Driver Power survey reveals most and least reliable car brands
August 07, 2024 by Tom Wiltshire
Car changing is a big deal
Subaru tops the charts for the most reliable cars on sale – but which brands are at the bottom?
- Annual Driver Power owner satisfaction survey results out
- A mixture of brands at the top, with five nationalities in the top five
- Subaru tops the charts, followed by Tesla
- Some household names take a tumble
- Survey shows reliability isn’t linked to cost
- How reliable is your car?
The results of the annual Driver Power owner satisfaction survey are in, revealing which car manufacturers build the most reliable cars.
It’s Japanese brand Subaru that’s come out triumphant, topping the survey with five outright category wins and only two of 36 categories outside the top five.
The Driver Power survey is conducted by our sister brand, Auto Express, and asks thousands of new car buyers to share their thoughts and real-world experiences of the vehicles they own.
Owners are quizzed on their car’s reliability, interior space, safety features, value-for-money and driving experience, building up a picture of the new car market in the UK as ranked by real car-buyers – not just road-testing journalists.
Paul Barker, editor of Auto Express, said: “Subaru may not be the most high-profile of brands, but owners have made it clear they’re delighted with their car’s practicality, safety, reliability and quality, among other key attributes.
“It’s great to hear the people that have put their own money into buying and owning these cars are so happy with their purchase, and it’s interesting that the top five has such a cross-section of brand – with Tesla, Kia, Porsche and Citroen rounding out the top five – showing that satisfaction is far from linked to cost or prestige.”
The results of the manufacturer rankings come after the survey ranked the Dacia Duster as the best individual car to own in the UK.
Most and least reliable car brands revealed
Here’s the full list of manufacturer rankings:
- Subaru 90.66%
- Tesla 90.55%
- Kia 89.35%
- Porsche 89.16%
- Citroen 88.22%
- Peugeot 88.03%
- Mazda 88.01%
- Toyota 87.74%
- Jaguar 87.72%
- Land Rover 87.63%
- Honda 87.56%
- Lexus 87.17%
- Alfa Romeo 86.86%
- BMW 86.69%
- Nissan 86.54%
- Volvo 86.48%
- Hyundai 86.36%
- Cupra 86.28%
- Suzuki 86.26%
- MINI 86.26%
- Mitsubishi 86.09%
- Dacia 86.01%
- Skoda 86.00%
- SEAT 85.84%
- Mercedes 85.55%
- Vauxhall 85.50%
- Audi 85.43%
- Renault 85.30%
- Volkswagen 84.80%
- Ford 84.58%
- Fiat 84.13%
- MG 82.01%
While in some previous years, Japanese brands have dominated the top 10, the sands have shifted a little. Subaru at the top is indeed a Japanese company, but it’s followed very closely by Tesla (USA), Kia (South Korea), Porsche (Germany), and Citroen (France).
5. Citroen
Citroen’s performance in Driver Power is impressive, with the Citroen C4 actually topping the charts in 2023’s survey as the best car to own. The brand took second place for running costs, servicing and insurance. Just 15.1% of owners reported faults with their cars, too.
4. Porsche
Super-premium Porsche is known for building amazing drivers’ cars, so it’s no surprise that it ranked second in the ride and handling category as well as taking a category win for finish quality. Around 36% of owners reported faults, with value-for-money proving the most difficult category for this posh brand.
3. Kia
Kia’s long been happy to trust in the reliability of its cars, with its seven-year manufacturer warranty one of the longest in the UK. It’s impressively consistent in Driver Power with only one category score outside the top 10. Just 24.3% of owners reported faults with their vehicles.
2. Tesla
Tesla’s build quality may have been ridiculed in the past but it doesn’t seem to have put owners off, with the all-electric American brand ranking first in powertrains, mpg and running costs and infotainment. While 37.9% of owners reported faults with their vehicles, Tesla excels in enough categories to cancel this out.
1. Subaru
Subaru’s sales in the UK are minimal, and it’s a brand that seems to pass many buyers by. But with five category wins, and only two categories outside the top five, Subaru excels in every department other than fuel economy and acceleration. A deserving win for an oft-forgotten car manufacturer.
The bottom of the table makes for grimmer reading. The lowest scores were returned by MG, a British brand but owned and operated by a Chinese company. Worse still, while there are just 6.53 percentage points separating 1st place and 31st place, MG in 32nd is a full 2.12 percentage points lower still.
The rest of the bottom five is rounded out by Fiat, Ford, Volkswagen and Renault – household names all, with Volkswagen especially being one of the largest manufacturers in the world.
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