In association with MotorEasy
What Car? Reliability Survey: Most and least reliable electric cars
In our annual Reliability Survey, we ask readers to rate the dependability of cars aged up to five years old. Here we list the most and least reliable electric cars in the UK...
With many new models and brands entering the electric car class, this is one of the most exciting sectors of the new car market.
This year the What Car? Reliability Survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy, gathered data on 46 pure electric models - the 19 reported on in this story and a further 27 in the electric SUV category. While the used BMW i3 tops this chart, the Kia EV3 gains the highest score in the electric SUV reliability chart, and it is the highest-scoring pure electric model overall.
When it comes to reliability, electric cars have upped their game in the past year: those in this chart scored 87.7% last year and 90.4% this year. Electric SUVs are a bit less robust, with a rating of 90.1% this year.
The most common faults with electric models aren't related to their electric motors or EV battery packs, though. They're caused by problems with their 12-volt batteries and other electrical niggles that also affect hybrid and petrol versions of the same, or similar, models.
Here, we're looking at reliability data for small cars aged up to five years old. Reliability information for older models is in our Most reliable used cars feature.
The What Car? Reliability Survey is live, tell us about your car now >>
Most reliable electric cars
1. BMW i3 (2013-2022)
Reliability rating 97.4%
Most common faults: motor electrics 4%, steering 4%, suspension 4%
Average repair cost: 100% £0
Typical time off road: 50% more than a week, 25% one day or less, 25% one day to a week
The i3 may no longer be on sale, but it’s still a great option if you’re after a dependable small EV. Its fault rate of just 11% beats not only the Nissan Leaf family hatchback but also tops that of the i3’s pricier BMW i4 stablemate.
It’s also great news for i3 owners that BMW covered the cost of all remedial work, eliminating the worry of unexpected repair bills. The only negative is that getting cars fixed can be slow. Owners told us that half of their faulty i3s spent more than a week in the workshop for repairs; in contrast, only 12% of Leafs were out of action for this long.
Owner’s view: “Our current car is the second i3 we’ve owned over the past nine years. Both examples have been very reliable.”
2. BMW i4 (2021-present)
Reliability rating 96.8%
Most common faults: bodywork 5%, battery pack 3%, brakes 2%, motor electrics 2%, non-motor electrics 2%, sat-nav/infotainment system 2%
Average repair cost: 100% £0
Typical time off road: 67% one day or less, 25% more than a week
The i4 is a fully electric version of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé. It’s proving robust so far, with only 16% of the cars in our survey suffering any defects. Minor bodywork glitches were the most common complaint, followed by problems with the EV battery and niggles with electrical systems, including the infotainment system.
Owners told us that 83% of cars with problems could still be driven, with 67% of these fixed in a day or less. Only 25% spent more than a week in the dealership, and BMW paid for the necessary work in all cases.
3. Nissan Leaf (2019-2024)
Reliability rating 96.5%
Most common faults: battery pack 2%, brakes 2%, interior trim 2%, non-motor electrics 2%, suspension 2%
Average repair cost: 88% £0, 12% £301-£500
Typical time off road: 63% one day or less, 25% one day to a week
Not all Nissan models are paragons of dependability, but the Leaf has consistently posted high scores in our annual survey. Fifteen percent of the Leafs we were told about went wrong, with the EV battery, other electrical systems and the suspension the main areas of concern.
Most faults were easily resolved, though; 63% of cars were out of the workshop in a day or less, and only 13% were there for more than a week. More disappointing was the cost of repairs; while 88% of problems were sorted out for free, 12% of owners had to pay between £301 and £500.
4. Hyundai Ioniq 6 (2022-present)
Reliability rating 95.7%
Most common faults: bodywork 6%, charging system 6%, interior trim 6%, sat-nav/infotainment system 6%
Average repair cost: £0
Typical time off road: 50% one day to a week, 50% more than a week
The Ioniq 6 is a four-door coupé with a sleek silhouette, a glassy ride, hushed interior and impressively swift charging times. It can charge at up to 350kW, enabling it to boost the batteries from 10 to 80% in 18 minutes. Its range is impressive too - officially, the AWD version can do 322 miles on a full charge, and the RWD model tops this with 338 miles, both of which compare well with its main rival the Tesla Model 3.
The Ioniq 6 is also a dependable choice, according to owners who told us only 11% of their cars had any mishaps. Most problems were minor - all cars could still be driven and 50% were in and out of the garage in a week or less. The other 50% took more than a week to put right, but at least Hyundai covered the cost of all parts and labour.
5. Mini Electric (2020-2024)
Reliability rating 94.2%
Most common faults: battery pack 6%, brakes 6%, bodywork 3%, steering 3%
Average repair cost: £0
Typical time off road: 38% one day or less, 50% more than a week
The used-only Mini Electric has many good qualities - it's swift, handles well and has a plush interior - but its real-world range of 125 miles may not be enough for many drivers. It's been replaced by the Mini Cooper Electric, which has a better official range of up to 185 miles.
The Mini Electric is a good secondhand choice, though, because it's proving to be one of the most robust electric cars. Only 17% of the examples reported on had any issues. Getting things put right wasn't always fast, with half of the faulty cars we were told about in the workshop for more than a week. However, Mini and its dealers paid for all remedial work ensuring no owners were left with unexpected bills.
6. MG 5 (2020-2025)
Reliability rating 94.1%
Most common faults: battery pack 4%, bodywork 4%, sat-nav/infotainment system 4%, suspension 4%, air-con 2%
Average repair cost: 92% £0, 8% £301-£500
Typical time off road: 39% one day or less, 39% more than a week
The MG 5 is a great-value roomy estate with a good range of up to 200 miles in real-world driving. It has a relatively comfortable ride, but it's not as enjoyable to drive as a Volkswagen ID 3 or the lower-slung MG 4.
It's pretty durable, too. Although 24% of the cars reported on in our survey went wrong, three-quarters of them could still be driven. MG took care of most repair bills, but remedial work was slow with 39% of cars in the workshop for more than a week.
7. Renault Megane E-Tech (2022-present)
Reliability rating 93.6%
Most common faults: battery pack 5%, sat-nav/infotainment 5%, bodywork 3%, electric motor 3%, motor electrics 3%, charging system 3%, interior trim 3%, non-motor electrics 3%
Average repair cost: £0
Typical time off road: 46% one day or less, 31% one day to a week
Renault's longstanding family hatchback has morphed into a larger pure electric model with SUV styling cues. While it is comfortable and quiet at motorway speeds, it's not as roomy in the back as rivals, such as the MG4 EV and the VW ID 3.
It does beat those rivals for reliability, though. According to owners, 22% of their cars had a glitch, with issues split across a wide range of components. However, 85% of cars with problems could still be driven and nearly half were fixed in a day or less. Most of the rest were put right in less than a week, and Renault paid for all the associated costs.
Reliability rating 92.8%
Most common faults: bodywork 7%, suspension 7%, non-motor electrics 4%, battery pack 2%, interior trim 2%, sat-nav/infotainment system 2%, steering 2%
Average repair cost: 92% £0, 5% £301-£500, 2% £751-£1000, 2% more than £1500
Typical time off road: 45% one day or less, 32% one day to a week
There's a lot to like about the Model 3. It's good to drive, packed full of technology and it comes with a range of swift power options. On top of all that, it's great value as a used buy with prices for 2019/20 examples of the Model 3 Standard Range Plus starting at around £12,000, and £13,000 for a Long Range model.
Reliability is pretty good - although 23% of the models in our survey had an issue, 95% of them could still be driven. Tesla's mobile mechanics, who can repair your car at a location of your choice, appears to keep repair times down; nearly half of the issues we were told about were fixed in a day or less. It's also good that the car maker covered the cost of most repair bills.
9. Cupra Born (2022-present)
Reliability rating 92.5%
Most common faults: sat-nav/infotainment system 10%, non-motor electrics 7%, battery pack 5%, 12-volt battery 3%, bodywork 3%
Average repair cost: 100% £0
Typical time off road: 50% more than a week, 40% one day or less
While the Born borrows many parts from the Volkswagen ID 3, it's positioned as a sportier option and it has better handling and a smarter-looking interior. The range has been improved on the latest version - its official range is now 300 miles in 58kWh form, which beats the Peugeot e-308 (278 miles) and Renault Megane (285 miles).
The Born is also more robust than its VW sibling, with a fault rate of 25%, compared with 33% for the ID 3. It does, however, suffer from a high proportion of problems with the infotainment and other electrical systems. Getting things put right didn't cost owners anything, but half of them had to wait more than a week to get their cars back.
10. Fiat 500e (2020-present)
Reliability rating 91.9%
Most common faults: non-motor electrics 12%, brakes 8%, air-con 4%, EV battery pack 4%, electric motor 4%
Average repair cost: 100% £0
Typical time off road: 56% more than a week, 33% one day or less
The pure electric version of the 500 city car is fun to drive around town and competent at motorway speeds. It's not roomy enough for adults to do long journeys in the back seats, and its range of just 118 miles (for the 87kW version) in our real range test limits usability for high-mileage drivers.
It's pretty dependable, though. Owners told us that 19% of their cars went wrong, and two-thirds of those cars could still be driven. Although repairs were slow - 56% took more than a week - Fiat covered the cost of all the necessary work.
Least reliable electric cars
1. Hyundai Ioniq (2016-2022)
Reliability rating 80.1%
Most common faults: 12-volt battery 29%, EV battery pack 18%, non-motor electrics 12%
Average repair cost: 89% £0, 11% £101-£200
Typical time off road: 70% more than a week, 30% one day or less
The now-discontinued Ioniq Electric family car is the lowest-scoring EV in our survey, not helped by how long owners had to do without their cars while repairs were made. Among the cars that went wrong, 90% were unable to be driven until repairs were carried out, and 70% of these spent more than a week receiving workshop attention.
This doesn’t compare well with alternatives such as the Volkswagen ID 3, of which less than a third (29%) of faulty cars were rendered undriveable. At least Hyundai paid for 89% of repair costs.
Owner’s view: “My car has suffered from problems with the electric motor, charging system and gearbox.”
2. Hyundai Ioniq 5 (2021-present)
Reliability rating 80.7%
Most common faults: 12-volt battery 20%, bodywork 10%, interior trim 7%, non-motor electrics 7%, sat-nav/infotainment system 7%, electric motor 5%, EV battery pack 5%
Average repair cost: 90% £0, 5% £1-£100, 5% more than £1500
Typical time off road: 56% more than a week, 37% one day or less
The overall reliability record of the Ioniq 5 is overshadowed by that of the Kia EV6, with which it shares its underpinnings and much of its technology. Overall, 42% of Ioniq 5s went wrong, compared with 30% of EV6s.
Both models have suffered from 12-volt battery issues, but more Ioniq 5s were rendered undriveable; problems put 56% of faulty Ioniq 5s off the road, compared with 38% of faulty EV6s. Another upset for Ioniq 5 owners is that Hyundai covered the cost of only 90% of remedial work, while Kia coughed up for all expenses.
3. Porsche Taycan (2020-present)
Reliability rating 81.2%
Most common faults: Air-con 22%, EV battery pack 13%, bodywork 9%, 12-volt battery 7%, brakes 6%, charging system 4%, interior trim 4%, suspension 4%
Average repair cost: 98% £0, 2% £1000-£1500
Typical time off road: 42% one day to a week, 40% more than a week
The Taycan may be one of the fastest EVs you can buy, but it’s not one of the most dependable, even though its overall score has risen by 5% compared with its showing in our 2024 survey.
Taycan ownership is still blighted by a high incidence of faults. More than half (54%) of participating Taycan owners reported at least one issue, and this kept their car off the road for more than a week in 40% of instances. Just 19% of issues were resolved in a day or less. The only silver lining is that Porsche paid for almost all remedial work required.
4. Renault Zoe (2013-2024)
Reliability rating 85.1%
Most common faults: Ev battery pack 15%, non-motor electrics 12%, 12-volt battery 9%, air-con 6%, bodywork 3%, electric motor 3%, motor electrics 3%, suspension 3%
Average repair cost: 96% £0, 4% £1-£50
Typical time off road: 42% one day to a week, 29% one day or less
The used-only Zoe is an affordable secondhand electric car with a roomy, if rather basic-feeling, interior, and a decent range if you go for one of the more recent models. Post 2020 examples will officially go for 238 to 245 miles between charges, but it's worth noting that the maximum charging speed is 50kW so don't expect to be able to top up its batteries as quickly as newer rivals.
The Zoe has a pretty high fault rate of 39%, but most problems were electrical niggles and three-quarters of the affected cars could still be driven. Even though many cars will now be outside the new car warranty period, Renault still covered the cost of almost all fault repairs, and the few bills that were levied were small. Getting things put right was fairly quick too, with nearly a third of issues resolved in a day or less, and most cars fixed in less than a week.
Reliability rating 86.0%
Most common faults: Non-motor electrics 15%, sat-nav/infotainment system 12%, EV battery pack 10%, 12-volt battery 8%, interior trim 8%, air-con 4%, bodywork 4%
Average repair cost: 100% £0
Typical time off road: 36% more than a week, 33% one day or less
The Polestar 2's raison e'etre is to steal sales from the Tesla Model 3, and it is a good alternative in many ways, especially if you can afford one of the latest versions, which has a range of more than 400 miles, a Google-powered brain, and an interior that feels genuinely premium.
It's not as robust as it American rival, though. Owners told us that 41% of their Polestar 2s had at least one problem, mostly with a range of electrical issues. These problems caused a third of the affected cars to be stuck in the workshop for more than a week, although a similar proportion were fixed and back on the road in a day or less. The good news is that the car maker stumped up for all repair costs, though.
6. Vauxhall Corsa Electric (2019-present)
Reliability rating 87.6%
Most common faults: Non-motor electrics 9%, sat-nav/infotainment system 9%, air-con 4%, 12-volt battery 2%, EV battery pack 2%, bodywork 2%, brakes 2%, electric motor 2%, charging system 2%, suspension 2%
Average repair cost: 83% £0, 17% £201-£750
Typical time off road: 57% more than a week, 26% one day to a week
As the name suggests, the Vauxhall Corsa Electric is the fully electric version of one of the most popular cars in Britain. That means it's a generally decent small hatchback that's a worthy rival to the Mini Cooper Electric and Peugeot e-208. However, it falls a little short against some rivals on handling, refinement and interior quality.
Although 32% of the Corsa Electrics reported on in our survey went wrong, 78% of them could still be driven. That's because the majority of issues related to non-motor electrical systems. Getting things put right could be slow, though, with more than half of the cars we were told about out of action for more than a week. It's also a shame to see that Vauxhall only paid for 83% of all fixes, leaving some owners with bills of up to £750 per fault.
Vauxhall Corsa Electric review
Vauxhall Corsa Electric leasing deals
7. Volkswagen ID 3 (2020-present)
Reliability rating 87.7%
Most common faults: Non-motor electrics 8%, EV battery pack 8%, sat-nav/infotainment system 7%, bodywork 5%, 12-volt battery 4%, brakes 3%, electric motor 3%
Average repair cost: 86% £0, 7% £201-£300, 7% £1000-more than £1500
Typical time off road: 46% more than a week, 35% one day to a week
The ID 3 didn't have the best start in life, being dogged by a host of electrical issues when it first went on sale. While the earlier infotainment problems now seem to be largely resolved, the car still suffers with a fairly high rate of electrical problems. Owners told us 33% of their ID 3s had an issue, but 71% of those affected could still be driven.
It's a concern that Volkswagen didn't cover the cost of all repairs on such a relatively new model, and also a worry that nearly half of the problems took more than a week to put right.
Reliability rating 89.3%
Most common faults: Non-motor electrics 8%, sat-nav/infotainment system 7%, interior trim 5%, EV battery pack 3%, charging system 3%,
Average repair cost: 100% £0
Typical time off road: 51% more than a week, 34% one day or less
The MG 4 is an affordable electric car that doesn't stint in too many areas to save money. In fact, it has strong performance, a roomy interior and loads of standard kit. It’s not the comfiest EV in the class, nor the most fun to drive, but it’s still good enough on both fronts. Our top pick is the Premium Extended Range, version because it's not too pricey and it'll do up to 338 miles between charges.
Reliability has been an issue in the past, but the fault rate for the MG4 has gone down to 27%, and 80% of the affected cars could still be driven. It's great to see that MG covered the cost of all repairs, but less good that half of cars took more than a week to fix.
9. Peugeot e-208 (2019-present)
Reliability rating 89.4%
Most common faults: Non-motor electrics 11%, EV battery pack 6%, air-con 4%, bodywork 4%, sat-nav/infotainment system 4%
Average repair cost: 93% £0, 7% £1001-£1500
Typical time off road: 75% more than a week, 20% one day or less
The e-208 is a stylish small electric hatchback that’s available with two battery options: 136 and 156bhp versions. Both are similarly fast, both cope well at motorway speeds, and both will keep up with the most powerful versions of the Hyundai Inster and Renault 5.
Although the e-208 is in the bottom half of our chart, its fault rate of 30% isn't terrible, especially when you consider that 70% of those cars could still be driven. It's great to see that Peugeot paid for the vast majority of repairs, but less good to see that three-quarters of faulty cars were off the road for more than a week.
Reliability of electric cars aged up to five years old
| Rank | Make and model | Score |
| 1 | 2013-2022 BMW i3 | 97.4% |
| 2 | BMW i4 (2021-present) | 96.8% |
| 3 | 2019-2024 Nissan Leaf | 96.5% |
| 4 | Hyundai Ioniq 6 (2022-present) | 95.7% |
| 5 | 2020-2024 Mini Electric | 94.2% |
| 6 | 2020-2025 MG 5 | 94.1% |
| 7 | Renault Megane E-Tech (2022-present) | 93.6% |
| 8 | Tesla Model 3 (2019-present) | 92.8% |
| 9 | Cupra Born (2022-present) | 92.5% |
| 10 | Fiat 500e (2020-present) | 91.9% |
| 11 | Peugeot e-208 (2019-present) | 89.4% |
| 12 | MG 4 (2022-present) | 89.3% |
| 13 | Volkswagen ID 3 (2020-present) | 87.7% |
| 14 | Vauxhall Corsa Electric (2019-present) | 87.6% |
| 15 | Polestar 2 (2020-present) | 86.0% |
| 16 | 2013-2024 Renault Zoe | 85.1% |
| 17 | Porsche Taycan (2020-present) | 81.2% |
| 18 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 (2021-present) | 80.7% |
| 19 | 2016-2022 Hyundai Ioniq | 80.1% |
To read the reliability data for other car classes follow these links:
Most and least reliable cars overall
Most reliable car brands
Most reliable small cars
Most reliable family cars
Most reliable executive cars
Most reliable luxury cars
Most reliable small SUVs
Most reliable family SUVs
Most reliable large SUVs
Most reliable seven-seaters
Most reliable electric SUVs
Most reliable sports cars
Most reliable diesel cars
Most reliable petrol cars
Most reliable hybrid cars
How the research was carried out
The annual What Car? Reliability Survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy, polls thousands of car owners about the reliability of their cars. The latest survey gained 29,967 responses and that enabled us to report on 199 models (up to five years old) from 31 different car brands.
All car owners are asked to tell us if their car suffered any faults over the previous 24 months. For every car that has suffered a fault, we ask in what area the issue occurred, plus how much it cost to repair and how long it spent in the workshop. This information is used to create a reliability rating for each model and brand where we have a large enough response rate.
To gain a better insight into the areas that are causing problems, we also ask owners to let us know what part of the car was faulty. For all cars we have 14 different fault areas: air-con, battery, bodywork, brakes, engine or motor, engine or motor electrics, exhaust, fuel system, gearbox/clutch, interior trim, non-engine or motor electrics, sat-nav/infotainment, steering and suspension systems. On top of this, we've added two new categories for electric cars: charging and drive battery issues, and difficulties with electric motors.
About the report author
Claire Evans has spent more than 30 years working as a motoring journalist, and has spent much of that time working on consumer issues. In the 1990s, she was the advice columnist for Carweek magazine, helping car owners with all sorts of automotive issues.
She also worked on the motoring desk for Which? for six years, overseeing the running of the charity's annual used car reliability survey.
Claire launched the What Car? Reliability Survey in 2017, and since then has used the data collected each year to help thousands of buyers choose the most reliable new cars and SUVs, as well as the most dependable used cars.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
