The UK's most (and least) reliable cars: Hyundai, Kia, Nissan 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 considering a brand-new SUV or a used city car, nobody wants to deal with unexpected breakdowns or expensive repairs.

To help steer buyers in the right direction, What Car? conducts an annual reliability survey, which identifies the best and worst performers.

Based on the experiences of 32,493 UK drivers, the survey covers cars up to five years old.

Owners were asked whether their vehicle developed a fault in the past 24 months, how long repairs took, and how much they cost.

Each model was then awarded a reliability score out of 100.

So, which cars came out on top – and which ones fell short?

Britain’s most reliable cars

=1. Hyundai i10 (2020–present)

Reliability rating: 100%
Most common faults: none
Average repair cost: £0
Time off road: none

The Hyundai i10 is one of just four cars to achieve a perfect 100% reliability score in this year’s survey.

Not a single owner reported a fault over the past 24 months, confirming Hyundai’s reputation for building small, dependable cars that run without fuss.

=1. Hyundai Santa Fe (2018–2024)

Reliability rating: 100%
Most common faults: none
Average repair cost: £0
Time off road: none

The seven-seater Santa Fe also scored a flawless 100%.

That’s especially impressive given the demands placed on family cars of this size.

Without any breakdowns or time off road reported, the judges deemed this model a standout practical SUV.

=1. Kia EV3 (2024–present)

Reliability rating: 100%
Most common faults: none
Average repair cost: £0
Time off road: none

The Kia EV3 is the only fully electric model to achieve a perfect score.

At a time when many EVs are plagued by battery and motor faults, this compact electric SUV has proved completely trouble-free so far.

=1. Toyota GR Yaris (2016–present)

Reliability rating: 100%
Most common faults: none
Average repair cost: £0
Time off road: none

Toyota’s rally-inspired GR Yaris hatchback shows that high performance doesn’t have to come at the expense of reliability.

Not a single owner reported any issues, making it the most dependable sporty model in the survey.

5. Toyota Aygo X (2021–present)

Reliability rating: 99.7%
Most common faults: bodywork (3%)
Average repair cost: £0
Time off road: one day or less

Toyota’s smallest and most affordable car continues to impress, with the experts praising the model as ideal for city driving.

Just 3% of owners reported issues – all of which were minor bodywork problems that were fixed for free and within a day.

As a result, no drivers were left out of pocket in the event of a slight problem.

6. Vauxhall Grandland petrol (2024–present)

Reliability rating: 99.6%
Most common faults: non-engine electrics (4%)
Average repair cost: £0
Time off road: one day or less

According to the research, the second-generation Grandland is a major improvement on its predecessor, with only 4% of vehicles experiencing faults, compared with 19% for the previous model.

Even more reassuringly, the research found that all minor faults were resolved within a day and at no cost to owners.

7. Toyota RAV4 (2019–present)

Reliability rating: 99.2%
Most common faults: sat-nav/infotainment (6%), 12-volt battery (3%)
Average repair cost: £0
Time off road: up to a week

Regularly topping What Car?’s charts, the RAV4 remains one of the most durable SUVs on the market.

Just 12% of owners reported minor issues with the infotainment system or 12-volt battery, and all were repaired promptly and free of charge.

Impressively, 60% of faults were rectified within a day.

8. Mini hatchback (2014–2024)

Reliability rating: 99.1%
Most common faults: non-engine electrics (3%), infotainment (2%), steering (2%)
Average repair cost: £0
Time off road: up to a week

The now-discontinued Mini hatchback still performs strongly, with only 7% of owners reporting issues.

Most problems involved minor electrical or steering components and were fixed free of charge.

What’s more, many faults were repaired even when the car fell outside the seven-year warranty.

=9. Volkswagen T-Roc (2018–2025)

Reliability rating: 99%
Most common faults: bodywork (2%), gearbox (1%), non-engine electrics (1%)
Average repair cost: £0
Time off road: up to a week

Despite many vehicles being out of warranty, the T-Roc maintains a near-perfect score.

Bodywork issues were the most common fault, but 99% of repairs were covered by Volkswagen and resolved quickly.

=9. Porsche Macan (2021–present)

Reliability rating: 99%
Most common faults: gearbox (3%), non-engine electrics (2%)
Average repair cost: £0
Time off road: typically less than a week

Unlike some Porsche models, the petrol and diesel versions of the Macan wowed the judges when it came to reliability.

Just 5% of cars experienced faults, all of which were repaired at no cost to owners.

Overall, half of all issues were resolved within a day.

The least reliable cars

Unfortunately, not every model fared so well.

Several cars suffered from frequent faults, long repair times and, in some cases, hefty bills.

1. Nissan Juke petrol (2019–present)

Reliability rating: 55.2%
Most common faults: 12-volt battery (12%), engine (12%), fuel system (6%), non-engine electrics (6%)
Average repair cost: 60% over £1,500, 30% fixed for free
Time off road: 64% more than a week

Sadly for owners, the Nissan Juke tops the list for all the wrong reasons.

Almost a quarter of owners reported serious faults, including battery and engine failures. Most repairs took more than a week and 60% cost over £1,500, with only 30% fixed for free.

The model was the lowest-scoring car in this year’s survey, across all categories.

2. Volkswagen Tiguan (2024–present)

Reliability rating: 64.2%
Most common faults: sat-nav/infotainment (31%), brakes (19%), non-engine electrics (19%), bodywork (13%)
Average repair cost: 100% fixed for free
Time off road: 41% more than a week

The latest Tiguan has one of the highest fault rates of any car in this year’s survey, with 81% of owners reporting problems.

Infotainment glitches were the biggest issue, followed by braking and electrical faults.

While Volkswagen covered the cost of all repairs, many fixes were slow, with more than four in 10 cars off the road for over a week.

3. Kia Sportage (2016–2021)

Reliability rating: 72.9%
Most common faults: Engine (21%), gearbox (21%), non-engine electrics (17%), brakes (13%)
Average repair cost: 91% fixed for free, 5% over £1,500
Time off road: 50% more than a week

The previous-generation Sportage has been let down by engine and gearbox problems, particularly among diesel models.

Just over half of owners reported a fault, and half of those cars were out of action for more than a week.

The silver lining is that Kia handled most repair bills, with 91% of issues fixed free of charge.

4. Mazda CX-60 (2022–present)

Reliability rating: 76.2%
Most common faults: suspension (27%), steering (18%), bodywork (14%), PHEV battery (9%), fuel system (9%), gearbox (9%), non-engine/motor electrics (9%)
Average repair cost: 100% fixed for free
Time off road: 44% more than a week

According to the findings, Mazda’s CX-60 has struggled with suspension and steering issues, while hybrid models also saw problems with batteries.

Approximately half of owners reported a fault, and more than 40% of those cars were off the road for more than a week.

The plus side is that Mazda covered all repair costs.

5. Mercedes C-Class (2021–present)

Reliability rating: 76.3%
Most common faults: engine (14%), air-con (10%), fuel system (10%), gearbox (10%), non-engine electrics (10%)
Average repair cost: 100% fixed for free
Time off road: 39% more than a week

Unfortunately, the experts found that the latest C-Class isn’t as dependable as the older model, with 43% of owners reporting at least one fault.

Problems were spread across the engine, gearbox, air-con and fuel system.

Almost 40% of affected cars were off the road for more than a week, although all repairs were covered under warranty.

Have your say

Have you owned any of the cars featured in this year’s rankings?

How reliable has your experience been?

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