MORE than three-quarters of all cars sold in Britain develop problems within the first two years, according to a new report by research company JD Power. The 1997 UK Car Quality Study says European badges develop more problems than Asian models, with four out of five owners reporting problems compared to three out of five owners of Asian marque vehicles.

The report follows analysis of the responses of 16,400 owners of M-registered cars who took part in a Customer Satisfaction Study carried out earlier this year by JD Power and BBC Top Gear. It saw Subaru beat 32 other manufacturers to take top position in the customer satisfaction league, with the Toyota Corolla and Celica jointly heading the individual model league.