A poll of more than 20,000 drivers in Britain has revealed which are the most and least reliable cars.
Japanese sister brands Lexus and Toyota make the most dependable vehicles, while Europe’s Cupra, Alfa Romeo, Vauxhall and Jaguar Land Rover produce the motors that turn out to be most problematic for owners.
What Car?’s annual Reliability Survey also found that hybrids are the most robust of fuel types, scoring better for dependability than petrol, diesel and even electric vehicles (EV), despite the fact the latter has far fewer moving parts.
Here are the most and least reliable brands – and the models in each sector you should be considering, and avoiding, when hunting for your next car.
Most and least reliable cars: We reveal the brands and models that will spare you big repair bills – and those than you can’t always depend on based on feedback from over 20,000 British drivers
A total of 21,732 owners were polled by the car magazine, providing a suitable number of responses to provide a wide snapshot of ownership covering 32 mainstream brands and a whopping 178 different models based on motors up to five years old.
Owners were asked if their vehicle had suffered any faults in the previous 24 months.
Those that had gone wrong over the last two years have then been given a calculated rating rated on how long repairs took and how much these cost, with the overall score expressed as a percentage.
Overall, a fifth (21 per cent) of all owners said their car had experienced issues in the past two years, although 83 per cent of repairs were carried out for free.
While most repair bills cost less than £500, 2 per cent of owners had to pay out more than £1,500 to get their cars fixed and back on the road.
One of the most common issues cited was a faulty infotainment system – something that’s often exempt from warranty cover and therefore falls on the wallets of owners to have fixed.
Which brands make the most – and least – reliable car?
Having crunched all the numbers, it is Lexus that achieved the highest brand rating, at 98.3 per cent.
This is bolstered by its hardy NX family SUV (2014-2021), which scored 99.8 per cent, and the RX large SUV (2016-2022), which was rated 98.6 per cent.
Lexus tops the charts: The Japanese luxury car firm has the highest brand reliability rating of all, scoring 98.3%. This is helped by solid scores for the NX (left) and bigger RX (right) SUV
Toyota ranked second overall in the brand reliability charts. One of its best performers is the RAV4 SUV (2019-present), which scored 98.7% in the reliability poll
Mini disrupted the Japanese brands at the top of the dependability charts, ranking third overall. This was boosted by the Mini Electric hatchback (2022-present) getting a 97.6% reliability score from owners
Toyota was followed closely in Lexus’ tyre tracks with a 97.4 per cent brand reliability score, with its RAV4 SUV (2019-present) impressive with a 98.7 per cent dependability rating.
While the top end of the brand reliability standings was Japanese orientated, Mini has infiltrated the order with a 97.2 per cent manufacturer score for reliability, helped in part by a solid showing from its Mini Electric hatchback (2022-present) with a 97.6 per cent mark.
At the other end of the scale, Cupra received the lowest brand reliability score of 82.4 per cent with many owners complaining their cars had been plagued by a range of electrical gremlins that had left them in the workshop for more than a week.
THE MOST AND LEAST RELIABLE CAR BRANDS
MOST RELIABLE
Lexus makes the most reliable cars, according to What Car?’s poll
1. Lexus: 98.3%
2. Toyota: 97.4%
3. Mini: 97.2%
4. Suzuki: 96.9%
5. Mitsubishi: 96.2%
6. Honda: 95.9%
7. Hyundai: 94.3%
8. Kia: 93.8%
9. Volvo: 93.7%
10. Tesla: 93.6%
LEAST RELIABLE
Cupra ranked bottom in the car brands list for reliability
1. Cupra: 82.4%
2. Alfa Romeo: 85.6%
3. Vauxhall: 86.9%
4. Jaguar: 87.4%
5. Land Rover: 87.6%
6. Subaru: 89.0%
7. Audi: 89.1%
8. MG: 89.2%
9. Mercedes-Benz: 89.8%
10. Renault: 90.0%
Source: What Car? Reliability Survey based on feedback from 21,732 drivers
High scores for hybrids
Across different fuel types, hybrids came out on top, despite the general perception that their drivetrains – combining combustion engines with batteries and electric motors – are more complex.
Just 17 per cent of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and 18 per cent of conventional – self-charging – hybrids surveyed had suffered a fault in the last two years.
What’s more, hybrids were the cheapest type of car to repair: all PHEVs were fixed for free, along with 94 per cent of conventional hybrids.
Petrol models were only slightly less reliable, with a fault rate of 20 per cent, while electric cars and diesels had the joint-highest fault rate of 26 per cent.
This is despite the fact EVs have far fewer moving mechanical parts.
That said, most issues with electric cars were not linked to their drivetrains – instead it is problems with touchscreen systems and other electrical gremlins in their cabins that have caused the most problems for early adopters.
Looking for a reliable car? What Car?’s latest mass poll of drivers has found that hybrids are the most dependable of all fuel types – even more so than EVs
The most reliable of all electric cars, according to the survey, is the Ford Mustang Mach-E. It received a flawless report from owners, scoring 100% for dependability
What Car?’s consumer editor Claire Evans explained: ‘These results demonstrate that the complexity of a hybrid powertrain is not a barrier to reliability.
‘Conversely, electric models, with their simpler set-up can let their owners down.
‘However, in many cases it’s not the electric motors or battery banks that prove troublesome, it’s other electrical items such as infotainment systems, digital instrument panels and driver assistance systems that have given owners the biggest headaches.
‘If you’re thinking of switching to a pure electric car, check its reliability rating before you buy to ensure you get a dependable model.’
That said, some EVs – other than Mini’s Electric – are proof that battery cars can be super dependable.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E, for instance, achieved a perfect reliability rating of 100 per cent, and the BMW iX3, which was close behind on 99.3 per cent.
THINKING ABOUT BUYING A CAR? THESE ARE THE MOST AND LEAST RELIABLE IN EACH SEGMENT
If you’re currently in the market for a new or used car, then you will want to know which models to consider and those to potentially avoid.
We’ve got you covered with a list of the examples in each segment that have the highest and lowest reliability ratings from What Car?’s latest survey.
Below are the 11 different car classes and the winners and losers in each:
Small and value cars – class average score: 95.1%
Most reliable: The Suzuki Swift scored the highest reliability rating of all small and value cars
Most reliable: Suzuki Swift (2017-present): 99.5%
Just 4 per cent of Swift owners said their car had a reliability problem in the last two years. And the only gripe this 4 per cent had was with interior trim issues. Fixing them was quick and free of charge.
Least reliable: Audi A1 (2018-present) 87.3%
The A1 is a model at the steeper end of pricing for superminis, but that doesn’t guarantee it will be reliable. In fact, a quarter of A1 owners said their cars had gone wrong in the last 24 months, and the problems weren’t easy or cheap to fix. Although half of repairs were carried out for free, a quarter of them cost between £201 and £500, and the other 25 per cent exceeded £1500.
Family cars – class average score 90.1%
Least reliable: Three in five Audi A3 Sportback owners told What Car? their example had encountered problems in the last 2 years
Most reliable: BMW 1 Series (2011-2019): 100%
For second-hand buyers in particular, the previous-generation 1 Series will make a solid used gamily car option. That’s because not a single owner responding to the survey reported their cars as having suffered any faults at all over the previous 24 months.
Least reliable: Audi A3 Sportback (2020-present): 71.8%
If the old 1 Series is a dream family car to own, the current Audi A3 Sportback is a comparable nightmare. Almost three in five (59 per cent) of A3 owners’ cars went wrong in the past two years, the majority of faults concerning the infotainment and other electrical systems.
Seven-seaters – class average score 90.4%
Most reliable: Volvo’s hulking X90 is the seven-seat car with the best reliability track record of all
Most reliable: Volvo XC90 (2015-present): 94.8%
Despite a quarter of XC90 owners saying their car had a fault in the previous two years, none of the issues they faced were costly or time-consuming to repair. In fact, half of the problems were fixed within a day and all were covered under warranty or repaired free of charge.
Least reliable: Seat Tarraco (2018-present): 85.3%
More than two in five (44 per cent) owners of Seat’s biggest model said their Tarraco had encountered a problem in the last 24 months, though three quarters (76 per cent) of issues were fixed within a day of being identified. Of the 31 per cent of drivers who said they had to cover the cost of repair, none had to find more than £200.
Small SUVs – class average score 94.4%
Least reliable: The Citroen C3 Aircross is not just costly to repair, it takes a long time to fix, according to owners
Most reliable: Suzuki Ignis (2016-present): 99.4%
A tiny percentage (5 per cent) of Suzuki Ignis owners said their car had encountered a problem. And although issues with the gearbox/clutch could be serious, they were resolved swiftly and cheaply, drivers said.
Least reliable: Citroën C3 Aircross (2017-present): 84.3%
Almost a third (29 per cent) of Citroen C3 Aircross owners reported a problem over the course of a 24-month period, though the French brand covered the cost of 71 per cent of repairs , one in seven (14 per cent) had to fork out up to £500 for their cars to be fixed. For another 14 per cent, the bill came in at over £1,500. Repairs took a while too: more than two in five (43 per cent) examples spent up to a week in the workshop and the rest were in there for longer.
Family SUVs – class average score 92.6%
Least reliable: Diesel-engined Skoda Karoqs are marginally less reliable than petrol equivalents, owners said
Most reliable: Lexus NX (2014-2021): 99.8%
Lexus’s hybrid NX has almost perfect reliability credentials. Just 2 per cent of the previous-generation NXs reported on suffered any problems, and all issues were resolved in a day or less by dealerships at no cost to owners.
Least reliable: Skoda Karoq diesel (2017-present): 80.8%
Diesel-engined Skoda Karoqs are lightly less reliable that petrols – 23 per cent of oil burners having issues compared to 22 per cent for those running on unleaded. However, diesels are costlier and take longer to fix. Only 56 per cent of diesels were fixed for free – 93 per cent of petrols were -with a third (31 per cent) costing owners more than £1,500. Half of the faulty diesel Karoqs were in for repair for more than a week, too.
Large SUVs – class average score 92.9%
Least reliable: The diesel-powered previous-generation Ford Kuga is the large SUV to avoid if you don’t want to be without a car for over a week while being repaired, What Car? says
Most reliable: Toyota RAV4 (2019-present): 98.7%
Toyota’s RAV4 is one of the more frugal family SUVs with a combustion engine under the bonnet. But in an added boost, they are reliable too, with only 2 per cent of owners saying theirs had gone wrong in the last 24 months. That said, half of the faulty cars took up to seven days to put right and a quarter were out of action for more than a week. Three-quarters of work was done for free, but the remainder cost owners up to £200.
Least reliable: Ford Kuga diesel (2013-2020): 85.0%
Diesel Kugas have encountered more problems than petrols (28 per cent versus 20 per cent), and take longer to fix. Almost three in ten (28 per cent) of diesel Kuga were off the road for more than a week when being repaired, whereas all petrols were fixed within seven days. Four per cent of diesel owners also had to fork out up to £1,500 on garage bills.
Executive cars – class average score 91.1%
Most reliable: The Lexus IS has never been as popular as its major German rivals. But if you want a robust executive saloon, this is the one you should be opting for
Most reliable: Lexus IS (2013-2021): 98.0%
The Lexus IS has never really been able to challenge the German might of Audi, BMW and Mercedes in the exec-car sales charts, but of them all this is the most durable choice. Only 12 per cent have had problems in the last two years – all fixed for free by Lexus. The faults appear to have been minor because all cars could still be driven and half were in and out of the garage the same day.
Least reliable: Audi A6 (2017-present): 76.3%
The current A6 saloon has been blighted by a range of electrical issues, according to owners. Two in five (44 per cent) have had a fault in the last 24 months with two-thirds of these being concerning engine and non engine electrical woes. Although 83 per cent could still be driven, almost half (46 per cent) took more than a week to put right.
Luxury cars – class average score 90.3%
Most reliable: Porsche’s Cayenne has bucked the trend for big, expensive, luxury SUVs by having a near flawless reliability score. Just 6% have gone wrong in the last 2 years
Most reliable: Porsche Cayenne (2018-2023): 98.7%
Given that the luxury car class is now dominated by SUV models, this segment of vehicle has also been mixed in with the traditional saloon types. And that’s good news for the previous-gen Porsche Cayenne, which comes out on top with a near-perfect reliability record. Only 6 per cent went wrong, and all remedial work was done for free.
Least reliable: Mercedes-Benz GLE (2019-present): 87.6%
Another hulking luxury SUV, Mercedes’ GLE has a higher fault rate than you’d want from an expensive motor, with 44 per cent of owners completing the survey saying they suffered at least one glitch. Every affected car could still be driven and half of the issues were fixed in a day or less, but 42 per cent of faulty examples spent more than a week in the garage. At least all necessary remedial work was carried out for free.
Coupés, convertibles and sports cars – class average score 92.6%
Least reliable: BMW’s coupe and convertible versions of the 4 Series aren’t particularly unreliable but if problems do occur they are often expensive to fix and leave owners facing days without a car
Most reliable: Audi TT (2014-present): 98.4%
The Audi TT goes out of production at the end of the year – a sad reality for many sports car fans. For those who already have one of the current-generation cars, just 7 per cent of the cars reported on had any issues – all relating to the air-conditioning. These problems were fixed at no cost to owners.
Least reliable: BMW 4 Series Coupé/Convertible (2014-2020): 83.0%
The 4 Series isn’t particularly prone to problems, but when they do occur, they are often pricey and take a long time to put right. Some 58 per cent of owners faced bills of up to £1,500 and 8 per cent paid even more than that. Overall, a fifth (21 per cent) of cars went wrong. Half took more than a week to put right.
Electric cars – class average score 90.6%
Least reliable: The Porsche Taycan is one of the most expensive electric cars on the market currently. And it’s also the non-SUV EV with the worst reliability track record
Most reliable: Mini Electric (2020-present): 97.6%
The Mini Electric is proving just as dependable as the brand’s petrol-powered models, according to owners. Only 7 per cent of survey respondents reported issues with their cars, with none being serious enough to render any of them undriveable. Mini covered the cost of all remedial work, and although no cars were fixed in a day, all were back on the road in less than a week.
Least reliable: Porsche Taycan (2019-present): 66.5%
The Taycan may be one of the fastest – and most expensive – electric cars you can buy right now, but it’s not one of the most reliable. Of the cars in our survey, a hefty 46 per cent have encountered reliability issues in the last 24 months, with owners citing air-con and infotainment systems as the most common gremlins. Two-thirds of the stricken cars were out of action for more than a week.
Electric SUVs – class average score 90.5%
Least reliable: Vauxhall’s Mokka-e is the least reliable electric SUV thanks to 13% of owners saying theirs had gone wrong in the last 24 months
Most reliable: Ford Mustang Mach-E (2020-present): 100%
Ford’s first attempt at a ‘from-the-ground-up’ EV, the Mustang Mach-E, has the best reliability score of all electric SUVs in this year’s poll. In fact, it’s faultless. Of the owners who responded to our survey, not a single one reported an issue with their car, making the Mustang Mach-E the brand’s most dependable model.
Least reliable: Vauxhall Mokka-e (2020-present): 60.6%
Slow and sometimes costly repairs were the main bugbears for the 13 per cent of Mokka Electric owners whose cars went wrong. Of that group, two fifths of cars were rendered undriveable, and half were out of action for more than a week. Although 90 per cent of cars were fixed for free, the remaining 10 per cent of owners were charged more than £1,500 in garage bills.
