Four models achieve 100% reliability rating in annual survey

Feedback from almost 25,000 drivers on 248 models and 32 brands has been used to determine Britain’s most and least reliable cars by What Car?

The annual reliability survey, held in association with MotorEasy, found four models with a perfect 100% score: the current versions of the Hyundai Tucson and Mini Convertible and the used-only Kia Soul (2014-2019) and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (2017-2021).

At brand level, Lexus was named as the most dependable with an overall score of 98.4%, followed by Toyota on 97.2%; five of the 10 highest scoring models belong to those two brands.  

Jeep has the least reliable cars according to owners, gaining a rating of only 77%.

Land Rover and Fiat were second and third worst for reliability, although Land Rover’s sister brand Jaguar fared a little better.

What Car? says that hybrids are the type of car to choose if your priority is reliability. Cars in this class scored an average of 95.4% and they took first place in four of the other 11 categories.

By contrast, electric cars averaged 90.9%, making them the third least dependable class, ahead of only luxury cars and luxury SUVs. 

The survey asked owners of cars aged up to five years old whether their car had gone wrong in the past two years, how long repairs took and how much they cost, with these factors determining the score. 

Of the 24,927 drivers surveyed, 21% had experienced a fault with their car and, although 83% of faults were repaired free of charge, 9% cost between £101 and £500, and an unlucky 2% paid more than £1500.

Although 37% of cars could still be driven and were fixed within a day, 26% took more than a week to repair.