Consumer Reports Pulls Recommendation For Three Toyotas

Consumer Reports pulled its recommendation for three popular Toyota models, including the automaker’s flagship Camry sedan. The influential magazine cited poor crash test results as its reason for the move.

Toyota’s luxury Lexus brands were ranked most reliable in the US auto industry in the annual new-car reliability survey, which was released on Monday.

However, Reuters reports that the magazine no longer recommends the Camry, Prius v model, or the Rav4 SUV because the vehicles received “poor” rating sin a crash test started last year by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Jay Fisher, director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, explained, “Honestly, we don’t take this lightly, but virtually every vehicle now in the family sedan category has been tested and the only one that has gotten a ‘poor’ is the Camry.” He added:

“At this point, we don’t feel we can continue to recommend people buy a Camry when there’s other good choices out there that do better on the test.”

Toyota isn’t the only automaker to get its recommendation pulled from Consumer Reports. The magazine is also removing the 2013 Honda Accord V6 and the 2013 Nissan Altima because they performed poorly on its annual reliability survey, notes The Detroit Free Press.

The decision could have a negative impact on the Camry’s ratings, as well as its position as America’s top-selling car. The sedan has been at the top for 11 years, but faces tough competition from the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, and Nissan Altima. Michelle Krebs, an auto analyst with Edmunds.com, believes that Toyota can withstand the decision, but “the Camry is up against really stiff competition.”

Camry was the third-most-sold vehicle in the United States for the first nine months of the year. The only vehicles ahead of its were two full-size pickup trucks. Its sales were up by 1.3 percent from the same period last year, but Honda’s Accord is catching up, as sales for that sedan increased by almost 14 percent.

Does Consumer Reports decision to pull recommendations for the Camry and two other Toyota’s change your opinion of the automaker?

[Image via GoBOb / Shutterstock.com]