I suspect they made many other "errors".

Car Seat Findings Withdrawn

Thursday January 18, 4:20 PM EST


WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) — Consumer Reports on Thursday retracted a negative report on infant car seats that left many parents worried about their babies' safety — an embarrassing revelation for the venerable magazine.

Consumer Reports said it was withdrawing the report, issued Jan. 4, because some of its test crashes were conducted at speeds higher than it had claimed.

The original report said most of the seats tested "failed disastrously" in crashes at speeds as low as 35 mph. In one test, it said, a dummy child was hurled 30 feet.

But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said some of the crash tests were conducted under conditions that would represent being struck at more than 70 mph.

 

CR=Crummy Reporting; Crooked Reporting; Crappy Reporting; Contorted Reporting.

If it's doesn't say HONDA, CR dislikes it...I suspect payola!

 

I was going to post a list of Fords "recommended" by CR in their auto list. V8 Mustang, Focus, F150s, others.

So they screwed up a test. They withdrew their findings.

People here hate them because they aren't "Fast Fords and Mustangs(and some Mercurys)"

BTW, I've read more negative stuff that is steering me away from Ford RIGHT HERE ON FTE than I've ever read in CR.

 

CR.... great for washing machines or alarm clocks. Anything else I don't trust them. Too many rigged tests...... remember the Samuri?

 

I remember the stink about it, can't recall all the details. They changed their test proceedure due to the size.

BUT:

Who can deny it's a tippy little bastid?


BTW, anyone get a squeal of a deal on a Trooper after they torpedoed that one?

 

I don't think that there's any conspiracy, but I don't think too much of CR.

I posted earlier that I think that their science is a little weak -- they seem to act more like Ralph Naders than technical evaluators.

My basis for that is that they often seem to be impressed by various features, and don't seem to really look at the construction. I can remember ( when I still read them) that they had high praise for a Montgomery Wards lawnmower -- based on some or another feature. The now defunct Wards never really did make first rate stuff, but some features of this lawnmower just dazzled them.

As for cars, they base a lot of stuff on polling their members, and I think this is where the Japanese bias comes in. Yoda and Hondewski are good cars, and even better if they're well maintained. CR has a reader base that takes good care of their cars, and tends to like Toyo and Honda. And their polls reflect this.

You'll note that in their poll ratings they don't give the number of respondants by vehice -- although sometimes they at least mention that they don't have enough to report. What I think often happens is that they get 2 complaints for an American car out of a 100 total -- and 200 complaints out of 20,000 for a Japanese brand. The %s are better, but the the smaller sample is more sensitive to each complaints.

In any event, I think that their intentions are fine -- I just often question their methods.

ford2go

 

CR rigged the Samurai to tip up...Suzuki sued CR and won, but by that time, the Samurai sales had hit the toilet.

And that wasn't the last time CR rigged a test.

In 1997, CR reported the Isuzu Trooper as unsafe, because of rollover issues.

Isuzu sued CR and won, just like Suzuki did. CR printed a retraction...the case received national headlines.

Until CR tests a new model of a certain car or truck, they continue to run the same data of tests of the previous model they tested, even tho the car/truck may have been upgraded or redesigned.

This is not about CR vs Ford, GM..or whoever. This is about fair and honest reporting. Anyone can make a mistake. But deliberate rigged tests are what some just might call fraud.

 

They present themselves as "scientists" performing research for comsumers. While they APPEAR to be fair and conduct tests scientifically, their bias shows through time and again.

They can't have an agenda and be scientific at the same time, but the overwhelming slant of their outcomes points toward bias, agenda, whatever you want to call it.

They're a business selling to people what they want to hear, just like ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, or FOX.

 

noones perfect, do u guys have the same negative responses towards your auto companies when they put out a recall on a product that ws supposed to be, tested to be, good for the long haul??

do you guys feel betrayed when you have put faith in a product that you, put countless amounts of hours in a car, your family, and then to find out that your safety has been in question the lst 60k for miles because of a recall?

 

I can hate Ford as much as the next guy when they deserve it. Up until 20 or so years ago I wouldn't be caught dead owning a Ford. Father-in-law had been Ford for years and it was easier to get him to help fix 'em if it said Ford on the hood, so I folded and have had only a few regrets since.

I am disillusioned by a lot of things. I used to worship Mercedes-Benz as being the ultimate in safety and engineering. as they WERE,but no longer. D-B has pulled stunts just like every other producer of consumer goods.

Caveat Emptor, buyer beware!

 

I think CR slants their tests sometimes to attract attention to sell more magazines. They get nationwide attention for "exposing" defective products with the hope of increasing their subscription base. It usually works for them but this time, they got caught.

The polling of their members regarding defects is OK as far as it goes. However, you need to keep in mind that their subscriber is not the typical consumer. They are heavy in highly educated professional urban or suburban people who have no knowledge of vehicles or any mechanical object. When something breaks, they call one of us to fix it. They don't know a serious problem from a minor one. They are told what is a good brand, buy it and don't consider any other brands.

 

Keep in mind too that older folks, who have seen and done it all, are less likely to complain about defects. This tells me one reason that Buick scores higher in reliability tests than Chevrolet.

The two cars are nearly identical under the skin, so why would one be that much better than the other?

 

I agree. I think the young folks have much higher expectations than us old folks because they didn't have to live with the junk we drove when we were younger. They couldn't imagine that almost nobody's car would start when it got really cold or people having to get their car ready to make a trip. The young people expect their car to start every time regardless of weather and to be ignored except maybe for oil changes.

 

Make no mistake about it, CR's sole drive is to sell more magazines. If they did not create controversy, or uncover alleged defects, they would not sell as many magazines.

 

I agree that CR is using controversy to sell mags. I don't trust any of their auto testing since thay were caught twice faking test.