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18 Sept 2024

Most reliable cars for 2024

Looking for a car that won't let you down? Whether you're after a new or used model, our unique survey of more than 50,000 drivers reveals the most reliable vehicles in the UK

Which? Team

In this article

Whether you're looking for the most reliable small car, SUV or MPV, use our research to find the models you can trust - and those you can't.

In our annual Which? car survey, we ask thousands of motorists about their cars, the issues they've had and whether they've broken down, allowing us to reveal the most reliable vehicles on the market. With the data we collect, we can determine how reliable a model is in its first four years since being manufactured, as well as those aged 5-9 years and 10-15 years.

A particularly unreliable car can't be a Best Buy regardless of how well it performed in our lab tests.

Best cars for 2024: discover the cars that aced our lab tests

In our latest survey, we spoke to more than 50,000 car owners and used their feedback to provide robust reliability ratings for hundreds of vehicles.

A total of 50,323 drivers reported on 59,921 cars - thank you to everyone who took part in our survey
16 cars managed a full five-star rating in the 0-4 year age group
Nine cars got just one-star for 0-4 year reliability

The most reliable cars

The table below shows all cars that achieved a full five stars out of five for 0-4 year reliability in the latest Which? car survey. For each car, we've also detailed the proportion of cars with one or more fault and breakdown, along with the average time spent off the road for repairs and the car's overall Which? test score.

Which? members can log in to view the most and least reliable cars.

Not yet a member? Join Which? today to unlock our reliability results and access all of our online reviews, including our expert, independent new and used car reviews.


City Car	Petrol	0.0%	4%	0.0	69%
City Car	Petrol	0.0%	9%	2.0	57%
Small Car	Full hybrid	0.0%	26%	1.2	n/a
Small Car	Petrol	2.2%	7%	1.7	45%	don't buy
Small Car	Petrol	2.2%	13%	2.0	67%
Small Car	Electric	0.0%	8%	1.1	72%	best buy
Small Car	Petrol	0.0%	15%	2.9	n/a

Data based on an online survey of 50,323 drivers who told us about the 59,921 cars they owned, conducted May 2023 to July 2023. Sample sizes provided next to each model name.

The least reliable cars

From extended periods off the road for repairs to high breakdown and fault rates, the cars below are the ones to avoid if reliability is important to you.


Medium Car	Petrol	27.5%	40%	7.1	58%
Medium Car	Petrol/Diesel	32.4%	55%	3.6	55%
Medium Car	Petrol/Diesel	28.6%	43%	6.2	67%
Medium/large SUV	Electric	16.0%	46%	7.6	68%
Medium/large SUV	Electric	12.2%	51%	5.7	67%
MPV	Petrol/Diesel/PHEV	19.0%	41%	4.1	63%
MPV	Petrol/Diesel	30.8%	52%	4.2	66%

Data based on an online survey of 50,323 drivers who told us about the 59,921 cars they owned, conducted May 2023 to July 2023. Sample sizes provided next to each model name.

Which? car reliability tool

Which? members also get access to our car reliability tool, which lets you look up detailed reliability data for individual cars.

Log in now or join Which? today to use the tool.

Which? car reliability tool with padlock image

Which brand makes the most-reliable cars?

If you've not yet decided on a model and want to narrow your search, you can see which manufacturer puts the most effort into ensuring its cars don't break down and develop faults.

We've looked at cars made by more than 30 manufacturers to determine which brand makes the most reliable vehicle.

Head to our most reliable car brands to see which manufacturers we recommend.

How we calculate reliability

Our robust reliability research is powered by the experiences of 50,323 owners who have given detailed insight into the ownership and maintenance of 59,921 cars (Which? Car Survey, in field May 2023 to July 2023).

The reliability scores are calculated from data including the number of breakdowns and faults suffered by cars in the past 12 months.

Faults are weighted according to seriousness. So the more severe the fault and the more time the car is off the road, the harder the model will be hit in our results. These scores are represented by a star rating, with one star being the worst and five the best.

The scores for each car are also combined to provide an overall reliability score for each manufacturer. See how they compare in our guide to the most reliable car brands.

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