Most and least reliable used cars: electric and hybrid cars

The most reliable electric and hybrid cars

1. Kia Niro Hybrid (2016-2022)

Reliability rating 100%

The Niro family SUV may look rather conventional but it has a trick up its sleeve – it's exceptionally reliable. In fact, not one of the Niro owners who completed our reliability survey reported a fault with their car. That means nobody was landed with an unexpected repair bill.

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2. Lexus CT (2011-present)

Reliability rating 99.2%

The CT family car upholds Lexus’s excellent reputation for dependability. A mere 3% of the cars in our survey went wrong, and the only area of concern was non-engine electrical systems. All cars could still be driven, and all issues were resolved in a day or less. Although Lexus didn't cover the cost of any repairs, all bills were less than £100.

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3. Lexus IS (2013-2021)

Reliability rating 97.7%

The third-generation IS was rather radical when it went on sale as either a petrol or hybrid model, with no diesel option. However, it's still a luxurious compact executive car with high-tech engineering and exceptional reliability. The air-con and battery were the only trouble-spots identified by the 5% of IS owners whose cars suffered a fault. Lexus covered the cost of two thirds of repairs, and no one paid more than £200. The only negative: a third of cars couldn't be driven and were out of action for more than a week.

The least reliable electric and hybrid cars

3. Toyota Prius (2009-2015)

Reliability rating 88.5%

The Prius is only in the bottom three because this is such as high-scoring class. Only 14% of the examples we were told about suffered a fault, with the air-con and 12V battery giving the main causes for concern. Repairs were fairly slow, though. Only a third of cars were fixed in a day or less, and two thirds were out of action for more than a week. Repair bills ranged from £101 to £1000.

2. Tesla Model S (2014-present)

Reliability rating 67.5%

The Model S is the least robust model in Tesla's line-up, with 64% of the owners in our survey reporting that their car had suffered a fault. Bodywork, the 12V battery and non-motor electrics were the most common complaints, followed by issues with the air-con, interior trim and suspension. Most cars could still be driven, though, and 45% were fixed in a day or less. Although 53% of cars were fixed for free, 40% of owners paid out up to £750 and 3% paid out more than £1500.

1. Lexus RX (2009-2016)

Reliability rating 61.6%

The 12V battery and suspension were the main bugbears of the 16% of RX owners whose cars suffered a glitch. A third of cars were rendered undriveable by faults, but 60% were fixed in a day or less and the rest in less than a week. Impressively, Lexus covered the cost of 33% of repairs, but that left the rest of the owners with bills ranging from £101 to £1000.

To read the data for other car classes follow these links:

Small cars here
Family cars here
Executive cars here
Luxury cars here
Small SUVs here
Family SUVs here
Large SUVs here
Luxury SUVs here
Sports cars here
MPVs here
Car brands here

Reliability of electric and hybrid cars aged six to 20 years old

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