The least reliable types of car
4. MPVs
Reliability rating 91.9%
Practicality is key for MPVs, which are used as taxis and to transport large families. That often equates to a tough life, and that's why some suffer a high percentage of faults.
However, the Ford C-Max isn't one of them. A shining beacon of dependability, the C-Max gained 100% for reliability, with no owners reporting any issues with their cars.
Read our full review of the Ford C-Max >>
The same can't be said for the Seat Alhambra, which managed to muster a score of only 70.8%, making it the lowest-scoring MPV. Around a third of the cars we were told about went wrong and half of them spent more than a week in the garage. Although 82% of repairs were done under warranty, some owners paid out more than £1500.
Read our full review of the Seat Alhambra >>
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3. Luxury cars
Reliability rating 91.5%
If you’re in the market for a luxury car, you’ll be after a car with a sumptuous interior, a ride that can soak up the worst of the UK’s pockmarked roads and supreme refinement that allows you to travel at speed in near-silence. You'll also be paying big bucks for your car, so you'll expect it to be dependable. Not all are – the previous-generation Audi A6 isn't ageing well – but the previous BMW 5 Series is proving less troublesome.
Owners of the 5 Series produced between 2010 and 2017 told us only 17% of their cars had developed a fault in the previous 12 months. Half of cars were put right in a day or less and no owners had to pay. Hence, it gained a reliability rating of 96.7% and was the highest-scoring luxury car.
Read our full review of the used BMW 5 Series >>
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In contrast, nearly a quarter of Audi A6s produced between 2011 and 2018 suffered a fault and half of those took more than a week to fix. Only 40% of work was done for free and some owners faced bills exceeding £1500. Its reliability rating is 70.6% and it's the worst luxury car for reliability.
Read our full review of the used Audi A6 >>
2. Large SUVs
Reliability rating 91.2%
These cars aren’t particularly cheap to buy, so in return buyers expect a roomy interior, a lengthy list of standard equipment and excellent reliability. And that is the case with the recently replaced Ford Kuga, which is the top-performing large SUV for reliability.
The Kuga (2013-2020) scored a creditable 97.8% for reliability, because only 5% of cars went wrong and the bodywork and gearbox/clutch were the only problem areas. Half of the cars we were told about were put right in a day or less and all work was done for free.
Read our full review of the used Ford Kuga >>
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At the other end of the spectrum, almost half of older Land Rover Discovery Sport owners told us their car had gone wrong, with the model chalking up issues in a wide range of areas. A third of cars took more than a week to put right, and while 88% of work was done for free, those who paid had to shell out up to £1000. The 2014-2019 Discovery Sport gained a reliability rating of only 73.1%, making it the least dependable large SUV.
Read our full review of the used Land Rover Discovery Sport >>
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1. Luxury SUVs
Reliability rating 86.7%
The pinnacle of chic, luxury SUVs should have a classy interior, cosseting ride, the latest driver assistance technology and enough space to really stretch out. And after spending all that money, owners don't want cars with a heap of problems, but overall luxury SUVs are the least dependable class of car.
That's not the case across the board, though. The Porsche Macan is a pricey choice, but a dependable one; owners told us only 13% of cars went wrong. Two-thirds of issues were resolved in a day or less and four out of five cars were fixed for free. No wonder it gained a reliability rating of 96.9%.
Read our full review of the Porsche Macan >>
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However, at the other end of the scale, there are a number of luxury SUVs with plenty of issues, and the Range Rover Sport is the worst of all. Owners told us that 40% of their cars went wrong, a worryingly high proportion of them with engine issues. Nearly half were off the road for more than a week, but 98% of work was done for free.
Read our full review of the Range Rover Sport >>
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