I wanted more up-to-date car reliability information that included actual repair rates. So in late 2005 I started getting people together to make this possible. TrueDelta now reports absolute repair rates that make the differences between cars much clearer. Results are updated four times a year, so it's possible to track cars closely as they age.

So far 100 Xterra owners have signed up to participate. Not enough to include the Xterra in the main survey, but close for some model years. With more participants, we could provide reliability stats for all model years.

Participants simply report repairs the month after they occur on a one-page survey. When there are no repairs, they simply report an approximate odometer reading four times a year, at the end of each quarter.

To encourage participation, participants receive full access to all results, not just those for the Xterra, free of charge.

For the details, and to sign up to help out:

Car reliability research