JAPANESE BRANDS TOP LATEST RELIABILITY SURVEY

Japanese cars’ reputation for reliability is wellearned, according to the latest study.

Four of the five most reliable models in Britain are from Japanese brands, with Suzuki claiming the crown as most dependable manufacturer.

The results of the latest What Car? Reliability Survey show that while mainstream models from the Far East dominate the top of the table premium models from America and Britain are the least dependable, with Tesla and Land Rover performing poorly.

In the study of cars less than four years old the Toyota Yaris and Suzuki SX-4 S-cross proved to be the most reliable models - both scoring 100 per cent reliability. At the opposite end of the scale the Tesla Model S and Range Rover were the least reliable, with only 50.9 per cent and 67.3 per cent of models trouble-free in the last year.

The What Car? Reliability Survey rated 159 models spanning 31 brands based on feedback from more than 18,000 owners. It used information on the cost of repairs and how long a car was off the road to determine the reliability rating.

Overall, around 30 per cent said their car had suffered at least one fault in the past 12 months.

Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: “Reliability is a huge consideration for any prospective car buyer, as your car is likely to be your second biggest monthly expense after mortgage or rent payments. You want your car to last and you don’t want to have to fork out huge amounts to fix faults and keep it running.

“Our annual survey has shown that it is Japanese models that continue to dominate the top of the reliability rankings, both for car model and brand rankings.”