Used Cupra Formentor 2020-present reliability review

What should I look for in a used CUPRA Formentor?

What are the most common problems with a used CUPRA Formentor?

When viewing a used car, always follow our used car buying checklist.

On the whole, the Formentor is a solid car and it tends to be bought by people who look after their cars well. Still, check the interior for signs of wear and tear and alloys for any kerb damage. Make sure all electrics work as they should.

Is a used CUPRA Formentor reliable?

The Formentor a mixed record for reliability. In our 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey, it finished in 35th place out of 76 family SUVs, with a score of 93.9%. That's a better position than in the previous year, where it finished in 25th place out of 33 cars with a score of 89.8%. Even so, it finds itself in a middling position in our 2025 survey, finishing above the Ford Kuga and Jaguar E-Pace, but below the Lexus NX and Nissan Qashqai.

As a brand, Cupra did much better, finishing in 13th place out of 30 manufacturers – that's an improvement on 2024, where it finished in 17th place, and 2023, where it finished in last place. In terms of rankings for 2025, it scored better than Audi, Mercedes and Volvo, but worse than BMW, Lexus and Tesla.

It should be noted that we had an issue with a 2024 e-Hybrid example that we had for a Cupra Formentor long-term test. The car displayed a couple of error messages relating to the gearbox, with it leaving the car undriveable in one instance. This doesn't bode too well for reliability, especially considering the car's poor results in the past.

Used Cupra Formentor reliability: the owners' view

In our latest reliability survey, owners said the Cupra Formentor is a mixed bag when it comes to dependability. While the petrol and hybrid models share a sharp look, they also share a frustrating number of electrical gremlins.

The most common headaches involve the infotainment system, with owners reporting frequent freezes, blank screens and software glitches. More concerning are the faults with safety modules, particularly those triggering lane assist and SOS system warnings. Hybrid owners have also highlighted issues with faulty charging port actuators.

The dealer experience hasn't quite smoothed things over. Many owners noted that while Cupra’s five-year warranty provides peace of mind, getting parts can be slow and some dealerships struggled to provide permanent fixes for recurring software issues. Overall, while many love the car's character, its patchy reliability remains a significant talking point.