoOnInfo.net/SharesOfHighMileageVehicles.aspx 
http://CarsOnInfo.net/ToyotaAgeEquivalents.aspx 
http://CarsOnInfo.net/ToyotaMileageEquivalents.aspx 
http://CarsOnInfo.net/Top25OfAutoonInfosHighMileageRoster.aspx

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