Range Rovers one of the least reliable cars (and Land Rovers are little better)

THEY are both leading examples of upmarket ‘Chelsea Tractors’.

But four models of Range Rover and Land Rover are among the most unreliable cars in the country, a survey claims.

What Car? polled more than 18,000 car owners, who rated 159 models between one and four years old, documenting any problems they had over the past 12 months.

A perfect reliability rating of 100 per cent meant drivers reported no problems.

The poll found the Range Rover was the second least reliable, with a rating of 67 per cent. Non-engine electrics were the most common issue in these cars – which can cost from £30,000 to well over £100,000 – and 17 per cent had suspension problems. Nearly a third of the cars had to be taken off the road for more than a week.

The smaller Range Rover Evoque was fourth least reliable, scoring 73 per cent. Almost half of owners (45 per cent) reported a mechanical fault over the past year. A faulty exhaust was the biggest issue. Next on the list were the Land Rover Discovery Sport with 75 per cent and the Range Rover Sport with 76 per cent.

The worst performer, with a reliability rating of 51 per cent, was the Tesla Model S electric car costing from £72,600 to £128,500. Faulty parking sensors were common.

In joint top spot with 100 per cent reliability were the Toyota Yaris and Suzuki SX4 S-Cross. They were followed by the Nissan Leaf, Toyota RAV 4X4, BMW 3 Series and Honda Jazz Hatchback Petrol, on just under 100 per cent. The Peugeot 2008 Estate and Volvo V60 Estate scored 99 per cent.