No employer will tell you why you did not get hired. That is a given, 2nd it is not a pass fail thing, it is a FIT or do NOT FIT. You have to fit employers profile. Some do some don't. As far as for the references, it would be foolish of a candidate to fabricate a reference letter or provide a reference that will not speak highly of you.
You can interview for Southwest and get a rejection letter, that does not mean that you failed, you just did not fit. I have friends that received rejection letters from Continental and got hired by Delta. Part of being succesful during an inteview is to prepare your self for the interview and know in advance what type of profile they are looking for.You need to tailor your answers to fit the prospective employers need.