Ten most reliable used family cars revealed – and the bottom ones named and shamed

By Lee Boyce

Repair work: Trips to the garage can prove costly

When it comes to purchasing a new family car, a major factor behind the decision is how reliable the motor will be – you don’t want constant trips to the garage facing costly repair works.

All new cars come with at least a three-year manufacturer warranty, which covers you if anything goes wrong with the vehicle in that time.

But outside of the manufacturer warranty, repairs can become expensive.

According to data from motor buying advice website Used Car Expert, over 1million cars that come out of manufacturer warranty at the end of March 2012 could cost their owners over £300million in repair bills in the fourth year of ownership.

So what are the best used cars over this age for families to purchase for reliability?

A study by Warranty Direct looked at three to five-year old cars from the small family, family and multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) categories to reveal which cars are the most and least reliable.

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The analysis – based on 30,000 of Warranty Direct’s policies – found that the majority of the top ten reliable cars come from Asian manufacturers, such as Toyota, Honda and Mazda. Only one European manufacturer model managed to sneak into the top ten list – the Peugeot 308.

On the flipside, no Asian manufacturers featured on the top ten unreliable list, according to the research.

However, despite coming from non-European names, many of the top ten cars are actually made in Europe - with Toyota, Honda and Nissan all building some of the top ten cars in the UK.

Toyota Corolla: Is the most reliable family car over three years old

Top ten most reliable cars

The Warranty Direct data found the Toyota Corolla (2001-07), which was a model built in the Burnaston factory, Derby, is the most reliable family motor, with just a seven per cent breakdown rate each year on average.

Honda’s Civic (2006-) and Accord (2002-2008) are also among the most dependable family vehicles, both with claim rates of 10 per cent but separated by the Accord’s more costly maintenance bills.

Used car buyers looking for a reliable family vehicle should also consider the Mazda 3 and another UK-built car, the Toyota Auris (2007).

Make/model	Claim/breakdown rate	Largest claim	Most common reason for claim
Toyota Corolla (01-07)	7%	£1,398	Axle & suspension
Honda Civic (06 -)	10%	£980	Electrical
Honda Accord (02-08)	10%	£1,659	Engine issues
Mazda 3 (04 - 09)	10%	£1,672	Braking system
Toyota Auris (07 - )	11%	£528	Cooling & heating system
Toyota Prius (03-09)	12%	£3,258	Axle & suspension
Ford C-Max (07 -)	14%	£829	Electrical
Ford Mondeo (07 -)	15%	£1,131	Electrical
Nissan Qashqai (07 -)	16%	£1,066	Electrical
Peugeot 308 (07 -)	16%	£729	Electrical

Renault Espace: Has a breakdown rate of almost 74%, according to Warranty Direct data

Top ten least reliable cars

At the other end of the scale, the Renault Espace (2002-) tops the list of motors that most frequently need repairing - according to Warranty Direct data, the breakdown rate is 74 per cent a year on average.

Mercedes R-Class (2006-) also has a breakdown rate of 74 per cent, but the repair bill tends to be slightly lower than that of the Renault Espace.

Other cars that make it on the list for having faults are the Vauxhall Vectra (2002-09), the Renault Grand Scenic/Scenic (2004-09) and the Renault  Megane (2002-09). Including the R-Class, there are three German models in the bottom ten - it is joined by a pair of VWs, the Passat and Touran.

Make/model	Claim/breakdown rate	Largest claim	Most common reason for claim
Renault Espace (02 -)	74%	£2,757	Axle & suspension
Mercedes R-Class (06 -)	74%	£1,816	Electrical issues
Vauxhall Vectra (02 -09)	57%	£2,524	Axle & suspension
Renault Grand Scenic/Scenic (04 - 09)	57%	£2,422	Electrical issues
Renault Megane (02 -09)	56%	£2,250	Electrical issues
Skoda Superb (02 -08)	55%	£3,691	Axle & suspension
Peugeot 807 (02 -)	48%	£4,975	Cooling & heating system
Volkswagen Passat (05 -)	47%	£2,224	Axle & suspension
Peugeot 407 (04 -)	46%	£3,701	Braking system
Volkswagen Touran (03 -)	46%	£2,595	Axle & suspension

Electrical issues and axle and suspension troubles cause the majority of claims, with the latter often a result of a collision with a pothole or other road defect, according to Warranty Direct.

Meanwhile, the Peugeot 807 attracted the largest individual bill with a claim for repairs totalling nearly £5,000.

Many faults appear in fourth year of a cars life

Many motorists will face an annual repair bill of over £797 in the fourth year of a car's life, from top faults like gear boxes, sensors, electrical faults and clutches which are most likely to fail, according to Used Car Expert.

Its research found that the five models over three years old with the most faults are the Honda Jazz (2008-), Citroen C5 (2008-), Audi A4 (2008-), Chrysler Grand Voyager (2008-) and the Vauxhall Insignia (2008-).

Matthew Tumbridge, editor of Used Car Expert says the typical motorist will have driven 30,000 miles in three years and there are many faults that then appear at this stage in a vehicle’s life.

He said: ‘A car is a mechanical object and as with all mechanical objects, the chances of a part failing are extremely high. Manufacturers that were considered to be reliable 10 years ago may be holding on to that reputation, but certain manufacturers have sacrificed quality for volume.

‘Common faults can be very expensive. For example, ECUs (electrical control units) typically cost around £800 to replace. It’s important that motorists are aware of the common faults that are likely to hit them, so they can budget for the problems, undertake the required servicing that will prevent failure or look into protection from a warranty.’