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.
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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-nat/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.
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's 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.
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 a robust electric car, though. 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.
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.
8. Tesla Model 3 (2019-present)
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, comes with a range of swift power options and it's great value as a used buy.
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.
It's 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.”
2016-2022 Hyundai Ioniq review
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.
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 | MG 5 (2020-2025) | 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 (2025)
Most reliable car brands (2025)
Most reliable small cars (2025)
Most reliable family cars (2024)
Most reliable executive cars (2025)
Most reliable luxury cars (2024)
Most reliable small SUVs (2024)
Most reliable family SUVs (2025)
Most reliable large SUVs (2024)
Most reliable seven-seaters (2025)
Most reliable electric SUVs (2025)
Most reliable sports cars (2024)
Most reliable diesel cars (2024)
Most reliable petrol cars (2025)
Most reliable hybrid cars (2025)
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.
