2018 What Car? Reliability Survey
Large and luxury SUVs
Most reliable: Toyota RAV4 - 99.6%
What went wrong? Engine electrics 4%
Only 4% of Toyota RAV4 owners reported experiencing an issue. The sole area concerned was engine electrics, and all cars were driveable and fixed under warranty in less than a day. It’s no wonder that more than a third of owners said their car’s reliability was one of their favourite things about it.
The BMW X5 wasn’t far behind the RAV4; only 10% of diesel examples developed a problem, with these split evenly between the engine, fuel system and wheels/tyres (all 3%). All cars remained driveable and were fixed for free in less than a week.
Although 24% of Audi Q5s had a problem, none was forced off the road, all were fixed for free and half were back in service in less than a day. Problem areas were split evenly between bodywork, fuel system, interior trim and non-engine electrics (all 6%).
Least reliable: Range Rover - 67.3%
What went wrong? Non-engine electrics 21% Suspension 17% Sat-nav 13% Battery 8% Bodywork 8% Engine electrics 8% Exterior lights 8% Wheels/tyres 8% Air-con 4% Engine 4% Exhaust 4% Gearbox/clutch 4% Interior trim 4% Steering 4%
Half of the Range Rover owners who completed the survey told us their car had a fault. Non-engine electrics were the most common issue, while a worrying 17% of cars had suspension problems. Nearly a third of cars were undriveable and two-thirds were off the road for more than a week.
The Ford Edge is on a similar level, with 54% presenting a problem. The most common troubles concerned bodywork (25%), air-con (21%) and non-engine electrics (18%). Most cars could still be driven and were repaired in less than a week, with all work done under warranty.
The Range Rover Evoque isn't as bad as its larger stablemate; 45% of cars had a problem. The exhaust (15%) was worst, then interior trim and engine and non- engine electrics (both 13%). Most remained driveable and two-thirds were fixed in less than a week, but a few owners paid up to £1500.
| Rank | Make and model | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota RAV4 (2013-2018) | 99.6% |
| 2 | BMW X5 (2013-present) | 98.3% |
| 3 | Audi Q5 (2017-present) | 96.3% |
| 4 | Volkswagen Touareg (2010-2018) | 95.8% |
| 5 | Hyundai Santa Fe (2013-2018) | 94.6% |
| 6 | Volvo XC60 (2008-2017) | 94.5% |
| 7 | Land Rover Discovery (2004-2017) | 92.8% |
| 8 | Mazda CX-5 (2012-2017) | 92.1% |
| 9 | BMW X3 (2011-2017) | 91.5% |
| 10 | Ford Kuga (2013-present) | 91.4% |
| 11 | Skoda Kodiaq (2017-present) | 91.3% |
| =12 | Honda CR-V (2012-2018) | 90.9% |
| =12 | Mercedes-Benz GLC (2015-present) | 90.9% |
| 14 | Kia Sorento (2015-present) | 90.4% |
| 15 | Porsche Macan (2014-present) | 90.1% |
| 16 | Land Rover Discovery (2017-present) | 85.9% |
| 17 | Jaguar F-Pace (2016-present) | 85.1% |
| 18 | Volvo XC90 (2015-present) | 84.8% |
| 19 | Nissan X-Trail (2014-present) | 84.4% |
| 20 | Audi Q5 (2008-2017) | 82.1% |
| 21 | Range Rover Sport (2014-present) | 75.8% |
| 22 | Land Rover Discovery Sport (2015-present) | 74.7% |
| 23 | Range Rover Evoque (2011-present) | 73.2% |
| 24 | Ford Edge (2016-present) | 70.7% |
| 25 | Range Rover (2013-present) | 67.3% |
