Japanese cars are more reliable but European cars are cheaper to repair
Japanese manufacturers may still hold sway when it comes to building the most reliable cars but, if you want a vehicle that’s cheap to repair, buy European - That’s the message from Warranty Direct, as it unveiled its Manufacturer Reliability Index of the most dependable used cars (3-6 year old) for 2009.
Honda claims top spot as the brand least likely to break down with fellow Far East manufacturers Mazda, Toyota, Subaru, Nissan and Mitsubishi close behind in the Top 10. At the other end of the table, off-road favourite, Land Rover, records failure rates of 47 percent in an average year.
Warranty Direct studied the reliability and cost of repair of 250 of the most popular models during the last 12 months. A total of 30 manufacturers from a database of 50,000 policies were analysed.
“It can be a painful experience owning a car,” says Duncan McClure Fisher, managing director of Warranty Direct. “Perhaps buyers should canvass for Health Warning stickers in the same way the industry has adopted low emissions tax band grading. Maybe that’ll incentivise improved reliability and quality?”
Renault and Saab also perform badly, both with a 38 percent chance of breaking down in an average year, while Land Rover’s fellow 4x4 make, Jeep, make for a pair of off road manufacturers at the wrong end of the table.
Although Porsche is the 10th most reliable car on the road, the German marque has the most expensive average repair bill (£793.05) of the 30 manufacturers analysed by Warranty Direct.
In comparison, Skoda, is the cheapest to repair, boasting an average yearly garage bill of £215.94. With the exception of Honda, the Czech manufacturer is joined by a clutch of popular European marques – Citroen, Renault, Peugeot, Ford, SEAT, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Fiat - in the 10 least expensive brands to repair.
McClure Fisher warned: “Repair bills may be low but the regularity with which you visit the garage could be high, or vice versa.”
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Related categories: Car repairs and servicing Citroen Fiat Ford Honda Land Rover Mazda Nissan Peugeot Porsche Saab Seat Skoda Subaru Toyota Vauxhall Volkswagen
