Forbes announces its ”Ten Turkeys of 2007”

A few weeks ago we covered TTAC’s 2007 “Ten Worst Automobiles” list and were a little surprised that only vehicles from Detroit made the list. Being somewhat wider in scope, the “Ten Turkeys” list from Forbes shares the hate with cars from all over the globe. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop Chrysler from dominating the list, and even topping it with its seemingly cursed Sebring.

The list shares many similarities with TTAC’s, but the differences are what stand out. The TTAC Ten Worst-winning Jeep Compass didn’t make the list although the Dodge Caliber, which is the base for the Compass, did. Ford’s Crown Victoria earned its spot on Forbes’ list simply by virtue of its dated design. The Chevy Aveo made it for sub-standard safety and reliability ratings - especially the recall related to frontal offset crashes that could lead to a fire thanks to a cracked fuel line.

Foreign turkeys for 2007 include the Nissan Quest and Hyundai Entourage minivans. The Nissan got raked over the coals for its sub-par reliability and a safety recall for a defective front suspension bolt that could result in a crash. Hyundai’s Entourage also suffered from poor reliability and terrible resale value - despite being an IIHS top pick for safety.

Not surprisingly, when a publication as big as Forbes chooses a list of automotive turkeys, (most of) the car makers respond. And according to Forbes GM, Chrysler, Hyundai and Ford defended their vehicles against the turkey-title as being better than their statistics might indicate. Nissan didn’t offer any justification for the Quest. Perhaps it’s just as well: in the end, the cars are still turkeys, and they’re still on the list.