The 2026 What Car? Reliability Survey found that repair bills are rising: 3 percent of repairs cost more than 1,770 euros, more than double last year’s rate. Just 81 percent of problems in cars up to five years old were fixed for free, down from 95 percent last year. The findings draw on responses from 39,332 owners and cover 225 models, 30 brands and 16 types of faults.
Four Asian models achieved a perfect reliability score of 100 percent: the Hyundai i10, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia EV3 and Toyota GR Yaris. No owner reported a fault. The cars span four categories: a city runabout, a large family SUV, a hot hatch and a fully electric crossover. All had a clean record.
The survey named Suzuki the most reliable car brand overall, with a 97.8 percent score across its range.
The Kia EV3 stands out as the only fully electric car in the survey to reach 100 percent reliability. Most electric cars had more problems than petrol or hybrid models. The Toyota GR Yaris also shows that speed does not necessarily mean more trouble. Independent publications report that electric vehicles had more issues on average than petrol and hybrid cars, making the Kia EV3’s clean record rare.
Just below the top, the Toyota Aygo X scored 99.7 percent. Its only problems were minor bodywork issues, all fixed quickly and at no cost. Other strong performers included the Mini (2014-2024 generation), Kia Niro PHEV and Porsche Macan, each scoring around 99 percent. Industry sources, including the Daily Mail and The Mini Forum, have also reported that Asian brands lead reliability charts.
Some models scored far lower. The Volkswagen Tiguan had the survey’s lowest score, at 55.3 percent. Owners most often reported electrical faults, followed by problems with navigation, bodywork and brakes. The Renault Arkana and Mercedes GLE also struggled, scoring 58.5 and 63.7 percent, respectively. The Volkswagen ID 4, Land Rover Discovery Sport and Jaecoo 7 also ranked among the underperformers.
Reliability also varied by powertrain. Petrol cars had the fewest reported problems, at 19 percent, followed by hybrids at 21 percent. Electric vehicles had problems in 27 percent of cases, while diesel performed worst, with 29 percent of owners reporting faults. Diesel repairs also cost more: 87 percent were free, compared with 92 percent of petrol repairs, 96 percent of hybrid repairs and 97 percent of electric-car repairs.
Honda led all manufacturers with a reliability score of 96.6 percent, followed closely by Mini, Suzuki and Toyota. Opel, BMW, Tesla, Kia, Lexus and Citroën completed the top ten. The survey’s authors cautioned that the results reflect British owners’ experiences with cars up to five years old. A high score does not mean every car will be trouble-free.
For Spanish drivers, the results highlight the importance of reliability and cost control. As reported earlier, more buyers are turning to used cars to avoid surprise bills and long waits for repairs. The What Car? data points to the value of checking real-world reliability before choosing a car instead of relying on a showroom impression.
Repair costs are rising, and reliability scores range from 100 percent to 55.3 percent. Asian brands, especially Hyundai, Kia and Toyota, are setting the pace for trouble-free ownership, while some European models are falling behind. For anyone shopping for a new or nearly new car, reliability is not guaranteed, and the wrong choice can be costly.
