Auto Express magazine has exclusively published the results of one of the UK’s most comprehensive car reliability studies, the Warrantywise UK Dependability Table. As always, it makes for interesting reading, even from this side of the Irish Sea, because we get largely similar cars here.
According to the exclusive data, Japanese and Korean cars are more dependable than their European or U.S. rivals. The table also reveals which brands are likely to see owners visiting the service workshop more often, and who will have to spend the most (and least) to put their cars right.
Each car manufacturer has been ranked by a dependability factor, based on the number of reported faults or breakdowns, with a score of 75 representing the UK average. A rating above 75 is considered good, and below 60 signifies a high incidence of repair work is required. Average costs, vehicle age and model are also considered in the Warrantywise ranking, with the average age for this table being 6.29 years.
To be included in the table each brand is required to have at least 100 active Warrantywise policies.
Toyota is ranked top brand for dependability (backing the 2015 Auto Express Driver Power survey results). UK top-sellers Ford and Vauxhall (Opel here) ranked eighth and 17th respectively. The table also shows that big spend and premium brand motoring doesn’t always guarantee a hassle-free ownership experience, with Bentley, Jaguar and Porsche all scoring below 60 in the dependability ratings.
If your car does break down, the average repair cost in the UK is £639, with the lowest average bills from Smart and MG. Makers such as Peugeot and Ford also produce models that are among the cheapest to repair.
Auto Express Editor-in-Chief, Steve Fowler, said: “It’s a really impressive performance from Japanese brands to top European rivals when it comes to reliability. When they do go wrong they don’t cost the world, either.
“Perhaps it’s little surprise the most expensive repairs are for the rarer and pricier models on the market but the fact they’re down the bottom for reliability, too, shows list price doesn’t guarantee trouble-free motoring.”