US CARS BECOME MORE RELIABLE

American cars have become much more reliable in the last 10 years - but Japanese cars have improved as well, says the April issue of Consumer Reports. Average yearly problem rates for new US-made cars dropped by two-thirds from 1980 to 1990, from 104 problems per 100 cars to 36 per 100 cars. Ford and General Motors improved most, but they had the most room for improvement. Nevertheless, America's Big Three automakers can claim today that their new cars are about as reliable, on average, as Hondas, Nissans, and Toyotas were a decade ago, the report says.

American cars are also aging better than they used to.