What Car? magazine and Warranty Direct revealed the most reliable cars of 2014; analysing faults reported on three to eight years old cars.
Eight of the top ten places were occupied by Japanese brands with Honda, Suzuki and Toyota in the top three places. Bentley and Porsche have the dubious honour of the bottom two positions.
Results were calculated on a variety of factors; including cost of parts, frequency of failures and time off the road, to generate a number called the Repair Index (RI). The lower the RI the more dependable the car; all the top ten brands had a RI below 95, compared to the group average of 149.
Individual vehicles identified as most reliable were the Honda Jazz and Mitsubishi Lancer. If they do go wrong, the repair costs are described as 'reasonable'. The least reliable car was also the most expensive to fix; the Audi RS 6has an average repair bill of nearly €1,400. As a company, Suzuki had the lowest average repair costs at €307.
Electrical faults were the most common affecting 22.34% of vehicles. A similar number (22%) suffered axle and suspension failures. Air conditioning caused the fewest problems with only 3% of owners reporting issues.
Anything else?
Warranty Direct managing director, David Gerrans, said: "Household budgets continue to be stretched further in the current economic climate; the last thing people need is a car that costs them money they don't have in unwanted bills."