Are Auto Mags Too Cozy With Carmakers?
July 12 -- Looking to buy a car? There are so many models — and they all look so good when they're new. How do you know which one to choose? Many consumers go to glossy car magazines, but do they give you the whole story?
Car and Driver, Motor Trend and Road and Track are among the most popular automotive magazines.
Consumers often turn to industry magazines such as Car and Driver, Motor Trend, and Road and Track to get information about new cars.
Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, a national non-profit advocacy group, and a longtime critic of the automotive press, says the amount of criticism in automotive magazines is "minuscule."
"I think the automotive press is promoting cars. They're not trying to tell you what the problems are with cars and distinguishing them," said Claybrook, who is president of Public Citizen, a national non-profit advocacy group.
For example, in January, Car and Driver listed the Ford Focus among its "10 Best Cars of the Year." It never mentioned that Ford had recalled the Focus eight times for various problems when that review was written. Also, just this month, when Motor Trend's review came out — no mention of the recalls or the fact that the government has five ongoing safety-related investigations of the Focus. (It currently has six ongoing investigations, but only five that Motor Trend could have known of when it went to press.)
Claybrook says the automotive press is "whitewashing" its car reviews. She cites the press's treatment of a Chevrolet minivan as an example.
When Chevrolet introduced the Venture minivan in 1996 — also sold as the Pontiac Trans Sport — the vehicle performed well in government crash tests and General Motors said it passed its own extensive crash tests. However, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) performed its crash test on the minivan in November 1996, IIHS Director Brian O'Neill said the occupant compartment collapsed, making serious injuries likely.
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