BEDFORD, Texas — Warrantech Corp.'s recent study of proprietary actuarial data identified reliability trends, which saves insurers, dealers and consumers significant repair expenses.

Warrantech Automotive analyzed its paid claims records on the various vehicles driven by the company’s service contract customers during the past year and identified service contracts on vehicles that consistently required the fewest number of repairs in 2009. Categorized by region, the vehicles recognized for best performance and reliable service are listed below:

Asian Vehicles

• Honda Pilot (Passenger Sedan)

• Honda Civic (Passenger Sedan)

• Honda CRV (Passenger Sedan)

Domestic Vehicles

• Ford Ranger (Pick-up Truck)

• Ford F150 (Pick-up Truck)

• Ford Escape (Compact Sedan)

European Vehicles

• Volkswagen Beatle (Compact Sedan)

• Volkswagen Jetta (Passenger Sedan)

• Volkswagen Passat (Passenger Sedan)

“Consumers want dependable transportation, and automobile manufacturers have worked diligently to increase the reliability of their vehicles over the years," said Jeanine Folz, senior vice president of insurance services for Warrantech. “Today, more than ever before, automobile manufacturers are focused on quality control, and the reliability of some models sets them apart from the rest.”

Conversely, actuarial data not only highlights the reliable performance of certain vehicles, but it can also identify negative trends as well.

“Through advanced data analysis, Warrantech actuaries saved our insurers millions of dollars in losses by identifying those vehicles requiring higher reserves to hedge against future losses in less reliable cars,” Folz noted.

“Given the high standards for quality control in the automotive industry, picking a particular model in any category is hard, especially considering the number of vehicles on the road today," Folz said. "However, some manufacturers have produced a number of vehicles that consistently require fewer repairs. These vehicles and their manufacturers deserve recognition."