Britain’s most reliable cars

Honda is the most reliable used car manufacturer in the UK for the ninth consecutive year, according to research by What Car? and Warranty Direct.

The Japanese manufacturer topped the annual survey of 37 manufacturers, which analyses 50,000 live Warranty Direct policies on cars aged three to eight years old.

Once again, Japanese and South Korean manufacturers dominated the annual study of the most reliable brands, with Suzuki and Toyota claiming second and third place.

At the opposite end of the scale, luxury and prestige marques Bentley and Porsche are the most likely to break down.

“Honda’s success in the reliability index is chiefly down to low failure rates. However, when things do go wrong, the cars are also relatively cheap to fix,” said What Car? editor Jim Holder.

“Reliability is always one of the key attributes buyers look for when considering a used car purchase, so manufacturers that consistently demonstrate durability will always do well with the consumer.”

Reliability rating of all manufacturers 

Warranty Direct’s Reliability Index analysed by What Car? experts, calculates each vehicle’s reliability using a complex formula that takes into account its failure rate, age, mileage and cost of repair. The lower the RI number, the more trustworthy the car.