The most and least reliable car brands in the UK

We ranked every car brand with at least 50,000 MOT tests in 2024 by how often its cars fail, compared with the average car of the same age and mileage. That adjustment matters: without it, brands that sell mostly newer cars would look reliable just because their cars are young. Porsche came top, 53% less likely to fail than the average car of the same age and mileage. Dacia came bottom, 47% more likely to fail than the average car of the same age and mileage.

Every brand, ranked

A score of 100 is average. Above 100 means fewer failures than expected for the age and mileage of the brand's cars.

Why premium brands come out on top

The top of the table is dominated by premium brands. Some of that is engineering, but some is ownership: expensive cars are more likely to be serviced on schedule, often at a main dealer, and their owners are more likely to fix faults before the MOT. Our score allows for age and mileage, but not for how well a car has been looked after, so read it as "how these cars do in the real world", which is what matters when you buy one.

The mainstream brands most people choose between

Among the brands with at least half a million tests, the spread is still wide:

• BMW: score 135, 21.2% failed first time
• Audi: score 131, 21.9% failed first time
• Land Rover: score 130, 22.4% failed first time
• Mercedes-Benz: score 118, 23.2% failed first time
• Honda: score 116, 27.6% failed first time
• MINI: score 115, 23.4% failed first time
• Volvo: score 113, 25.7% failed first time
• Skoda: score 111, 23.9% failed first time
• Toyota: score 110, 26.4% failed first time
• Volkswagen: score 109, 27.2% failed first time
• SEAT: score 99, 26.3% failed first time
• Ford: score 93, 31.6% failed first time
• Hyundai: score 92, 27.4% failed first time
• Kia: score 92, 26.9% failed first time
• Nissan: score 87, 32.6% failed first time
• Vauxhall: score 87, 34.2% failed first time
• Fiat: score 84, 33.0% failed first time
• Peugeot: score 83, 34.2% failed first time
• Citroen: score 79, 37.2% failed first time
• Renault: score 77, 38.1% failed first time

A brand is only a starting point

Every brand makes good and bad models. A brand in the bottom half can still have a model with an excellent record, and the reverse. Once you've narrowed down the kind of car you want, look at the model itself: each brand's page in our reliability league ranks its models, and our guide to the best car of each type picks the standouts.