Each car is given a reliability score ranging from minus 100 for the highly unreliable motor from hell, to 100 for a dream car that never goes wrong. 

So that the results weren’t skewed by very low volume car makers, we excluded any maker from the manufacturer ranking that was represented by fewer than three models. This cuts the number of car makers to 24 and removes anomalies such as Chrysler and Chevrolet which appear lamentably unreliable as a brand while Saab (remember them?) and Suzuki seem freakishly dependable.

What the manufacturers say

We gave every manufacturer featuring in the bottom 10 their chance to respond. Only three did.

Land Rover said: “Land Rover takes reliability data seriously and is working tirelessly to deliver the finest quality products. This is already evident with Land Rover recently ranking second in the luxury market standings of the JD Power China survey. MotorEasy’s tiny sample represents a mere 1.5% of the Range Rovers sold over the past 15 years in the UK and cannot be relied on as an accurate reflection of the vast majority of satisfied customers.”

Volvo said: “Volvo Cars strives to achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction in the quality of our products and services. The MotorEasy Reliability Report is one of many independent reports and surveys that operate across our industry with varying results. While we are disappointed by the results of this report, we feel the results should be considered alongside similar surveys for a more holistic view of our reliability.”

Porsche said: “Owning a Porsche is the fulfilment of a dream for many people, and we strive to deliver a complete ownership experience that lives up to that expectation.

“Each of our sports cars is engineered to provide benchmark driving performance in combination with everyday usability. We recommend owners follow the factory service schedule to ensure their Porsche performs at its best. This survey does not make it clear how the cars in the report have been maintained, and as such its findings are inconclusive.”

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