Here at the Firstvehicleleasing.co.uk blog we’ve been discussing the reliability of cars and the warranties offered by manufacturers.
The Honda CR-V
Buyers don’t want poor workmanship – no matter what the marque is – and they want value for money. People are keeping their cars for longer and have high expectations
Which is why the annual What Car? used car brand reliability survey is so timely.
They say the most reliable car maker is Honda. No surprise there then because they’ve topped the list for the past seven years. And their British-made vehicles are superb.
The survey also found that expensive premium cars break down more often.
Also, eight out of top 10 reliable brands are Japanese. (Bizarrely, Chevrolet make the top 10 and they are also the make with the cheapest repair bills).
Honda, which is about to launch a new version of its CR-V, has an enviable reliability record, with just a one in 10 chance of cars suffering a breakdown in any given 12-month period. Toyota and Lexus are close behind in the league table.
However, while Japanese makes once again dominate the top 10 most reliable manufacturers, the research, based on 50,000 Warranty Direct policies on cars between three and 10 years old, shows that many more expensive brands will actually let you down more often.
Premium marques Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar are languishing in the bottom 10, with fellow executive maker Audi little better. Land Rover is the UK’s least reliable manufacturer, with a shocking 71% of cars breaking down at least once every year.
And this is a firm which is quickly-expanding its workforce to meet demand.
What Car?’s editor in chief, Chas Hallett, Said: “Reliability is so important to motorists, especially when times are tough. Japanese car makers really do deliver on reliability and Honda is exceptionally good at this.
“What will be surprising to many is the fact that several of the more desirable brands did not fare so well regarding reliability, and the cost of their repairs are high. They need to do better.”
Top 10:
1 Honda
2 Toyota
3 Lexus
4 Suzuki
5 Subaru
6= Hyundai
6= Mazda
6= Mitsubishi
9 Chevrolet
10 Nissan
Bottom 5:
31= Chrysler
33= Renault
33= Jeep
35 Alfa Romeo
36 Land Rover
The full list is online at the What Car? site.