What Car Reliability Survey: Most and least reliable petrol 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 petrol cars in the UK...
Don't discount petrol-engined cars just yet. Although they will no longer be sold new from 2030, they’re still a great choice for many motorists.
Many of the latest petrol cars are kitted out with clever mild hybrid technology that improves economy, making them almost as frugal on fuel as their diesel counterparts.
A petrol model is also the best choice if you want a dependable vehicle. According to our survey, only 19% of petrol cars suffered a fault in the past 24 months, that’s 2% lower than the fault rate for hybrids, 9% less than pure electric models and 10% lower than the fault rate for diesel models.
Even better news is that petrol-engined models are among the cheapest for repair bills and the quickest to fix. According to owners, 39% of petrol cars were fixed for free in one day or less. In contrast, 37% of hybrids were fixed in a day, 36% of diesel models and 30% of electric cars.
This listing contains all the models up to five years old that are either offered only with petrol power or for which we have enough data to list the petrol versions separately from those with diesel or hybrid engines.
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Most reliable petrol cars
=1. Hyundai i10 (2020-present)
Reliability rating 100%
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Most common faults: n/a
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Average repair cost: n/a
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Typical time off road: n/a
The i10 may be Hyundai's smallest model, but it's a well-rounded small hatchback that's good to drive and great value to buy. Unlike many city-focused cars, the i10 is a five-seater, so it's more versatile than the Fiat 500 Hybrid and Toyota Aygo X, both of which have four seats.
Hyundai has long held a reputation for building robust cars that motor on for many years without many major issues, and the i10 excelled itself in the latest survey, gaining a perfect 100% score for reliability. That means not one of the cars owners told us about suffered any faults at all in the previous 24 months, and as a result, no i10 owners had to contend with the inconvenience and potential expense of a breakdown or an unexpected repair bill.
=1. Toyota GR Yaris (2020-present)
Reliability rating 100%
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Most common faults: n/a
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Average repair cost: n/a
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Typical time off road: n/a
The GR Yaris is one of just four cars that gained a full 100% reliability rating in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, alongside the Hyundai i10, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia EV3.
This red-blooded, rally-bred hot hatch doesn't have much in common with its sensible namesake, the Yaris Hybrid small car, but it outperforms it for reliability. In fact, not a single GR owner reported any faults whatsoever.
Not only did the GR Yaris post a 100% rating, but it’s also the only car in a class full of sporty models – including such pricey machinery as the Jaguar F-Type and Porsche 911 – to have achieved this feat in the past seven years of the survey.
3. Toyota Aygo X (2021-2025)
Reliability rating 99.7%
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Most common faults: Bodywork 3%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 100% one day or less
Although Toyota replaced the Aygo X's 1.0-litre petrol engine with a 1.5 hybrid unit in 2026, this data is for the earlier petrol versions. The Aygo X may be Toyota’s smallest and most affordable model, but it’s also one of the most robust of its current offerings. In fact, this city car hardly puts a foot wrong; a mere 3% of Aygo X owners said they’d had an issue with their car, and the only
The only area of concern was the bodywork, with no faults serious enough to render any cars unable to be driven. The best news for owners is that all faults were fixed for free and without taking more than a day to put right, so no Aygo X driver was left out of pocket or without their car for too long.
4. Kia Picanto (2024-present)
Reliability rating 98.5%
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Most common faults: Engine 5%, non-engine electrics 2%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 50% one day or less, 25% one day to a week, 25% more than a week
The Picanto is a rare thing — it's a small city car that runs on petrol power instead of electricity. It has a smart interior and tidy handling, although it's not quite as refined as a Hyundai i10. However, like the i10, it seats five, so it's more practical than many alternatives.
Most of the Picantos we were told about had no issues — only 9% went wrong, and all those that did could still be driven. All remedial work was done for free, and half of the affected cars were back on the road in a day or less. It's a shame that 25% took more than a week to put right, though.
=5. BMW 4 Series Coupe / Convertible (2020-present)
Reliability rating 98.5%
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Most common faults: Non-engine electrics 6%, bodywork 2%, steering 2%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 40% one day or less, 60% one day to a week; all remained driveable, 8% went wrong
The 4 Series is What Car?'s Coupe of the Year 2026 because it's great to drive, smart inside and more practical than you might expect. While the six-cylinder engine M440i is great fun, the more mild-mannered 420i is our top choice because it strikes the best balance between performance and running costs while still impressing on twisty roads.
Owners of the latest generation model report few flaws, and none have had to contribute towards repairing unexpected faults. Of the 8% of cars that owners said did go wrong, the bodywork and non-engine electrical systems were to blame, but these issues didn’t prevent any cars from being driven. Forty percent of defects were remedied in a day or less and the remaining 60% were sorted out in less than a week, with BMW covering all the costs.
BMW 4 Series Coupe / Convertible review
=5. Volkswagen Polo (2018-present)
Reliability rating 98.5%
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Most common faults: Bodywork 3%, air-con 2%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 100% more than a week
The Polo may be overlooked by many people in favour of its Golf big brother, but it is worth considering if you're after a small, practical hatchback. It is a great all-rounder with a smart, roomy interior and a good range of turbocharged petrol engines.
It's proving more dependable than other Volkswagen models, too. In fact, it's the brand's second most reliable model, after the Golf-based T-Roc. Only 5% of the models reported on in our survey had any issues, and the only areas concerned were the bodywork and air-con. While the car maker covered the cost of all repairs, getting work done was slow — all affected cars were out of action for more than a week.
7. Mazda CX-5 petrol (2017-2026)
Reliability rating 98.4%
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Most common faults: Sat-nav / infotainment 9%, non-engine electrics 3%
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Average repair cost: 100% cost £0
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Typical time off road: 89% one day or less, 11% one day to a week
Even though the CX-5 is being replaced, it still competes well with fresher faced family SUVs. It has an upmarket interior, enough room for a family of five, and plenty of equipment for the money.
If it's fault-free motoring you're after, a petrol model is likely to be far better than a diesel — only 10% of the petrol examples we were told about went wrong, compared with 30% of diesels. Owners weren't inconvenienced greatly by faults either — all cars were fixed for free by the car maker, and most were in and out of the workshop in a day or less.
=8. Volkswagen T-Cross (2019-present)
Reliability rating 98.0%
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Most common faults: Engine 4%, non-engine electrics 4%, steering 4%
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Average repair cost: 100% £0
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Typical time off road: 33% one day or less, 67% one day to a week
A roomy and versatile small SUV, the Polo-based T-Cross is good to drive and has decent fuel economy. It's similar to the Volkswagen Taigo, which has a more sloped roofline, but the T-Cross is available with less-powerful engines and more spartan trim levels, so it can be significantly cheaper to buy. It also has some clever tricks, including sliding rear seats that make it more versatile.
While the Taigo rates fairly well for reliability, with a score of 97.1%, it can't match the T-Cross. Only 12% of the T-Cross cars in our survey suffered any glitches, and all were put right for free. Two-thirds of owners were without their cars for more than a week, though.
=8. BMW 3 Series petrol (2019-present)
Reliability rating 98.0%
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Most common faults: 120volt battery 1%, engine 1%, engine electrics 1%, interior trim 1%, non-engine electrics 1%, suspension 1%
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Average repair cost: 100% cost £0
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Typical time off road: 43% one day to a week, 43% more than a week
The 3 Series has long been the top choice for upwardly mobile execs. Its primary appeal is the way it drives, but its engines and infotainment system are first-rate, too. The only thing we’d suggest is that buyers add adaptive suspension to make the ride more comfortable. The entry-level 320i is the best bet if you’re a private buyer.
Pick a petrol 3 Series if you don't want to get to know your local dealership too well — according to our data only 6% of petrol models went wrong, compared with 27% of diesels. Issues were split across a number of areas, but most cars could still be driven. BMW paid for all fixes, but some owners had to do without their cars for more than a week.
Reliability rating 97.9%
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Most common faults: 12-volt battery 4%, non-engine electrics 5%
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Average repair cost: 100% cost £0
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Typical time off road: 100% more than a week
An old-school sports coupé, the GR86 is a rare thing in these times of electrification. It offers lashings of excitement for a relatively affordable price, but its interior quality and refinement aren't up there with the best alternatives.
It’s good to know that this internal combustion-powered model is unlikely to let you down, though. If it does, you should have the reassurance that repairs won’t cost you anything; owners told us that Toyota paid for all fixes to their cars.
Only 5% of the GR86s in our survey had any glitches, and these all related to the 12-volt battery and non-engine electrics. Although all faulty cars could still be driven, it’s a shame that they were all walled up in the workshop for more than a week.
Most unreliable petrol cars
1. Nissan Juke petrol (2019-present)
Reliability rating 55.2%
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Most common faults: 12-volt battery 12%, engine 12%, non-engine electrics 6%, fuel system 6%, air-con 3%, bodywork 3%, brakes 3%, engine electrics 3%, exhaust 3%, gearbox 3%, steering 3%
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Average repair cost: 30% cost £0, 60% more than £1500
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Typical time off road: 64% more than a week, 27% one day to a week
The Nissan Juke has a smart interior and comes with plenty of equipment, but it's not the most rounded choice in the small SUV class. If you're taken by the Juke's distinctive looks or the fact it's built in the UK, we'd recommend the entry-level 114 engine with N-Connecta trim.
A combination of slow repairs and some huge repair bills have dragged the petrol Juke to the bottom of the chart for petrol cars and for small SUVs. In fact, its 55.2% reliability rating is the lowest of all the cars included – in any category – in the latest survey.
Although only 24% of petrol Juke owners said their car had gone wrong, 64% of those said their cars were out of action for more than a week, and 60% had to pay more than £1500 per fault for repairs; only 30% of problems were fixed for free. The engine and 12-volt battery were the biggest headaches, followed by non-engine electrical glitches.
2. Skoda Superb petrol (2015-2024)
Reliability rating 81.4%
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Most common faults: sat-nav/infotainment system 20%, non-engine electrics 11%, bodywork 6%, interior trim 6%, 12-volt battery 3%
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Average repair cost: 65% £0, 15% more than £1500
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Typical time off road: 40% one day or less, 55% more than a week
The Superb is renowned as an extremely roomy car that has a lavishly appointed interior and lots of standard equipment. The diesel-engined versions were the most popular, and these are proving more robust than their petrol counterparts. Petrol Superbs have a fault rate of 40%, while only 18% of diesel ones went wrong.
The most common areas of complaint centred on the electrics. The infotainment system was responsible for 20% of faults, with non-engine electrics causing a further 11%. Further bad news is that Skoda fully covered the cost of only 65% of bills, leaving 15% of petrol Superb owners facing bills of up to £200 and the remaining 20% having to find £501 or more — upwards of £1500 in some cases. Although 40% of cars were fixed in a day or less, 55% were out of action for more than a week.
Reliability rating 89.1%
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Most common faults: Engine electrics 13%, air-con 7%, bodywork 7%, engine 7%, exhaust 7%, steering 7%
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Average repair cost: 86% cost £0, 14% more than £1500
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Typical time off road: 29% one day or less, 71% more than a week
The F-Type is a real head-turner of a car, and as a secondhand prospect, it's pretty affordable. Its reliability record has been patchy though, and slow repairs and some high repair bills are the biggest concerns of F-Type owners. They told us that 71% of their faulty cars were off the road for more than a week, and only 29% were fixed in a day or less. While 86% of glitches were paid for by the car maker, the rest cost more than £1500 per fault to put right.
Overall, 27% of F-Types were afflicted by at least one fault, with engine-related electrics causing the most grief. This affected 13% of the defective cars, but owners also reported problems with the air-con, bodywork, exhaust and steering.
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 cars
Most reliable electric SUVs
Most reliable sports cars
Most reliable diesel cars
Most reliable hybrid cars
How we compiled the survey
The latest What Car? Reliability Survey gained 29,967 responses and that enabled us to report on 199 models (up to five years old) from 31 different brands.
To compile the survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy, we ask thousands of car owners to tell us how well their cars had behaved 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.
About the report author
Claire Evans has been a motoring journalist for more than 30 years, working on consumer issues for a great deal of that time. After a stint as the advice columnist for Carweek magazine in the 1990s, she also spent six years working on motoring content for Which?. It is here she oversaw the running of the charity's annual used car reliability survey.
Claire launched the What Car? Reliability Survey in 2017, and since then has helped thousands of buyers choose the most reliable new cars and SUVs, as well as the most dependable used cars.
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