What Car? Reliability Survey: Most and least reliable small cars

The best small hatchbacks sip fuel gently and can be maintained on a shoestring because they're often relied on by those with the lowest budgets, such as students and new drivers.

Small cars are often less complicated and kitted out with fewer electronic gizmos than luxury cars, so, in theory, there's less to go wrong. They also often have tech that's been migrated down from larger models, and that means any bugs are likely to have been ironed out. 

No wonder, then, that the small car class is consistently the highest scoring of all those we report on; it's more than 5% better than electric SUVs, which only averaged 90.1% in the latest survey, and seven-seaters, which gained 90.3%. 

In fact, small cars seem to be getting more bulletproof: the score for the class is currently 95.8%, which is nearly one percentage point higher than in the 2024 survey.

If you want a dependable small car, it's best to pick a petrol model. Two of the poorest performing small cars this year are electric models: the lowest scoring is the recently discontinued Renault Zoe, followed closely by the Vauxhall Corsa Electric. In contrast the Hyundai i10 scored a perfect 100% for reliability and the current Toyota Aygo X and 2014-2024 Mini hatchback weren't far behind. 

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 2026 What Car? Reliability Survey is live, tell us about your car now

Most reliable small cars

1. Hyundai i10 (2020-present)

Reliability rating 100%

• Most common faults: none

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: none

Hyundai has long held a reputation for building robust cars that motor on for many years without many major issues, and its smallest model, the i10, has excelled itself in this year’s survey.

It’s one of just four cars to achieve a 100% reliability rating. That means not one of the cars owners told us about suffered any faults at all in the previous 24 months. As a result, no i10 owners had to contend with the inconvenience and potential expense of a breakdown or an unexpected repair bill, making it a clear winner in this category.

Owner’s view: “The i10 is my third Hyundai. It feels solid and has been faultlessly reliable over the four years since I bought it new.”

Hyundai i10 review

See the latest Hyundai i10 deals

2. Toyota Aygo X (2022-present)

Reliability rating 99.7%

• Most common faults: bodywork 3%

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: none

The Aygo X may be Toyota’s smallest and most affordable model, but it’s also 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 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.

Toyota Aygo X review

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3. Mini hatchback (2014-2024)

Reliability rating 99.1%

• Most common faults: non-engine electrics 3%, sat-nav/infotainment 2%, steering 2%

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: 67% one day or less, 33% one day to a week

Mini topped the reliability brand chart last year and came second this year, and its now-discontinued previous-generation hatchback still scores highly.

Only 7% of the Mini hatchbacks we were told about had a problem, and owners were looked after well when things did go wrong, with all remedial work performed for free, even though many faults were reported outside the standard three-year warranty. Most of the faults that did occur were related to electrical components, including the infotainment system, and there were some steering-related issues.

2013-2024 Mini hatchback review

See the latest used Mini hatchback deals

=4. Kia Picanto (2024-present)

Reliability rating 98.4%

• Most common faults: engine 5%, non-engine electrics 2%

• Average repair cost: 100% £0

• Typical time off road: 50% one day or less, 25% one day to a week, 25% more than a week

A rarity among new small cars, the third-generation Picanto is powered by petrol rather than electricity. It has a smart interior, tidy handling and an easy-to-use infotainment system. It's also proving impressively depenable so far. In fact, just 9% of the cars we heard about had any issues, and all were fixed for free by Kia.

There were two troublespots: the engine and a range of electrical systems. Half of the affected cars were put right in a day or less, but some spent more than a week in the garage. 

Kia Picanto review

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=4. Volkswagen Polo (2018-present)

Reliability rating 98.4%

• Most common faults: bodywork 3%, air-con 2%

• Average repair cost: 100% £0

• Typical time off road: 100% more than a week

The Polo is the highest achieving B-segment car for reliability, beating the Ford Fiesta, MG 3 and Renault Clio. It's pricier to buy than many rivals, such as the , Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia, but it holds onto its value better than most, so it should still be affordable on a personal contract purchase (PCP) deal. 

A mere 5% of the Polos reported on had a glitch, and the only areas highlighted by owners were the air-con and bodywork.  Two-thirds of faulty cars couldn't be driven, and all of them spent more than a week in the workshop. 

Volkswagen Polo review

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6. Hyundai i20 (2020-present)

Reliability rating 98.0%

• Most common faults: air-con 3%

• Average repair cost: 100% £0

• Typical time off road: 100% more than a week

The i20 isn't as well-known as the Fiesta, Clio or Polo, but it's just as worthy of consideration if you're after a small hatchback becuase it's a great all-rounder, offering plenty of eqipment, lots of space and a  1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that's economical yet reasonably powerful.  

It's also extremely robust, according to owners who told us ony 7% of their i20s had any problems. The not so good news is that half of all the affected cars couldn't be driven and all of them took more than a week to put right. The good news is that Hyundai covered the cost of all repair work. 

Hyundai i20 review

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7. Fiat 500 petrol (2008-2025)

Reliability rating 97.9%

• Most common faults: air-con 3%, bodywork 3%, interior trim 2%, gearbox/clutch 3%

• Average repair cost: 100% £0

• Typical time off road: 75% one day to a week, 25% more than a week

The retro-inspired Fiat 500 has been a big hit since it first arrived in 2008. It has had reliability issues over the years, but this year it has had far fewer faults than before. In fact, only 9% of the cars in our survey gave owners cause for concern, due to issues with the air-con, bodywork, interior trim and gearbox. 

The faults didn't prevent any cars from being driven, though and three-quarters of issues were rectified in less than a week. Even better, Fiat paid for all the necessary work. 

2008-2025 Fiat 500 review

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8. Vauxhall Corsa petrol (2018-present)

Reliability rating 97.8%

• Most common faults: sat-nav/infotainment system 2%, air-con 1%, bodywork 1%, engine 1%, interior trim 1%

• Average repair cost: 100% £0

• Typical time off road: 48% less than a day, 26% one day to a week

There's a great deal of affection among drivers for the Corsa because many will have learned to drive in one or had one as their first car. The latest version doesn't stand out in any one area, but it is well equipped and good value if you opt for the entry level version. 

Like the Fiat 500, the Corsa has had quite a few problems in the past, but this year only 11% of the examples in our survey went wrong, and only 5% of them were rendered undriveable by faults. Nearly half of the problems were put right in a day or less, and no owners were charged for any remedial work. 

Vauxhall Corsa review

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9. Audi A1 (2018-present)

Reliability rating 97.5%

• Most common faults: non-engine electrics 10%, exhaust system 5%, gearbox/clutch 5%

• Average repair cost: 100% £0

• Typical time off road: 75% one day or less, 25% more than a week

Although the A1 is the smallest car in Audi's line-up, it's great to drive, comfortable to sit in and available with lots of big car options. It's more prone to problems than its main small car rival, the Mini hatchback, but issues are usually sorted out quickly and without any cost to owners.  

Twenty percent of the A1s in our survey had a fault, but all could still be driven. Three-quarters were fixed within 24 hours, and all work was done for free. 

Audi A1 review

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10. Kia Picanto (2017-2024)

Reliability rating 97.2%

• Most common faults: engine 5%, non-engine electrics 2%

• Average repair cost: 100% £0

• Typical time off road: 82% one day or less, 9% more than a week

The previous generation Picanto may not have the SUV-esque looks of the current model, but it's cheaper to buy and almost as dependable. It also has great driving manners and a smartly appointed interior. 

 Owners told us that only 9% of their cars had any problems, and 82% of them could still be driven. The engine and various electrical systems were the main areas of concern. Kia covered the cost of all fixes.  

2017-2024 Kia Picanto review

See the latest used Kia Picanto deals

Least reliable small cars 

Although small cars are the most dependable car class, not all models can be guaranteed to be problem-free. Here we round up the three cars that gave their owners the most grief in terms of fault repair costs and time spent in the workshop being fixed.  The problems highlighted by owners, and the associated disruptions in terms of time and cost, were used to give these models their reliability ratings. 

1. Renault Zoe (2013-2024)

Reliability rating 85.1%

• Most common faults EV battery pack 15%, non-engine electrics 12%, 12-volt battery 9%, air-con 6%
   

• Average repair cost: 95% £0, 5% £1-£50

• Typical time off road: 30% less than one day, 30% more than a week

With a fault rate of 39% and a worryingly high proportion of problems reported with EV batteries, the Zoe is one to avoid if you’re after a reliable small EV. Owners also told us their cars had suffered problems with their 12-volt batteries, air- con and other electrical systems.

Overall, faults prevented 25% of cars from being driven until fixed, and 30% of the cars affected were in the process of repair for more than a week. Better news is that Renault covered the cost of 95% of fixes, and owners who did have to pay needed to find only £50 or less per fault.

Owners's view: "My car has failed five times in the past 12 months. It’s had two EV battery faults, each taking two months to fix."

2012-2024 Renault Zoe review

2. Vauxhall Corsa Electric (2019-present)

Reliability rating 87.6%

• Most common faults non-engine electrics 9%, sat-nav/ infotainment 9%, 21-volt battery 2%, EV battery pack 2%, bodywork 2%, charging system 2%, suspension 2%
   
• Average repair cost: 83% £0, 17% £201-£750
   
• Typical time off road: 17% one day or less, 57% one day to a week
   

The Corsa Electric is proving far more troublesome than its petrol sibling, suffering almost three times as many faults (32% versus 11% ), according to owners.

The most common problem areas were to do with the infotainment system and air-con. While Vauxhall paid for all repairs to petrol models,
it covered only 83% of electric cars, leaving some owners having to find up to £750 per fault. And while 48% of petrol Corsas were fixed in a day or less, that’s true of only 17% of electric models, with 57% spending more than a week in the workshop.

Vauxhall Corsa Electric review

3. MG 3 (2024-present)

Reliability rating 87.9%

• Most common faults exhaust 13%, air-con 7%, brakes 7%, engine 7%, non-engine electrics 7% 
   

• Average repair cost: 100% £0

• Typical time off road: 83% more than a week, 17% less than one day

One in five MG 3 owners reported at least one glitch with their car. While this isn’t as high as the fault rate we’ve seen in other low-placed models (including some larger MGs), it’s a poor result within the usually competitive small car class.

The biggest headache for owners was the MG 3’s exhaust system, which accounted for 13% of faults. There were also issues with the air-con, brakes, engine and non-engine electrics. Issues weren't resolved quickly either - 83% of cars were in the workshop for more than a week and only 17% were in and out in a day or less. At least all remedial work was done for free. 

MG 3 review

Reliability of small cars aged up to five years old

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 family cars (2024)
Most reliable executive cars (2024)
Most reliable luxury cars (2024)
Most reliable small SUVs (2024)
Most reliable family SUVs (2025)
Most reliable large SUVs (2024)
Most reliable seven-seaters (2024)
Most reliable electric cars (2024)
Most reliable electric SUVs (2024)
Most reliable sports cars (2024)
Most reliable diesel cars (2023)
Most reliable petrol cars (2024)
Most reliable hybrid cars (2024)

How the research was carried out

To compile the What Car? Reliability Survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy, we asked thousands of car owners to give us the lowdown on how reliable their car had been over the previous 24 months.

First we asked them to tell us if the car had suffered a fault, and, if so, how much each problem had cost to put right and how long it had kept the car off the road. The responses for these two factors were weighted and added up for each make and model, enabling us to create a unique reliability rating for each. 

The latest What Car? Reliability Survey contains responses from 29,967 people, giving us enough data to report on 199 models aged up to five years old from 31 different car brands.

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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