British and French brands produce Europe’s most reliable cars, according to the latest research by Warranty Direct’s Reliability Index.
With the 85th Geneva Motor Show displaying the latest automotive technology closing its doors at the end of last week, Warranty Direct has revealed which are Europe’s most reliable models. The vehicles analysed were an average of five years old with mileages of around 50,000.
British brand, Vauxhall, topped the table with its diminutive Agila model the most reliable European-badged car on the road.
French manufacturers, Peugeot and Citroen completed the top three, with their similarly small 107 and C1 superminis.
Swedish, Spanish, German and Czech brands also won places in the top 10 reliability rankings with Volvo, SEAT, Volkswagen, Smart and Skoda.
Vauxhall’s Agila is most likely to incur issues with its axle and suspension, accounting for an average of 30% of its faults. The cooling and heating system is responsible for 44% of the Peugeot 107’s downtime; with fellow French carmaker Citroen finding most of the issues in its C1 derive from the electrics.
TEN MOST RELIABLE EUROPEAN CARS
| Car | Rank | Warranty Direct Average Reliability Index | Most Common Faults (Average % of faults) |
| Vauxhall Agila | 1 | 9 | Axle & Suspension (30%) |
| Peugeot 107 | 2 | 18 | Cooling & Heating System (43.75%) |
| Citroen C1 | 3 | 20 | Electrical (44.44%) |
| Volvo S40 | 4 | 25 | Axle & Suspension (33.33%) |
| Peugeot 3008 | 5 | 29 | Electrical (40%) |
| SEAT Ibiza | 6 | 30 | Axle & Suspension (25%) |
| Volkswagen Lupo | 7 | 30 | Electrical (57.14%) |
| Skoda Fabia | 8 | 32 | Electrical (34.62%) |
| Citroen Berlingo Multispace | 9 | 38 | Electrical (45%) |
| Smart Fortwo | 10 | 50 | Engine (31.37%) |
Volvo S40 drivers report more axle and suspension faults, with a third suffering complications. Warranty Direct’s data reveals Smart’s Fortwo most frequently faces engine issues, accounting for more than one in three of its breakdowns.
Warranty Direct managing director, David Gerrans, said: “It’s good to see a British manufacturer at the top of the table, especially at a time when Britain’s automotive industry is flying high. Our data also highlights that Swedish, Czech, Spanish and French carmakers are all more reliable than their often celebrated German counterparts, which will surprise some consumers, who may still assume that German cars are the most durable.”
At the other end of the scale, the Audi RS6 is Europe’s most unreliable vehicle, with data indicating it’ll break down at least once a year. Four out of the five most unreliable models are produced by German manufacturers.
FIVE LEAST RELIABLE CARS
| Car | Rank | Warranty Direct Average Reliability Index | Most Common Faults
(Average % of faults) |
| Audi RS6 | 1 | 1123 | Axle & Suspension (34.43%) |
| BMW M5 | 2 | 766 | Electrical (29.47%) |
| Porsche 911 (996) | 3 | 652 | Electrical (26.27%) |
| Bentley Continental GT | 4 | 593 | Electrical (31.73%) |
| Mercedes-Benz CL | 5 | 582 | Axle & Suspension (32.39%) |
Warranty Direct’s Reliability Index score is calculated on a combination of vehicle criteria from a database of more than 50,000 live policies:
- Frequency of failure
- Cost of repair
- Duration of repairs
- Average age and mileage
The higher the Reliability Index score, the worse the car is – the lower the score, the better and the average RI number is 100. For more information on Warranty Direct’s Reliability Index, visit www.reliabilityindex.com/what-is
Warranty Direct (www.warrantydirect.co.uk) is the UK’s leading direct-to-consumer insurer for car, van and bike mechanical and electrical failures.
Launched in 1997, Warranty Direct was the first direct consumer Warranty Company to operate in the UK. It was the first to offer cover against failures caused by ‘wear and tear’ and pioneered warranty cover against faults found during MOT and service procedures. It has also spearheaded several major motoring campaigns, most notably regarding the state of the UK’s potholed roads and the cost of the hourly labour rate for workshop mechanics. It is owned by Cardif Pinnacle, a trading style of Pinnacle Insurance plc and subsidiary of global banking house, BNP Paribas.