MOST RELIABLE
1 Toyota Yaris (2011-2020) What went wrong? Steering 4%
It may not be the most exciting to drive, but the previous-generation Yaris is doggedly dependable. Only 4% of cars went wrong, and the cars were easy to fix; all were back on the road within a day. Even better news for owners is that although no cars were fixed for free, no repair bills exceeded £300.
2 Suzuki Swift (2010-2017)
A used Swift is another good bet if you want a small car that won’t let you down. Owners told us only 7% of cars had developed a fault, and the battery and suspension were the only areas of concern. Repairs were cheap but slow: no bills topped £100, but 50% of cars took more than a week to rectify.
3 Mazda 2 (2007-2015)
This iteration of the Mazda 2 is closely related to the previous-generation Ford Fiesta, but it’s a much more robust used buy. Engine electrical faults were the only issues, affecting just 7% of cars. All broken cars were back on the road in less than a week, but owners had to pay out between £301 and £500.
LEAST RELIABLE 1 Vauxhall Corsa (2006-2014)
What went wrong? Engine electrics 17%, steering 17%, air-con 9%, brakes 9%, exhaust 9%, battery 4%, fuel system 4%, gearbox/ clutch 4%, sat-nav 4%
The Corsa is one of the most popular cars for new drivers, but it’s also one of the most prone to problems, with 44% of owners having issues. Although two-thirds of cars were put right within a day and 10% of work was done for free, 10% of owners had to shell out £501 to £1000 for each fault.
2 Seat Ibiza (2008-2017)
The Ibiza’s fault rate of 29% was relatively high, and problems with areas such as the battery, braking system, exhaust, non-engine electrics and steering rendered a third of cars undriveable. Most cars cost less than £500 to rectify, but 5% of owners were hit with bills of between £1001 and £1500.
3 Skoda Fabia (2007-2014)
Engine issues affected 14% of the Fabias we were told about, accounting for almost half of the 29% of faults overall. Although 55% of the afflicted cars were put right in a day or less, none of them were fixed for free and 25% of owners were left £310 or more out of pocket, with some paying more than £1500.