The most reliable cars in 2025 – and the least

Alongside this, there’s been an increase in the number of electric and hybrid cars available, giving buyers more options than ever.

The 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey is based on the experiences of over 32,000 owners over the past 24 months - and is a great way to help you choose your next car if you want low hassle and low maintenance costs. Let’s take a look at the cars who came top – and bottom:

1: HYUNDAI i10 (2020+) - 100%
The i10 is just 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.

Also highly rated:

Toyota Aygo X (2022+) - 99.7%

Mini Hatch (2014-2024) - 99.1%

1: Renault Zoe (2013-2024) - 85.1%

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 conditioning and other electrical systems.

Also lowly rated:

Vauxhall Corsa Electric - 87.6%

MG 3 - 87.9%

1: Kia Ceed (2018-2025) - 98.8%

Kia’s family hatchback may not be the last word in driver involvement or sophistication, but it is the most dependable choice in this class. Owners told us that only 8% of Ceeds had any issues, with the sat-nav/infotainment system being the only area of concern.

Also highly rated:

BMW i3 (2013-2022) - 97.4%

Honda Civic (2022+) - 97.3%

1: Hyundai Ioniq Electric (2016-2022) - 80.1%

EV and 12-volt battery issues have blighted the Ioniq Electric. The EV battery was the cause of 18% of issues and the 12-volt unit was responsible for 29% of faults. Together, they rendered 80% of affected vehicles undriveable. Repair work was slow in many instances, too; 70% of cars were in the workshop for more than a week, and we were told that some were out of action for several weeks due to parts supply issues.

Also lowly rated:

Hyundai Ioniq 5 (2021+) - 80.7%

Volkswagen Golf (2020+) - 82.2%

Alfa Romeo Giulia (2016+) - 98.2%

Only 9% of the Giulias that owners told us about suffered any glitches, and all those that did were put right for free. Problem areas included the bodywork, brakes, interior trim and non-engine electrics, but three-quarters of the affected cars could still be driven.

Also highly rated:

BMW 3 Series (2019+) - 98.0%

Skoda Superb Diesel (2015-2024) - 98.0%

Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2021+) - 76.3%

The latest C-Class isn’t looking as sturdy as the previous model; 43% of cars built from 2021 onwards had a glitch, compared with 23% for the 2014-2021 generation. Failures occurred across a range of areas, including the air-conditioning, engine, fuel system, gearbox and non-engine electrics.

Also lowly rated:

Volvo S90 (2016-2023) & Volvo V90 (2016+) - 76.7%

Skoda Superb Petrol (2015-2024)

Kia EV3 (2024+) - 100%

While some of the latest electric models have struggled with battery and motor flaws, the Kia EV3 has sailed through its first reliability survey with none of these. In fact, it’s one of just four models to have achieved a full 100% reliability rating this year.

Also highly rated:

Volkswagen T-Roc (2018+) - 99.0%

Hyundai Kona Hybrid (2019+) - 98.7%

1: Nissan Juke Petrol (2019+) - 55.2%

A combination of slow repairs and some huge repair bills have dragged the petrol Juke to the bottom of the chart for small SUVs. In fact, its 55.2% reliability rating is the lowest of all the cars included – in any category – in this year’s 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.

Also lowly rated:

Lexus LBX (2023+) - 81.9%

Nissan Juke Hybrid (2022+) - 89.0%

1: Vauxhall Grandland Petrol (2024+) - 99.6%

The second-generation Grandland is looking far more robust than its predecessor, with a minimal fault rate of just 4%, compared with 19% for the 2018-2024 model. Unspecified non-engine electrical problems were the only issues reported by owners.

Also highly rated:

Toyota RAV4 (2019+) - 99.2%

Porsche Macan (2014+) - 99.0%

The Tiguan has the highest fault rate of any car in this year’s survey; 81% of the cars we were told about had some sort of problem. The infotainment system accounted for 31% of issues, and the braking system and non-engine electrics each accounted for another 19%.

Also lowly rated:

Kia Sportage (2016-2021) - 72.9%

Mazda CX-60 (2022+) - 76.2%

1: Lexus RX (2016-2022)

The RX is the highest-scoring luxury model for the second consecutive year, beating models from other premium brands when it comes to dependability. A mere 7% of the RXs owners told us about had any problems, with air-conditioning, bodywork and non-engine electrics the trouble spots.

Also highly rated:

BMW X5 Petrol & PHEV (2018+) - 96.2%

Range Rover Sport (2013-2022) – 94.9%

Audi Q7 (2015+) - 78.6%

Faults suffered by the Q7 can be far more costly to remedy than those of its main luxury SUV rival, the BMW X5. 47% of Q7s had a problem, most (20%) being caused by non-engine electrical issues. The engine, exhaust and infotainment system were also cited as problematic.

Also lowly rated:

BMW iX (2021+) - 81.0%

Mercedes-Benz GLE - 82.0%

1: Hyundai Santa Fe (2018-2024) - 100%

Results in the seven-seater category were disappointing this year. Only cars in the electric SUV category posted a lower average score, so a seven-seater that manages an unblemished 100% rating deserves a lot of praise. The Santa Fe not only does just this, but it’s also the second Hyundai model to gain a perfect score this year, alongside the much cheaper i10 city car.

Also highly rated:

Skoda Kodiaq Diesel (2016-2024) - 97.8%

Mercedes-Benz GLB (2019+) - 96.0%

1: Audi Q7 (2015+) - 78.6%

The Q7 appears in this survey as both the lowest-scoring luxury car and the poorest-rated seven-seater. Owners told us that 47% of their cars had gone wrong; Q7 owners were asked to pay for far more repairs than those with seven-seaters from other brands; 29% of owners received repair bills in excess of £1500, and only 15% of Q7s were fixed for free.

Also lowly rated:

Land Rover Discovery Sport (2014+) - 81.8%

Seat Tarraco (2018+) - 84.9%

1: BMW i3 (2013-2022) - 97.4%

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.

Also highly rated:

BMW i4 (2021+) - 96.8%

Nissan Leaf (2018-2024) - 96.5%

1: Hyundai Ioniq Electric (2016-2022) - 80.1%

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.

Also lowly rated:

Hyundai Ioniq 5 (2021+) - 80.7%

Porsche Taycan (2020+) - 81.2%

The EV3 is the first Kia model to attain a perfect 100% reliability rating in our survey. It’s the brand’s most affordable pure electric model, yet it outperforms many larger, more expensive electric SUVs – including the £75,000 BMW iX – when it comes to durability and build quality.

Also highly rated:

Renault Scenic (2024+) - 97.5%

Tesla Model Y (2022+) - 97.1%

Volkswagen ID 4 (2021+) - 79.6%

36% of ID 4 owners had problems, compared with 30% of people with Enyaqs and 29% with Q4 e-trons, which are sister cars. What’s more, 67% of faulty ID 4s were off the road for more than a week, while only 28% of Enyaqs (and 52% of Q4s) took that long. The EV battery and electric motor were the main issues for ID 4 owners, but VW did pay for all repairs.

Also lowly rated:

Nissan Ariya (2022+) - 80.9%

BMW iX (2021+) - 81.0%

1: Toyota GR Yaris (2020+) - 100%

This red-blooded, rally-bred hot hatch outperforms its more subdued, sensible namesake – the Yaris Hybrid small car – when it comes to 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 to have achieved this feat in the past seven years of the What Car? Reliability Survey.

Also highly rated:

BMW 4 Series Coupe/Convertible - 98.5%

Toyota GR86 (2022+) – 97.9%

1: Porsche Taycan (2020+) - 81.2%

Taycan owners told us that 54% of their cars had gone wrong in some way, compared with 16% of BMW i4s and 8% of BMW 4 Series Coupés. The Porsche’s main problem area was the air-conditioning, which accounted for 22% of issues; EV batteries and 12-volt batteries also caused headaches for some owners. Repairs were slow, with 81% of cars taking more than a day to fix, but Porsche paid for virtually all of the work.

Also lowly rated:

Jaguar F-Type (2013-2024) - 81.9%

Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman (2016+) - 89.8%