How reliable is your car? - Alfa Romeo to BMW

ALFA 19th out of 26
2005 position 26th out of 30
Claims per 100 vehicles 37.1
Average age 4.1 years
Average mileage 48,666
Average repair cost £397
Average repair time 4.9 hours

Problem areas
Axle and suspension failures caused the lion's share of Alfa problems, producing more than 40% of claims. Engines accounted for 25% of warranty repairs, while gearboxes made up 8% of claims. Gremlins in the electrical and heating and cooling systems also caused problems. When an Alfa goes wrong, it takes an average of 4.9 hours to rectify, the highest in the survey. However, the Alfas in our survey were older than average.

Best model 156
Worst model 147

Verdict **
Some signs of improvement from Alfa, but we'll have to wait to see how reliable the new 159 proves to be.

AUDI- 22nd
2005 position 28th
Claims per 100 vehicles 41.1
Average age 4.4 years
Average mileage 51,975
Average repair cost £373
Average repair time 2.6 hours

Problem areas
Electrical faults and suspension problems each account for a quarter of all claims on the Audis surveyed. The desirable TT is the worst Audi in the survey, with 50% of all cars needing attention, while the least troublesome model is the A4 ('01-'05), with only 14% of cars suffering a failure.

The Audis in our survey tended to do a higher-than-average mileage in a year, while the average repair bill worked out as £350, but it is possible to spend a four-figure sum if something major goes wrong.

Best model A4 ('01-'05)
Worst model TT ('99-'05)

Verdict *
For a company that prides itself on quality this is a disappointing result, although it is better than last year's.

BMW 7th
2005 position 17th
Claims per 100 vehicles 28.4
Average age 4.9 years
Average mileage 52,866
Average repair cost £301
Average repair time 2.2 hours

Problem areas
More than 25% of all BMWs in our survey had suspension problems, with the 3 Series coming off worst. What's more, almost 22% of BMWs suffered an electrical problem, with the X5 worst hit.

A fifth of all cars also experienced issues with their cooling and heating system, and it was a big issue for 7 Series cars. Smaller issues concerned the brakes, fuel system and engines.

The Z3 produced the largest single claim for a BMW - an eye-watering £4985 - and BMW labour rates were among the highest in our survey, but on average the cars took a reasonable 2.2 hours to fix.

Best model 3 Series Compact ('94-'01)
Worst model 7 Series ('94-'02)

Verdict ****
BMW has improved on last year's results, and it is now in the top half of the reliability table.

Click here for a manufacturers' reliability table.