UK car brands worst for reliability

The UK has lost out to Japanese and French marques in a new reliability index from Warranty Direct.

Japanese car brands have beaten UK models in a new reliability league table from Warranty Direct.

The car warranty specialist looked at UK-owned vehicles around five years old that have done an average of 50,000 miles to produce a special version of its Reliability Index.

The index gives cars a score based on the number of times it fails, the cost of repairing it and average time off-road because of repairs. The lower the score, the more reliable the brand.

A league of their own

Below is how eight countries ranked in the Warranty Direct Reliability Index using a compilation of associated brands.

Source: Warranty Direct

Japan comes top when it comes to reliable car brands. The country received a score of 80 thanks to brands like Honda, Toyota, Mazda and Nissan.

France (113), South Korea (123), the USA (156) and Sweden (158) came close behind.

At the other end of the spectrum was the UK was the least reliable with Jaguar, Land Rover and Vauxhall bringing the side down to score an abysmal 209 in the international rankings.

Italy turned out to be the second least reliable with car brands like the Alfa Romeo and Fiat scoring the country an average of 170.5.

Germany came third from bottom with a score of 168. According to Warranty Direct the German reputation for reliability is misplaced as the country’s car output as a whole doesn’t match up to the likes of Japan and France.

Axle and suspension problems, as well as electrical faults, were the most common faults reported across the nations.

Italian brands were most susceptible to axle and suspension problems, responsible for an average of 29% of faults. French and Swedish marques were more likely to develop electrical faults in 29% and 26% of cases respectively.

The silver lining

While UK brands have pushed the nation to the bottom of the international rankings, there is a silver lining for its reputation.

That’s because many of the top brands are built in the UK. Japanese manufacturers Nissan produces its popular Qashqai in Sunderland while the Honda Civic is produced in Swindon.

More on cars:

25 ways to cut your car insurance

Driving in Europe: what you need to know

How to make money by scrapping your car

Car finance options: credit, loans, HP and leasing

What you need to know before you crash your car