Most Popular Cars Reliability Index
Curious about average repair costs? Interested in which cars show a lower average age when recording faults?
The Reliability Index has the answers to these questions and more.
Cars are complex machine’s with thousands of moving parts, combine that with people keeping their cars for longer and it shouldn’t be a big surprise if at some point something goes wrong. We’re keen to help people avoid the risk of expensive repair bills, so we’ve started this years reliability index results based the most popular used cars in 2023, as purchased by you.
Your car is a significant investment, often the second largest after your home. I know only too well that even the most reliable cars aren’t immune to part failure, and repairs can be an unwanted costly surprise – we’re here to help you prepare. Whether you’re buying a used vehicle or maintaining your current one, our reliability index offers valuable insights to help you manage your investment effectively.
68% of motorists have anxiety about their used car breaking down as auto repair costs hit an all-time high in 2023*.
Reliability ratings for the 10 most popular cars in the UK
These are the most popular cars as purchased by you in 2023 (source SMMT top 10 used car sales 2023). We’ve given each car a reliability rating out of 100 along with key reliability insights such as average repair cost, most expensive repair request and average age at repair. Please note, since the SMMT does not report on MINI models, we cannot provide model-specific reliability data.
| Rank | Vehicle | Score | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Fiesta | 70 | Ford Fiesta |
| 2 | Vauxhall Corsa | 68 | Vauxhall Corsa |
| 3 | Volkswagen Golf | 63 | Volkswagen Golf |
| 4 | Ford Focus | 59 | Ford Focus |
| 5 | Vauxhall Astra | 60 | Vauxhall Astra |
| 6 | MINI | N/A | N/A |
| 7 | BMW 3 Series | 65 | BMW 3 Series |
| 8 | Volkswagen Polo | 69 | Volkswagen Polo |
| 9 | Nissan Qashqai | 57 | Nissan Qashqai |
| 10 | Audi A3 | 64 | Audi A3 |
Average repair costs for the most popular used cars 2023
These are the average repair costs for the UK’s most popular used cars. Have you budgeted for these? Use these key insights to help you choose your next used vehicle or maintain your current one with confidence.
Reliability ratings for the most popular used-cars in Q1 of 2024
Buying a reliable used car is more important than ever with the rising cost of living. Take a look at our reliability ratings for the most popular used-cars in Q1 of 2024.
How do we navigate scoring the vehicles?
Our scoring system is driven by four key reliability metrics: repair request frequency, average labour hours, average age, and average mileage. Using only Warrantywise data, we have compiled 180,000 records using cars 3-10 years old and having done less than 100,000 miles. This enables us to give a comprehensive picture of each model.
**All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 4,469 adults with 2,102 of those confirmed to own a used car between three to 12 years old. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th – 14th July 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
Warrantywise Reliability Index Scoring and Data: Rank is measured by repair request frequency, average vehicle age at the time of fault, average mileage and average labour time, from 1 January 2020 to 30 September 2023, and includes vehicles between three and ten years old where there are a minimum of 250 cars on plan. Average repair costs collated over a period between 1 January 2020 and 30 September 2023. Since the sample was selected, Warrantywise has seen a significant rise in the price of labour and parts, which will impact future repair costs. All data used is from Warrantywise’s proprietary internal research. Warrantywise believes the information contained herein to be accurate at the time of release. However, the company may upload new or updated information if required and assumes that it is not liable for the accuracy of any information interpreted and used by the reader.