Consumer Reports pulled its recommendation for Toyota Motor Corp.'s Camry sedan and said post-bankruptcy General Motors Co. is among the automakers cracking Japanese brands' dominance in fielding reliable cars.
Consumer Reports isn't recommending any version of the Camry, the top-selling U.S. car the past 11 years, for the first time since the automaker's 2010 sudden-acceleration crisis, said Jake Fisher, the magazine's director of automotive testing. While Toyota and Honda Motor Co. held the top three spots in the annual auto-reliability survey released Monday, GM's GMC and Buick posted gains. Volkswagen AG's Audi cracked the top five.
Eroding dominance in quality and reliability weakens Japanese automakers' long-held advantage that spurred growth in the U.S. at the expense of Detroit carmakers. Endorsements from Yonkers, New York-based Consumer Reports are sought by automakers because the magazine has built credibility by buying the vehicles it tests and refusing auto advertising.
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