The independent product review think tank, based in Yonkers, N.Y., says the V6 version of Camry, the top-selling mid-sized car in America, and the four-wheel-drive V8 version of the Tundra pickup--both of which were redesigned this year--now rate below average in Consumer Reports' predicted reliability rating. The all-wheel-drive version of the Lexus GS sedan also received a below-average rating, and therefore no longer makes CR's "Recommended" list.

The four-cylinder and hybrid versions of the Camry and rear-drive version of the GS scored above-average in reliability, and will continue to be recommended.

While the consultancy says that Toyota, Lexus and Scion are still third overall in reliability among all automakers, behind only Honda and Subaru, the firm says it will no longer recommend any new or redesigned Toyota-built models without reliability data on a specific design. Until now, says CR, new and redesigned Toyota models were recommended, even if CR didn't have reliability data, because of the automaker's excellent track record.

"If Toyota returns to its previous record of outstanding overall reliability, CR may resume this practice. Typically, CR will only recommend a vehicle if the magazine has at least one year of reliability data for that specific model," says the not-for-profit company.

The survey is also giving kudos to Ford Motor--saying that Ford reliability is the best it has been in years, with 41 of 44 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models scoring average or better in predicted reliability in the survey. Standouts are Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans, and two-wheel-drive Ford F-150 V6; Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, as well as the freshened Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, were all average or above.

David Cole, chairman of the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Center for Automotive Research, says the results may conceal what he says is a near parity among automakers. "Fifteen years ago there were real measurable differences, but there is not a whole lot of difference in quality between products today."

He points out that the fact of the shrinking difference among competing brands' vehicle quality has led some consultancies to try different approaches. "This is why J.D. Power created its APEAL study," he says. The APEAL product (which stands for automotive performance, execution and layout) measures, generally, what automakers have done right.

"They created APEAL because differentiation between things gone wrong has fallen off the radar. If you are buying a car, and if you have roughly comparable quality and reliability," he says, "the differentiation that determines vehicle choice is between discrete features or lifestyle requirements."

He also argues that the narrowing differences are making CR less relevant to consumers. "They have a lot of influence, but not as much as they did. The danger is that if they put so much continuing emphasis on older factors they will lose sight of what is more important to consumers now: the 'wow' factor."

That said, Cole concedes that the issue may be critical to Toyota, because so much of its brand equity rests on consumer perception of quality. "On a proportional basis, they would be more concerned than other companies because they have had so much historic emphasis on quality. When you have hung your hat on quality as a primary attribute, Consumer Reports' suggesting things are changing--that is a problem."

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