In announcing Chrysler LLC's government-negotiated bankruptcy filing, President Obama expressed the hope
that new-car seekers would consider buying American. But new car buyers are less accustomed to seeking advice
from the president than from Consumer Reports. In its annual automotive issue last month, Consumer Reports
recommended 166 models -- not one of them a Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep, the three Chrysler nameplates.

The harsh ride, noise, poor driving position, and lack of creature comforts
take their toll on the driver,' says Consumer Reports about the Viper.

"Their products had bad fuel economy, noisy interiors, poor ride quality, the worst finish in the industry and their
seat comfort is not good," says David Champion, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, a nonprofit
product-analysis publisher that has seven million subscribers. On reliability, Mr. Champion added, only two Chrysler
models scored above average: the Dodge Caliber and Jeep Patriot.

A reputation for poor quality continues to plague all three U.S.-based auto makers -- Chrysler, Ford Motor Co.
and General Motors Corp. But while Ford and GM are largely battling outdated perceptions of questionable reliability,
at Chrysler it's a reality. To survive, Chrysler needs to get its quality at least to the level of Ford.

The nearly 1.5 million vehicles it sold last year indicate that many Americans like the company's Chrysler, Dodge and
Jeep brands. By all accounts, all car makers are producing better and better cars, meaning that even low-rated models
boast high quality by historical standards.

Moreover, Chrysler stands out for styling and design, offering what many critics regard as the industry's most
distinctive-looking lineup of sedans, SUVs and pickups. 

But at a time when Ford and GM are both seeking -- and obtaining -- endorsements from third-party reviewers like
J.D. Power & Associates and Consumer Reports, Chrysler is largely striking out, even in the market that it pioneered:
the minivan.
Overall, the Town & Country is a disappointment," Consumer Reports says of the popular Chrysler model. J.D. Power
rankings are based on surveys with vast numbers of drivers. Consumer Reports bases its recommendations on engineering
and laboratory tests as well as feedback from hundreds of thousands of drivers. The April automotive issue of
Consumer Reports typically sells more than 300,000 newsstand copies, twice the usual number. In recent years,
Chrysler had landed one or two on the list of recommended models, although its most consistently placed model,
the PT Cruiser, is being phased out this year.

Chrysler has performed only marginally better in the reliability rankings of J.D. Power. In the 2009 Power study of reliability
over three years on the road, the Chrysler brand performed above average, but the Jeep and Dodge brands fell well below it.
In the most-recent Power study measuring initial quality in new cars, all three Chrysler nameplates performed below average,
with Jeep ranking 36th out of 36 brands.

The government-directed reorganization plan of Chrysler calls for it to merge with Fiat and start making Fiats in the U.S.
In Europe, Fiat has received low rankings in reliability studies.

Meanwhile, Chrysler will continue making trucks and SUVs. Its Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Grand Cherokee, by nearly all
accounts, lead the pack in off-road performance, and both sport an iconic design that sets them apart. Similarly distinctive
is the mammoth Dodge Ram pickup. But all of those models have suffered reliability problems. Of seven full-size pickups
reviewed by Consumer Reports, only one -- the Dodge Ram -- failed to make the recommended list.

Yet there is hope. The redesigned 2009 Dodge Ram is winning rave reviews for performance and style, and is expected
to win endorsements if it proves largely free of defects.

And Chrysler has a history of staging comebacks from product-driven financial quandaries.
The quality problems of the Dodge Aspen (and its sister, the Plymouth Volare) contributed to the crisis that led Chrysler to
seek a government loan in 1979.