How reliable is your car? Tell What Car? and win tickets to Goodwood.
The annual What Car? Reliability Survey, sponsored by MotorEasy, is officially open and ready to record the views of the Great British public.
Designed to capture the thoughts and experiences of everyday owners of cars up to five years old, the survey is renowned for its impartial views and exhaustive analysis.
What’s more, all those that take part this year, will be entered into a draw to win a pair of tickets to the Goodwood Members’ Meeting, worth more than £150.
The thrilling motor racing event takes place on 15-16 April at the famous Goodwood estate race circuit. With access restricted to members only, it’s a great way to get up close and personal with classic and often priceless sports, touring and racing cars.
It’s all in the numbers
Thanks to last year's survey entrants, What Car? published detailed findings from nearly 25,000 car owners, spanning 32 different brands and 248 models.
In the words of the What Car? judges “just because a car is fresh out of the showroom doesn’t mean it won’t go wrong”. In last year’s study, they found 21% of cars up to five years old had at least one issue, with 17% of owners facing bills upwards of £1500.
Last year’s winner Lexus topped their reliability rating for the sixth year running. Faults in the main were limited to their hybrid models, where complex engineering under the bonnet caused occasional issues. Toyota and Mitsubishi claimed 2nd and 3rd spot, representing an impressive sweep for Japanese brands.
At the other end of the scale, Land Rover and Jeep proved to be the most unreliable brands, with faults proving both costly and time-consuming to fix. As data from MotorEasy warranty repair bills confirm, Land Rover repairs cover an impressive gamut of failures from
engine and gearbox issues, to air suspension, electrics and differentials.
Land Rover’s sister brand Jaguar fared somewhat better, coming in 26th in their list of 30 car brands. While the brand was pulled down by poor ratings for the E-Pace and I-Pace, its overall ranking was lifted by the stronger performance of the XJ luxury car.
Amongst the survey’s Small Car category, the Ford Fiesta proved to be the What Car’s least reliable car last year. The popular run-around scored a 31% fault rate, with a third of afflicted cars out of action for more than a week and 30% undriveable.
The Volkswagen Polo came in as the second most unreliable Small Car, with particular issues around air-con, electrics and sat-nav. A staggering 37% of reported Polos went wrong and, while younger models were fixed for little or no-cost under manufacturer warranty, a number of older versions cost up to £1000 in repairs.
Amongst What Car?’s “family car” category, Asian brands again reigned supreme with the Lexus CT, Toyota Auris and Kia Ceed topping the list.
The same category saw the Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class hybrid prove the least reliable, perhaps a suprising finding given their reputation for stalwart quality and refinement. Owners of the latest generation Audi A3 suggested as many as 57% had suffered a problem in the last two years, including Sat-nav and infortainment (33%), non engine electrics (29%), gearbox and clutch (10%) interior trim and bodywork (15%).
21% of cars up to five years old had at least one issue, with 17% of owners facing bills upwards of £1500
Commenting on What Car’s annual survey, MotorEasy founder Duncan McClure Fisher said, “While we're getting used to seeing Lexus claiming top prize each year, it's always interesting to see vehicles synonymous with build quality and sophistication, often trailing the list. While vehicles overall are getting more reliable, the increasing complexity of everything from drivetrains and electrics to suspension and gearboxes, means when something goes wrong it can prove hugely expensive”.
Got an opinion to share on your car reliability? enter the survey here and grab a chance of winning tickets to the Goodwood Member’s Meeting.
Read the full finding of last year’s 2022 What Car? Reliability Survey.
If you’re concerned about your car’s reliability and unforeseen repair costs, find out how a MotorEasy warranty can make a real difference.
