Drifter
Honorary Master
http://www.msn.com/en-za/cars/enthusiasts/the-20-least-reliable-car-brands/ss-BBt8A3h#image=1
A BREAKDOWN OF BREAKDOWNS
Think modern cars don’t go wrong? Think again. Claims data from third-party warranty provider Warrantywise reveals big discrepancies between the brands when it comes to reliability and typical repair costs. We count down the 20 least reliable carmakers – is your car on the list?
20. RENAULT
Dependability score: 82 Contrary to common perception, Renault is about average for reliability. It finishes 20th here, with a dependability score of 82.
Average repair cost: £441 Renault had a few shaky years, which culminated with it axing five models and a third of its UK dealers in 2011. However, it’s now experiencing a sales comeback, led by SUVs such as the Captur, Kadjar (pictured) and forthcoming Koleos.
19. VAUXHALL
Dependability score: 81 Vauxhall has a long and occasionally quirky history – exemplified by the heritage cars seen here. Today, it’s a thoroughly mainstream marque, so it’s fitting the Luton-based brand is also average for reliability.
Average repair cost: £467 Vauxhall’s most popular car is the Corsa, although it invariably lags behind the rival Ford Fiesta in the sales charts. Warrantywise quotes an average repair cost of £467 across the Vauxhall range.
18. KIA
Dependability score: 81 Kia ties with Vauxhall, earning a dependability score of 81. However, an excellent seven-year/100,000-mile manufacturer warranty on all models means you may not need extended cover after all – from Warrantywise or anyone else.
Average repair cost: £522 Kia has been branching out of late, with innovative models such as the all-electric Soul EV. The new Sportage SUV, launched in early 2016, has already cemented its place as one of Britain’s best-sellers, too.
17. CHEVROLET
Dependability score: 79 Just look at this picture. That’s more than 60 years of Chevrolet Corvette history right there. Unfortunately, the reality of Chevrolet in the UK was rather less glamorous, and the marque withdrew altogether in 2015. It leaves behind some not-particularly-reliable cars.
Average repair cost: £548 That’s more like it. The Spark supermini is typical of the bargain-basement Chevys foisted upon UK buyers. Whisper it, but actually quite like this ‘woody wagon’ with its kitsch whitewall tyres. Shame it was a one-off special edition.
16. SKODA
Dependability score: 78 You might not expect to see Skoda in a round-up of the least reliable brands. But the Czech marque fares worse than its Volkswagen and SEAT siblings, scoring a disappointing 78.
Average repair cost: £492 After the success of the Yeti, Skoda’s next move is a larger SUV called the Kodiaq. Due to be launched in autumn 2016, it will look something like the VisionS concept seen here. Reliability be damned, we like it.
15. LAND ROVER
Dependability score: 77 Here’s one carmaker that, sadly, you would expect to see in this countdown. As the Australian proverb says: “If you want to visit the Outback, take a Land Rover. If you want to come back again, take a (Toyota) Land Cruiser”.
Average repair cost: £453 In Land Rover’s defence, an average repair cost of £453 is surprisingly low. Considering that many of its vehicles have complex four-wheel-drive systems and air suspension, we expected it to be higher.
14. VOLVO
Dependability score: 77 Volvo has been reborn under Chinese carmaker Geely, with the impressive XC90 SUV leading the charge. We can only hope its below-par reliability score is a legacy of those old models, which are gradually being phased out.
Average repair cost: £553 Several of the Motoring Research team spent their childhoods being ferried around in Volvo estates like the 245 seen here. The 2016 V90 promises a return to these glory days – we’ll be driving it soon.
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10. MERCEDES-BENZ
Dependability score: 74 Speaking of upmarket, Mercedes-Benz is the first of four posh German marques in the bottom 10. The world’s oldest car manufacturer fills more niches in the market than perhaps any other, with a range of genre-busting cars such as the GLE Coupe.
Average repair cost: £751 “They don’t make them like they used to” is a refrain you often hear from Mercedes enthusiasts, perhaps with reference to cars such as the virtually indestructible W123 seen here. High repair costs are rather off-putting, too.
9. AUDI
Dependability score: 74 In contrast to Mercedes-Benz, Audi was never considered a premium brand in its earlier days. It’s now well-established in that role, partly thanks to halo models such as the R8 supercar.
Average repair cost: £620 Audi interiors are the best in the business, but reliability isn’t what it should be. At least an average repair cost of £620 is lower than its main rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
8. BMW
Dependability score: 69 Third in the list of German marques is BMW. Its cars may be great to drive, but a dependability score of 69 is markedly less than Audi and Mercedes-Benz. If you’re in the market for an executive express, these differences matter.
Average repair cost: £701 Ironically, upmarket cars like BMWs usually only come with a three-year warranty – budget brands are more generous. So aftermarket warranty cover, such as that offered by Warrantywise, could make sense.
7. FERRARI
Dependability score: 64 Clearly paying seven figures for an Italian stallion doesn’t guarantee reliability. Ferrari is seventh here, with a score of just 64. At least you’ll look stylish and well-monied while broken down.
Average repair cost: £2,046 Woah there. No, that isn’t a misprint – Ferrari repair costs really are about four times more than most marques in this list. A cautionary tale for anyone considering splashing their savings on a used prancing horse.
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4. ALFA ROMEO
Dependability score: 60 Good old Alfa Romeo: always languishing near the bottom of car reliability charts. Journalists are already hailing the new Giulia saloon – seen here in Ferrari-baiting QV spec – as the best Alfa in years. But will it do better than a dependability score of 60?
Average repair cost: £590 Alfa Romeos used to be notorious for rust, which certainly won’t be a problem in the carbon fibre-bodied 4C sports car. These days, electrical issues are more likely to cause headaches – and contribute to the £590 average repair cost.
3. PORSCHE
Dependability score: 57 Porsches generally feel bulletproof, so it’s a shock to see the brand near the bottom of the Warrantywise list. If we were being kind, we suspect many Porsches are driven quite hard. Even so, a dependability score of 57 simply isn’t good enough.
Average repair cost: £842 At £842, average Porsche repair costs are predictably high. With new ‘downsized’ engines, such as the four-cylinder units in the 718 Boxster and Cayman, let’s hope future costs will be downsized, too.
2. JAGUAR
Dependability score: 54 Hype about Jaguar’s new F-Pace SUV has reached fever pitch. However, a woeful dependability score of 54 does rather take the shine off those five-star reviews. It’s also considerably worse than Jaguar’s sister-brand, Land Rover.
Average repair cost: £794 Repair costs for Jaguars are also high – at more than any of its German rivals. Let’s just gaze upon this lovely S1 E-Type (still the most beautiful car ever made) and pretend none of this is happening, shall we?
1. MASERATI
Dependability score: 41 So here we are: the least reliable brand of all is… Maserati. The marque is keeping the old cliches about temperamental Italian supercars alive, with a shocking dependability score of 41. That’s 13 points below second-placed Jaguar.
Average repair cost: £1,430 Maserati repair costs aren’t quite in the Ferrari league, but nor are they exactly affordable. Owners can typically expect to fork out £1,430 to fix a car that’s outside warranty. No wonder old Maseratis are so cheap to buy.
A BREAKDOWN OF BREAKDOWNS
Think modern cars don’t go wrong? Think again. Claims data from third-party warranty provider Warrantywise reveals big discrepancies between the brands when it comes to reliability and typical repair costs. We count down the 20 least reliable carmakers – is your car on the list?
20. RENAULT
Dependability score: 82 Contrary to common perception, Renault is about average for reliability. It finishes 20th here, with a dependability score of 82.
Average repair cost: £441 Renault had a few shaky years, which culminated with it axing five models and a third of its UK dealers in 2011. However, it’s now experiencing a sales comeback, led by SUVs such as the Captur, Kadjar (pictured) and forthcoming Koleos.
19. VAUXHALL
Dependability score: 81 Vauxhall has a long and occasionally quirky history – exemplified by the heritage cars seen here. Today, it’s a thoroughly mainstream marque, so it’s fitting the Luton-based brand is also average for reliability.
Average repair cost: £467 Vauxhall’s most popular car is the Corsa, although it invariably lags behind the rival Ford Fiesta in the sales charts. Warrantywise quotes an average repair cost of £467 across the Vauxhall range.
18. KIA
Dependability score: 81 Kia ties with Vauxhall, earning a dependability score of 81. However, an excellent seven-year/100,000-mile manufacturer warranty on all models means you may not need extended cover after all – from Warrantywise or anyone else.
Average repair cost: £522 Kia has been branching out of late, with innovative models such as the all-electric Soul EV. The new Sportage SUV, launched in early 2016, has already cemented its place as one of Britain’s best-sellers, too.
17. CHEVROLET
Dependability score: 79 Just look at this picture. That’s more than 60 years of Chevrolet Corvette history right there. Unfortunately, the reality of Chevrolet in the UK was rather less glamorous, and the marque withdrew altogether in 2015. It leaves behind some not-particularly-reliable cars.
Average repair cost: £548 That’s more like it. The Spark supermini is typical of the bargain-basement Chevys foisted upon UK buyers. Whisper it, but actually quite like this ‘woody wagon’ with its kitsch whitewall tyres. Shame it was a one-off special edition.
16. SKODA
Dependability score: 78 You might not expect to see Skoda in a round-up of the least reliable brands. But the Czech marque fares worse than its Volkswagen and SEAT siblings, scoring a disappointing 78.
Average repair cost: £492 After the success of the Yeti, Skoda’s next move is a larger SUV called the Kodiaq. Due to be launched in autumn 2016, it will look something like the VisionS concept seen here. Reliability be damned, we like it.
15. LAND ROVER
Dependability score: 77 Here’s one carmaker that, sadly, you would expect to see in this countdown. As the Australian proverb says: “If you want to visit the Outback, take a Land Rover. If you want to come back again, take a (Toyota) Land Cruiser”.
Average repair cost: £453 In Land Rover’s defence, an average repair cost of £453 is surprisingly low. Considering that many of its vehicles have complex four-wheel-drive systems and air suspension, we expected it to be higher.
14. VOLVO
Dependability score: 77 Volvo has been reborn under Chinese carmaker Geely, with the impressive XC90 SUV leading the charge. We can only hope its below-par reliability score is a legacy of those old models, which are gradually being phased out.
Average repair cost: £553 Several of the Motoring Research team spent their childhoods being ferried around in Volvo estates like the 245 seen here. The 2016 V90 promises a return to these glory days – we’ll be driving it soon.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
10. MERCEDES-BENZ
Dependability score: 74 Speaking of upmarket, Mercedes-Benz is the first of four posh German marques in the bottom 10. The world’s oldest car manufacturer fills more niches in the market than perhaps any other, with a range of genre-busting cars such as the GLE Coupe.
Average repair cost: £751 “They don’t make them like they used to” is a refrain you often hear from Mercedes enthusiasts, perhaps with reference to cars such as the virtually indestructible W123 seen here. High repair costs are rather off-putting, too.
9. AUDI
Dependability score: 74 In contrast to Mercedes-Benz, Audi was never considered a premium brand in its earlier days. It’s now well-established in that role, partly thanks to halo models such as the R8 supercar.
Average repair cost: £620 Audi interiors are the best in the business, but reliability isn’t what it should be. At least an average repair cost of £620 is lower than its main rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
8. BMW
Dependability score: 69 Third in the list of German marques is BMW. Its cars may be great to drive, but a dependability score of 69 is markedly less than Audi and Mercedes-Benz. If you’re in the market for an executive express, these differences matter.
Average repair cost: £701 Ironically, upmarket cars like BMWs usually only come with a three-year warranty – budget brands are more generous. So aftermarket warranty cover, such as that offered by Warrantywise, could make sense.
7. FERRARI
Dependability score: 64 Clearly paying seven figures for an Italian stallion doesn’t guarantee reliability. Ferrari is seventh here, with a score of just 64. At least you’ll look stylish and well-monied while broken down.
Average repair cost: £2,046 Woah there. No, that isn’t a misprint – Ferrari repair costs really are about four times more than most marques in this list. A cautionary tale for anyone considering splashing their savings on a used prancing horse.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
4. ALFA ROMEO
Dependability score: 60 Good old Alfa Romeo: always languishing near the bottom of car reliability charts. Journalists are already hailing the new Giulia saloon – seen here in Ferrari-baiting QV spec – as the best Alfa in years. But will it do better than a dependability score of 60?
Average repair cost: £590 Alfa Romeos used to be notorious for rust, which certainly won’t be a problem in the carbon fibre-bodied 4C sports car. These days, electrical issues are more likely to cause headaches – and contribute to the £590 average repair cost.
3. PORSCHE
Dependability score: 57 Porsches generally feel bulletproof, so it’s a shock to see the brand near the bottom of the Warrantywise list. If we were being kind, we suspect many Porsches are driven quite hard. Even so, a dependability score of 57 simply isn’t good enough.
Average repair cost: £842 At £842, average Porsche repair costs are predictably high. With new ‘downsized’ engines, such as the four-cylinder units in the 718 Boxster and Cayman, let’s hope future costs will be downsized, too.
2. JAGUAR
Dependability score: 54 Hype about Jaguar’s new F-Pace SUV has reached fever pitch. However, a woeful dependability score of 54 does rather take the shine off those five-star reviews. It’s also considerably worse than Jaguar’s sister-brand, Land Rover.
Average repair cost: £794 Repair costs for Jaguars are also high – at more than any of its German rivals. Let’s just gaze upon this lovely S1 E-Type (still the most beautiful car ever made) and pretend none of this is happening, shall we?
1. MASERATI
Dependability score: 41 So here we are: the least reliable brand of all is… Maserati. The marque is keeping the old cliches about temperamental Italian supercars alive, with a shocking dependability score of 41. That’s 13 points below second-placed Jaguar.
Average repair cost: £1,430 Maserati repair costs aren’t quite in the Ferrari league, but nor are they exactly affordable. Owners can typically expect to fork out £1,430 to fix a car that’s outside warranty. No wonder old Maseratis are so cheap to buy.
