What Car? Reliability Supertest 2007 - Nissan - Seat

NISSAN 6th of 26
2006 position 4th of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 24.2
Average age 4.8 years
Average mileage 40,400
Average repair cost £260
Average repair time 1.8 hours
Best model Micra ('98-'02)
Worst model Primera ('99-'02)

Nissan's best model, the old-shape Micra, just missed out on a place in the top 10 of the most reliable cars.

By contrast, the Primera from 1999 to 2002 had a rough old time, and its many suspension and electrical problems helped to pull Nissan down to sixth overall.

However, the average labour rates were the lowest of all and only Hondas were repaired faster.

Verdict:


PEUGEOT 11th of 26
2006 position 8th of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 26.9
Average age 4.8 years
Average mileage 47,600
Average repair cost £229
Average repair time 2.2 hours
Best model 206 CC ('00-'07)
Worst model 206 ('98-'06)

Peugeot is streets ahead of Renault this year, but it is beaten by Citroen and drops out of the overall top 10, where it finished last year.

The 206 proved to be its worst model, with electrical problems cropping up for a third of owners.

However, only Skodas had lower average repair bills than Peugeots, which typically cost £229 to fix.

Verdict:


RENAULT 25th of 26
2006 position 25th of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 44.3
Average age 4.5 years
Average mileage 46,400
Average repair cost £270
Average repair time 2.3 hours
Best model Clio ('98-'05)
Worst model Espace ('97-'02)

Renault is putting down roots at the bottom of our reliability league table. For the past three years, it has been anchored in 25th position.

Chief culprit this year was the previous Espace, with a staggering 77 claims made for every 100 vehicles, mostly because of transmission problems.

The old-shape Clio did best, but it was still dire because a third of owners encountered difficulties, mostly caused by the electrics.

Verdict:


ROVER 9th of 26
2006 position 12th of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 26.1
Average age 3.2 years
Average mileage 34,000
Average repair cost £347
Average repair time 3.4 hours
Best model 45 ('99-'05)
Worst model 75 ('99-'05)

A year of mixed results for Rover: the 45 was particularly strong and finished among the top 20 most reliable cars.

However, the 75 was at the other end of the spectrum, with more than twice as many reported problems.

Nearly a third of owners had some problem or another, and when trouble did strike, it was most likely to be engine-related.

Rover faults in general took a long time to put right, so the average repair bill came in at a comparatively high £347.

Verdict:


SAAB 21st of 26
2006 position 23rd of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 36.7
Average age 5.1 years
Average mileage 59,500
Average repair cost £322
Average repair time 2.4 hours
Best model 9-5 ('01-present)
Worst model 9-5 ('97-'01)

Saabs have the highest average mileage in this survey and they are the third-oldest cars, which perhaps explains the company's lowly ranking.

Electrical and suspension problems were responsible for six out of 10 faults. In fact, electrical problems dogged every model.

However, there may be light at the end of the tunnel. The old 9-5 model was the least-reliable Saab, but the current version was the company's best performer.

Verdict:


SEAT 23rd of 26
2006 position 21st of 26
Claims per 100 vehicles 41.5
Average age 4 years
Average mileage 49,100
Average repair cost £251
Average repair time 1.9 hours
Best model Leon ('00-'05)
Worst model Alhambra ('00-present)

Seat has slipped since last year's poor performance and now finds itself at almost the bottom of our reliability table.

Electrical problems are the company's Achilles heel, with problems cropping up on almost a third of all cars. The Alhambra, in particular, was hit badly - almost half of all owners had to make a claim.

However, labour rates are average and repair times are shorter than usual, so thankfully the typical cost of getting Seats back on the road isn't a disaster.

Verdict:


To see the best and worst cars, click on the tables below:

• 10 most reliable cars

• 10 least reliable cars