Oct. 29 – An annual survey by Consumer Reports has stated that Asian automakers are still building the most reliable cars and trucks, with eight of the top 10 brands from Japanese and Korean companies.

Toyota’s youth-oriented Scion brand finished first for the second year in a row, several Ford models, including the midsize Ford Fusion and its cousin, the Mercury Milan, consistently have been at or near the top of their classes, a trend that led Consumer Reports editors to declare that Ford is now making some vehicles with world-class reliability. After Scion, Honda, Toyota, Infiniti and Acura rounded out the top five brands in reliability based on surveys taken in March of subscribers who own or lease 1.4 million vehicles.

“Ford is definitely doing something right,” said Rik Paul, the magazine’s automotive editor. Ford’s Detroit-area competitors, General Motors and Chrysler Group, didn’t fare as well, however.

Chrysler had only one model that Consumer Reports recommended based on reliability and its staff test, and the Chrysler brand finished last out of 33 brands sold in the US. One third of Chrysler’s models were much worse than average in reliability.

Six models from GM were recommended by the magazine, but the company remains inconsistent. Only 21 of 48 models the magazine studied scored average or better in reliability. The relatively poor performance by GM and Chrysler could hurt efforts to fight back from financial problems that led to stays in bankruptcy court earlier this year. Auto industry officials say the nonprofit Consumer Reports is among the most widely consulted sources when people buy vehicles. Officials at GM and Chrysler say they are committed to improving quality.