The UK's most (and least) reliable cars: Lexus NX, Audi Q2, MG 4 and more

New research from What Car? casts light on which motors drivers can trust, and which are most likely to end up at the garage.

Whether you’re eyeing up a shiny new SUV or a second-hand runaround, nobody wants to be stuck on the hard shoulder or footing the bill for costly repairs.

To help steer buyers in the right direction, the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, carried out in partnership with warranty service MotorEasy, reveals the best (and worst) performers.

Based on the experiences of almost 30,000 UK drivers, the survey focuses on cars up to five years old.

Owners were asked whether their car had developed a fault in the past 12 months, how long it was off the road, and what the repair cost.

Based on this information, the researchers awarded each car a reliability score out of 100.

So, which motors fared best?

=1. Lexus NX (2014–2021)

Reliability rating: 100%

• Faults reported: none
• Repair cost: £0
• Time off road: 0 days

Lexus has a reputation for building rock-solid cars – and the previous generation NX shows exactly why.

For the second year running, this family SUV hasn’t put a foot wrong, with zero faults reported in the latest survey.

In fact, this used-only version is more dependable than the current Lexus, which sits in joint-fifth place.

=1. Toyota Aygo X (2021–present)

Reliability rating: 100%

• Faults reported: none
• Repair cost: £0
• Time off road: 0 days

Sharing the top spot is Toyota’s tiny Aygo X – small in size, but big on reliability.

Not a single respondent reported any problems with this model, making it the top-rated small car overall.

According to the experts, the Aygo X may prove particularly popular with new drivers or anyone after a second car that’s cheap to insure, run and maintain.

3. Mini Countryman (2017–2024)

Reliability rating: 99.7%

• Most common issue: bodywork (2%)
• Repair cost: £0
• Time off road: one to seven days

In terms of overall brand ratings, Mini topped this year’s tables – and the Countryman led the charge.

Only 2% of owners reported minor issues, which were all fixed for free in under a week.

This makes the Countryman the most reliable small SUV in the survey.

4. Audi Q2 (2016–present)

Reliability rating: 99.5%

• Most common issue: engine (3%)
• Repair cost: £0
• Time off road: more than a week

The compact Q2 is the top-rated Audi for reliability – better even than the larger and pricier Q3 and Q7.

Just 3% of owners experienced problems, which were all engine-related.

Although fixes typically took more than a week, these were all free of charge, and no other major issues were reported.

=5. Kia Picanto (2017–2024)

Reliability rating: 99.3%

• Most common issue: gearbox/clutch (6%)
• Repair cost: £0
• Time off road: one day or less

Kia’s Picanto is yet more proof that small doesn’t mean unreliable.

Gearbox and clutch niggles were the only concerns, and all were fixed under Kia’s seven-year warranty – typically within a day.

Although new versions of the Picanto are no longer on sale, the experts advise that it could be a strong choice in the used car market.

=5. Lexus ES (2018–present)

Reliability rating: 99.3%

• Most common issue: sat-nav/infotainment system (4%)
• Repair cost: £0
• Time off road: one to seven days

The ES might not be the best-known executive saloon, but it outperforms rivals such as the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 for reliability.

Just 4% of owners reported issues – and although some cars were outside their three-year warranty period, the manufacturer still footed the bill for repairs.

=5. Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman (2016–present)

Reliability rating: 99.3%

• Most common issue: bodywork (6%)
• Repair cost: £0
• Time off road: one day or less

While sports cars often have a reputation for being temperamental, these mid-engined Porsches buck the trend.

The Boxster and Cayman both topped their class for reliability, with just a handful of minor bodywork issues reported.

What’s more, all faults were sorted at no cost within a day.

=5. Skoda Octavia (petrol, 2013–2020)

Reliability rating: 99.3%

• Most common issue: fuel system (6%)
• Repair cost: £0
• Time off road: one day or less

If you need a dependable family hatchback, the petrol-powered Octavia is certainly worth considering.

It’s the best-performing Skoda in the survey and has avoided the infotainment issues that have plagued newer models.

Interestingly, the latest-generation Octavia has a much higher fault rate at 36%.

=9. Mini Convertible (2016–2024)

Reliability rating: 99.2%

• Most common issue: sat-nav/infotainment system (7%)
• Repair cost: £0
• Time off road: one day or less

Only 7% of owners reported faults with the Mini Convertible – mostly involving the sat-nav or infotainment.

All were fixed quickly and at no cost.

The experts’ verdict? If you want a car that’s fun to drive and won’t let you down, the Mini Convertible is a strong contender.

=9. Tesla Model Y (2021–present)

Reliability rating: 99.2%

• Most common issues: non-motor electric (3%), motor electrics (1%), sat-nav/infotainment system (1%) 
• Repair cost: £0
• Time off road: 75% same day, 25% within a week

Luckily for Tesla, the brand seems to have left its early reliability woes behind.

The Model Y is now the top-rated electric car in the survey.

Only 4% of drivers reported issues, and Tesla’s mobile repair service ensured most cars were back on the road the same day.

The UK’s most unreliable cars

Sadly, not every vehicle came out of the survey quite so well.

According to What Car?, some models were hit by faults, long repair delays and eye-watering repair bills.

Here are the worst offenders:

1. Nissan Juke (2019–present)

Reliability rating: 50%

• Most common issues: battery (13%), engine (9%), brakes (6%)
• Repair cost: over £1,500 in 52% of cases, 35% fixed for free
• Time off road: more than a week in 66% of cases

The Nissan Juke may be a popular small SUV, but it racked up the lowest reliability rating in the survey.

Almost a third of cars experienced problems, often with serious issues such as engine or battery failures.

Most were undriveable and spent over a week off the road – and in more than half of cases, repair bills topped £1,500.

2. MG 4 (2022–present)

Reliability rating: 63.8%

• Most common issues: non-motor electrics (15%), interior trim (9%), motor (7%)
• Repair cost: 19% over £1,500, 55% fixed for free
• Time off road: 68% more than a week

The MG 4 may be one of the cheapest EVs on sale, but reliability is its Achilles’ heel.

Approximately 30% of owners reported problems across all fault categories, including non-motor electrics, bodywork, interior trim, battery/charging system and sat-nav/infotainment.

Even though MG covered more than half of repairs, long delays and steep bills were alarmingly high.

3. Vauxhall Mokka Electric (2020–present)

Reliability rating: 65.6%

• Most common issues: 12-volt battery (30%), EV battery pack (20%), sat-nav/infotainment system (15%)
• Repair cost: 8% over £1,500, 92% fixed for free
• Time off road: 56% more than a week

Stylish though it may be, the Mokka has the worst score of any electric SUV in the survey.

More than half of vehicles included in the research broke down, with a third being off the road for over a week.

In the company’s defence, an impressive 92% of faults were fixed for free.

4. Kia Sportage diesel (2016–2021)

Reliability rating: 66.2%

• Most common issues: engine (24%), gearbox/clutch (20%), non-engine electrics (16%)
• Repair costs: 8% of repair bills topped £1,500, 83% fixed for free
• Time off road: 50% were in the garage for more than a week

Kia usually ranks highly for reliability, but the diesel Sportage is clearly an exception.

It's one of the worst-performing family SUVs for dependability, with more than half of owners reporting problems.

In contrast, the petrol version of the Sportage scored a much stronger reliability rating of 93.4%, with only 20% of owners reporting issues.

5. Mazda CX-60 (2022–present)

Reliability rating: 68.8%

• Most common issues: suspension (33%), steering (24%), non-engine electrics (19%)
• Repair costs: 100% of repairs were covered free by Mazda
• Time off road: 43% off road for more than a week

The CX-60 is a rare misstep from Mazda, which typically scores well in owner satisfaction surveys.

This large SUV is the brand’s least reliable model and one of the poorest-performing family SUVs overall.

While it’s reassuring that all repairs were done at no cost to owners, the frequency of problems – and long repair times – make the CX-60 a disappointing choice if reliability is a priority.

Have your say

Have you ever owned any of the cars on this list? What was your experience of reliability?

We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.