What Car? Reliability Survey: Most and least reliable hybrid cars

In our annual Reliability Survey, we ask readers to rate the dependability of cars aged up to five years old. Here, we list the most and least reliable hybrid cars in the UK...

volvo-xc40-volvo-xc60-most-reliable-hybrids

Hybrid cars have come a long way since the arrival of the Toyota Prius in 2000. There are now hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of many new car models that have the potential to save money on fuel, particularly if you do mostly urban or short driving. 

The other plus point about hybrids is that they’re proving impressively robust in spite of the added complexity of their dual power systems. In the latest What Car? Reliability Survey only 19% of the plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and regular hybrid cars reported on had any issues. In contrast, 22% of petrol models went wrong, 27% of EVs had a glitch and diesels were worst of all, with a fault rate of 31%.

In fact, they were the highest scoring car class in the latest survey, achieving a rating of 95.9% compared with 87.7% for EVs. 

Hybrid cars are also fixed for free far more often than other fuel types, especially diesel cars: 91% of hybrids were repaired at no cost to owners, while only 67% of diesels were fixed gratis. And the hybrid car owners who did have to contribute to the cost of remedial work paid by far the least: olny 2% of them had to find more than £1500 to cover fixes, while 6% of diesel owners paid out more than £1500 in repair bills.  

Like other cars, the most common issues with hybrids are electrical glitches, most of which are quick to sort out. 

The 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey is live, tell us about your car now


Most reliable hybrid cars 

1. Lexus NX (2014-2021)

Lexus NX

Reliability rating 100%

  • Most common faults: none

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: none

The previous-generation Lexus NX is not the best used large SUV to drive because it has uninspiring handling and a sluggish six-speed automatic gearbox. However, it is your best bet if you want a fault-free hybrid large SUV.

Not only is it the top scorer in this class, but it also outperforms the latest NX, which scores 97.6% and lies in seventh place in the hybrid chart in this year's survey.

No NX owners reported any issues with their cars, and that meant no cars spent any time off the road getting repaired and no owners were faced with any unexpected repair bills.

Owner’s view: “My car has been faultless in the two years I’ve owned it.”

Used Lexus NX review


2. Lexus ES (2018-present) 

Lexus ES front left driving

Reliability rating 99.3%

  • Most common faults: sat-nav/infotainment system 4%

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: up to a week

The Lexus ES is an executive car that comes with the road tax, company car tax advantages and efficiency of a hybrid, but without the hassle of plugging it in to charge it up. Like most models in the current Lexus car range, it has a petrol engine that's helped along by electric motors. This means cit an travel short distances on electricity alone, lowering this big luxurious saloon’s CO2 emissions to those of a small hatchback.  

The other big advantage the ES has over many other luxury cars is that it is pretty much bulletproof when it comes to reliability. It's the highest scoring executive car in our survey, and the second highest rated model in the range after the NX. 

A mere 4% of the ES saloons reported on had any issues and the only problematic area was the sat-nav/infotainment system. All issues were dealt with in less than a week, and Lexus covered the cost of all remedial work. 

Lexus ES review


3. Hyundai Kona hybrid (2019-present)  

Hyundai Kona Hybrid front three quarters

Reliability rating 99.0%

  • Most common faults: non-engine electrics 4%, sat-nav/infotainment system 4%

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: 50% one day or less, 50% up to a week

Although the Hyundai Kona is available as a petrol, hybrid or electric model, the hybrid is the best choice for a number of reasons. It has better fuel economy than the petrol version, and it's cheaper for both road tax and company car tax. The other big factor is dependability: only 7% of hybrid Kona models had any faults, compared with 23% of electric ones. 

The only headache-inducing areas on the Kona hybrid were some electrical systems, including the sat-nav/infotainment system. That meant all faulty cars could still be driven; half of issues were resolved in a day or less and the rest were sorted out in less than a week. 

Demonstrating the value of the five-year warranty, all remedial work was carried out free of charge. 

Hyundai Kona review


4. Toyota RAV4 (2019-present)  

Toyota RAV4 front cornering

Reliability rating 98.8%

  • Most common faults: 12-volt battery 2%, hybrid battery pack 1%

  • Average repair cost: 83% cost £0

  • Typical time off road: 66% up to a week

The RAV4 is a highly practical family SUV with a roomy interior and low CO2 emissions thanks to its hybrid technology. It's only available as a conventional hybrid or a plug-in hybrid that will do up to 46 miles on pure electric power. A familiar site in our reliability league tables, the RAV4 is the second highest scoring family SUV.

Just 3% of the RAV4s reported on in our survey had any issues and these were restricted to problems with the 12-volt battery and hybrid battery pack. While Toyota covered the cost of 83% of repairs, that left 17% of owners having to fork out £100 to £200 to get their cars put right. 

Most faulty cars remained driveable, and a third were back on the road in a day or less, but the rest were out of action for up to a week. 

Toyota RAV4 review


5. Lexus RX (2016-2022) 

Lexus RX450h 2021 front right cornering

Reliability rating 98.8%

  • Most common faults: air-con 3%, bodywork 3%, non-engine electrics 3%

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: one day or less

A true luxury SUV, the Lexus RX has a refined, well-appointed interior, incredibly comfortable seats and punchy performance. However, unlike its German rivals, it's not offered in conventional petrol or diesel form, it can only be had as a hybrid with a petrol engine assisted by a motor.  

As well as the top luxury SUV for reliability, it's also the highest scoring luxury car in the latest survey, beating the likes of the BMW X5 and Range Rover Sport. 

Just 3% of the RXs we were told about had any problems, and these were restricted to the electrical systems, including the air-con, and the bodywork. All issues were resolved in a day or less and at no cost to owners. 

Used Lexus RX review 


6. Mercedes A-Class hybrid (2018-present)  

Mercedes A-Class Saloon front right driving

Reliability rating 98.7%

  • Most common faults: interior trim 11%

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: 42% more than a week

The A-Class is comfortable, good to drive and packed with equipment. In hybrid form it's a more dependable prospect than its main rival the BMW 330e. It also has far fewer problems than the petrol A-Class, according to owners, who told us 11% of their hybrid A-Classes went wrong compared with 21% of petrols. 

The only cause for concern was the interior trim, and all of these issues were sorted out free of charge. However, owners did have to be patient while getting their cars fixed because repair work could be slow. Only 26% of issues were sorted out in a day or less, and 42% of cars were in the workshop for more than seven days getting fixed.  

Mercedes A-Class review


7. Lexus NX (2021-present)  

Silver Lexus NX front cornering

Reliability rating 97.6%

  • Most common faults: bodywork 9%

  • Average repair cost: 89% £0

  • Typical time off road: 78% a day or less

The latest NX is far more appealing to drive than the previous model. It has punchy performance, especially if you go for the 450h plug-in hybrid, and the steering is precise and its cornering abilities are more than good enough. Added to that it has a plush interior, impressive refinement and low emissions. 

It's not quite as good as the older NX when it comes to reliability, though. Owners told us that 13% of their cars had some sort of problem, although most were minor issues with the bodywork. Not all issues were sorted out for free: Lexus covered the cost of 89% of remedial work, but that left 11% of owners with bills ranging from £301 to £500. Most cars were back on the road swiftly though: 78% were fixed in a day or less and the rest were put right in less than a week. 

Lexus NX review


8. Volvo XC40 PHEV (2017-present)  

Volvo XC40 front right driving

Reliability rating 97.0%

  • Most common faults: air-con 3%, 12-volt battery 3%, PHEV battery pack 3%, electrics 3%

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: 60% up to a week

The XC40 is a classy, comfortable and practical family SUV with a top-notch interior. As well as diesel, petrol and pure electric versions, there's also a plug-in hybrid, and this is the best bet if you want a hassle free ownership experience. That's because only 10% of PHEV XC40s had any glitches, while the other engine types had around twice as many issues. 

A range of faults were reported by owners, including issues with the air-con, 12-volt battery, hybrid battery pack, electrics and interior trim. Although all of these were rectified at no charge, some work was fairly slow to complete. Only 20% of cars were fixed in a day or less, 60% took up to a week and the rest took longer than this. Two thirds of faulty cars could still be driven, though.  

Volvo XC40 review


9. Toyota C-HR (2016-2023)  

Toyota C-HR front right static

Reliability rating 96.8%

  • Most common faults: 12-volt battery 8%

  • Average repair cost: 73% cost £0

  • Typical time off road: 83% a day or less

The C-HR is a boldly styled family SUV that comes with plenty of equipment. Now only available used, it's good value for money with prices starting at just £10,000 for an early model. 

It's also a sound bet if you're after a dependable car. Owners told us that 14% of their C-HRs had hiccups, most were with the 12-volt battery, although there were also some reports of other electrical issues, too. Remedial work was swift, with 83% of cars in and out of the garage in a day or less, and the rest sorted out in less than a week. 

There were some bills to pay, though. Toyota covered the cost of 73% of repair work, and most repair bills were less than £100, but some owners paid out up to £500. 

Used Toyota C-HR review


10. Volvo XC60 PHEV (2016-present)  

Volvo XC60 front cornering

Reliability rating 96.5%

  • Most common faults: bodywork 5%, non-engine electrics 5%, sat-nav/infotainment system 5%

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: 50% a day or less

The XC60 is one of the older family SUV options, but it's still a good choice because it has a roomy, upmarket interior and a well-judged ride and handling balance. As well as used-only diesel power, engine choices include a petrol-engined mild hybrid and two PHEV versions. It's the latter that we're reporting on here. 

We were told that 16% of PHEV XC60s had a problem, with most issues relating to the bodywork and various electrical systems including the infotainment. The good news for owners is that all cars were fixed for free. The not so good news is that some remedial work was slow. While 50% of issues were put right in a day or less, 33% of cars were out of action for more than a week. One in five cars were rendered undriveable by a fault.

Volvo XC60 review


Least reliable hybrid cars

1. Ford Kuga hybrid/PHEV (2021-present) 

Ford Kuga front left driving

Reliability rating 89.6%

  • Most common faults: 12-volt battery 19%, bodywork 6%, interior trim 4%, non-engine electrics 4%

  • Average repair cost: 94% cost £0

  • Typical time off road: 44% more than a week

The Kuga is a roomy, versatile family SUV that can be had with petrol, hybrid or plug-in hybrid power. The hybrid can run for short distances on pure electric power, but if you want to complete longer drives without resorting to the petrol engine the PHEV is the best option because it will do up to 43 miles on electricity. 

The Kuga is the lowest scoring hybrid in our survey because it had high percentage of problems with its 12-volt battery and they were slow to get fixed. Overall 33% of cars had a problem and 19% of them were with the battery. 

Half or faulty cars were rendered undriveable by their problems, and 44% of them spent more than a week in the workshop. At least Ford did cover most repair costs, but 3% of owners had to pay £201 to £300 to get their cars sorted. 

Ford Kuga review


2. BMW 330e (2016-present)

Best used hybrid executive car 2022 - BMW 330e front

Reliability rating 92.0%

  • Most common faults: engine/motor electrics 5%, hybrid battery pack 3%

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: none

The plug-in hybrid version of the BMW 3 Series is the best choice as a company car because it has all the qualities of its petrol and diesel siblings and it's cheaper for road tax and company car tax. It's economical too, because it's able to do up to 62 miles on pure electric power. 

Overall the 330e is a pretty dependable car; its in the bottom three for reliability because hybrid cars tend to score very highly. However, when things do go wrong they can be slow and costly to put right. Owners told us that 16% of their 330es had an issue, mostly with the engine/motor electrics and the hybrid battery pack. 

Just over half (53%) of faulty cars were off the road for more than a week and, although BMW footed the bill in 69% of cases, that left 23% of owners having to find more than £1500 to fix faults.   

BMW 3 Series review


3. Toyota Yaris Cross (2021-present)

Toyota Yaris Cross front cornering

Reliability rating 93.1%

  • Most common faults: 12-volt battery 15%, bodywork 3%

  • Average repair cost: 77% cost £0, 8% cost £301-£500

  • Typical time off road: 64% one day or less

The Yaris Cross is is a super-efficient and enjoyable to drive small SUV. It's only available only as a regular hybrid, with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor. Like the BMW 330e, it's only in the bottom three of our league because there are so many extremely high-scoring cars in the hybrid class. 

Overall 24% of the Yaris Crosses reported on went wrong, with the 12-volt battery the main cuplrit. While Toyota paid for 77% of remedial work, some owners had to pay £100 to £200, and 8% told us they'd had to shell out £301 to £500 to get their cars fixed. Repairs were done swiftly though: 64% of cars were back on the road in a day or less, and only 15% were out of action for more than a week. 

Toyota Yaris Cross review


Reliability of hybrid cars aged up to five years old

Rank Make and model Score
1 Lexus NX (2014 -2021) 100%
2 Lexus ES (2018-present) 99.3%
3 Hyundai Kona hybrid (2019- present) 99.0%
4 Toyota RAV4 (2019-present) 98.8%
5 Lexus RX (2016-2022) 98.8%
6 Mercedes A Class hybrid (2018-present) 98.7%
7 Lexus NX (2021-present) 97.6%
8 Volvo XC40 PHEV (2017-present) 97.0%
9 Toyota C-HR (2016-2023) 96.8%
10 Volvo XC60 hybrid/PHEV (2017-present) 96.5%
11 Hyundai Ioniq hybrid/PHEV (2016-2022) 96.5%
12 Toyota Corolla (2018-present) 96.4%
13 Kia Niro hybrid/PHEV (2016-2022) 96.4%
14 Honda HR-V (2021-present) 95.9%
15 Lexus UX (2019-present) 95.4%
16 Toyota Yaris Cross (2021-present) 93.1%
17 BMW 3 Series 330e PHEV (2016-present) 92.0%
18 Ford Kuga hybrid/PHEV (2019-present) 89.6%

How the research was carried out

To compile the What Car? Reliability Survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy, we asked thousands of car owners to give us the lowdown on how reliable their car had been over the previous 24 months.

First we asked them to tell us if the car had suffered a fault, and, if so, how much each problem had cost to put right and how long it had kept the car off the road. The responses for these two factors were weighted and added up for each make and model, enabling us to create a unique reliability rating for each. 

The latest What Car? Reliability Survey contains responses from 29,967 people, giving us enoug data to report on 199 models aged up to five years old from 31 different car brands.


To read the reliability data for other car classes follow these links:

Most and least reliable cars overall (2024)
Most reliable car brands (2024)
Most reliable small cars (2024)
Most reliable family cars (2024)
Most reliable executive cars (2024)
Most reliable luxury cars (2023)
Most reliable small SUVs (2024)
Most reliable family SUVs (2024)
Most reliable large SUVs (2024)
Most reliable seven-seaters (2024)
Most reliable electric cars (2024)
Most reliable electric SUVs (2023)
Most reliable sports cars (2023)
Most reliable diesel cars (2023)
Most reliable petrol cars (2023)


Buyers can choose between large SUVs and MPVs, but when it comes to reliability survey results, they need to be rather selective because MPVs generally score lower than seven-seat SUVs. 

Overall, seven-seaters aren't one of the highest-scoring car classes for reliability, either, gaining a rating of 92.9% in last year's survey and 90.8% this time round. However, there are some very robust examples, such as this year's winner the 2018-2024 Hyundai Santa Fe, Land Rover Defender and Peugeot 5008

The most common faults suffered by seven-seater vehicles are electrical issues, including faults with infotainment systems. 

If you're wondering, the most reliable seven-seater in the latest survey is the Hyundai Santa Fe, with a score of 98.8%.  

The 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey is live, tell us about your car now


Most reliable 7-seaters

1. Hyundai Santa Fe (2018-2024)

Hyundai Santa Fe front

Reliability rating 98.9%

  • Most common faults: non-engine electrics 4%

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: up to a week

Large, practical and excellent value for money, the used Santa Fe is a great alternative to the usual premium front-runners for anyone looking for a dependable seven-seat SUV.

It suffers very few faults, according to owners, who told us only 4% of their cars had any issues. The only areas to give any grief were various non-engine electrical systems. Demonstrating that most problems were inconsequential, all affected cars remained driveable and half were in and out of the garage in a day or less. The rest were fixed in less than a week. 

It's also reassuring to see that Hyundai and its dealers are honouring the brand's five-year, unlimited mileage warranty: they fixed all the issues reported to us for free. 

Owner’s view: “I like how my car comes with a five-year warranty, just in case.”

Used Hyundai Santa Fe review


2. Land Rover Defender (2020-present)

Land Rover Defender front right driving

Reliability rating 96.3%

  • Most common faults: bodywork 5%, sat-nav / infotainment system 5%

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: 50% more than a week

Land Rovers have long had a poor reputation for reliability, often gracing the lower echelons of our brand charts. However, the Defender bucks this trend: it's not only the highest scoring Land Rover model this year, it's also the third best seven-seater for reliability. 

Owners told us their cars had an impressively low fault rate of 14%. There were issues in a number of areas, including the bodywork, electrics, interior trim and steering, but most vehicles (87%) could still be driven, indicating that the problems weren't too serious. The only downside is that remedial work could often be slow, with 63% of cars out of action for more than a week. 

On a positive note, it's great to hear that Land Rover covered the cost of all repairs, though. 

Land Rover Defender review 


3. Peugeot 5008 (2017-2024)

Used Peugeot 5008 front

Reliability rating 95.0%

  • Most common faults: brakes 5%, interior trim 5%, non-engine electrics 5%

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: 75% one day or less

The 5008 is one of our favourite seven-seat SUVs because it's stylish, practical, good to drive and relatively affordable to buy and run. It's also the most dependable model in the current Peugeot line-up.  

Owners told us that 16% of their cars had faults, and these related to the bodywork, brakes, interior trim and non-engine electrics. None were too serious though: 75% of cars were fixed in a day or less and the rest in less than a week. Even better news for cash-strapped families is that no owners were left with any repair bills because everything was paid for by Peugeot. 

Peugeot 5008 review


4. Skoda Kodiaq diesel (2016-2024)

Skoda Kodiaq front cornering

Reliability rating 94.7%

  • Most common faults: non-engine electrics 6%

  • Average repair cost: 73% cost £0

  • Typical time off road: 46% one day or less

One of life's great all-rounders, the Skoda Kodiaq offers lots of space, a swish-looking interior and relatively strong and efficient engines. And, if you opt for a diesel model, it should be pretty painless to live with. 

Diesel versions of the Skoda Kodiaq are a better bet than petrols if you're after a car that won't surprise you with unexpected repair bills. That's because 73% of diesel Kodiaqs were fixed for free, compared with 63% of petrols, and the priciest repair bill for a diesel car was £500 while it was more than £1500 for petrol car owners. 

Non-engine electrical issues were the main concern for the 20% of cars that went wrong. Repairs were generally swift: 46% of cars were fixed in a day or less and most of the rest were back on the road in less than a week. 

Skoda Kodiaq review


5. Volvo XC90 (2015-present)

Volvo XC90 T8

Reliability rating 93.2%

  • Most common faults: sat-nav / infotainment system 11%

  • Average repair cost: 90% cost £0

  • Typical time off road: 60% less than a week

The XC90 combines a high-quality and versatile interior with plenty of kit and impressive safety credentials. It's also stress-free to live with because Volvo dealers deal with any issues quickly and efficiently. 

According to our survey data, the XC90 has a fairly high fault rate of 30%, but none of the problems stopped cars from being driven, and two-thirds were put right in less than a week. Costs were minimal too, with 90% of cars fixed without charge and the remaining 10% of faults costing less than £100 apiece to fix. 

The main gripe was with the sat-nav / infotainment system, affecting 11% of faulty cars, and there were also some reports of issues with the 12-volt battery, electrics, exhaust and fuel system. 

Volvo XC90 review


6. Mercedes GLB (2019-present)

Grey Mercedes GLB front right driving

Reliability rating 92.3%

  • Most common faults: non-engine electrics 18%

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: 54% more than a week, 39% one day or less

Although it's smaller than many seven-seat SUVs, the Mercedes GLB is also a practical choice because its boxy shape means it has loads of interior space and lots of useful storage cubbies, and the second row consists of three seats that can slide and fold independently.

The GLB is fairly prone to problems: 35% of the cars in our survey went wrong, most with electrical issues. However, every fault was fixed for free by Mercedes, so no owners were left out of pocket. 

Some owners did have to be patient, though, because more than half of the faulty cars were in the workshop for more than a week. 

Mercedes GLB review


7. Kia Sorento (2020-present)

Used Kia Sorento 2020-present front pan

Reliability rating 92.1%

  • Most common faults: non-engine electrics 19%

  • Average repair cost: £0

  • Typical time off road: 50% one day or less, 25% more than a week

The 2024 Sorento is not the cheapest seven-seat SUV but it is very practical and a great all-rounder with lots of equipment and a massive boot. It has a fairly high fault rate at 31%, but Kia honoured its seven-year warranty in all instances, covering the cost of all fault repairs. 

The biggest issue for owners was electrical faults, which affected 19% of the cars reported on. There were also some complaints about the 12-volt battery, bodywork and interior trim. All faulty cars could still be driven though, and half were back on the road in a day or less and a quarter were fixed in less than a week, but the rest took more than a week to put right.  

Kia Sorento review


8. Skoda Kodiaq petrol (2016-2024)

Skoda Kodiaq 2021

Reliability rating 91.83%

  • Most common faults: Non-engine electrics 10% sat-nav / infotainment system 10%

  • Average repair cost: 63% cost £0, 13% cost more than £1500

  • Typical time off road: 67% one day or less, 11% more than a week

It's unusual for a petrol model to be less reliable than its diesel counterpart, but that's the case with the Skoda Kodiaq. Petrol Kodiaqs went wrong slightly more frequently than diesels: 23% had faults, compared with 20% of petrols. Non-engine electrics and the sat-nav / infotainment system were the main headaches, each accounting for 10% of faults. The brake system and bodywork were also issues for some owners. 

The biggest difference between petrol and diesel Kodiaqs is cost, though. Only 63% of petrol model faults were fixed for free (73% of diesel ones were paid for), and 25% of issues cost up to £500 to put right and 13% cost more than £1500 per fault. 

At least all remedial work was done quickly: 67% of cars were out of the workshop in a day or less, and most of the rest were fixed in less than seven days. 

Skoda Kodiaq review


9. Land Rover Discovery (2017-present)

Land Rover Discovery front cornering

Reliability rating 85.7%

  • Most common faults: 12-volt battery 12%, engine 8%, non-engine electrics 8% 

  • Average repair cost: 92% cost £0

  • Typical time off road: 66% more than a week

The Land Rover Discovery is desirable, practical, great off-road and more affordable to buy than some rivals. However, it does have more than its fair share of faults: owners told us 40% of their cars had at least one issue. The 12-volt battery was the main bugbear, followed by the engine and non-engine electrical systems including the sat-nav / infotainment system. 

Most owners were well looked after on costs: 92% of faults were fixed for free by Land Rover and its dealers. However, that left 8% of owners facing bills in excess of £1500 per fault. 

All owners had to be patient, though, because two-thirds of cars were off the road for more than a week, and only 17% of issues were sorted in a day or less. 

Land Rover Discovery review


Least reliable 7-seaters

While the latest Land Rover Defender is proving to be a robust choice so far, the same can't be said for the Discovery sport diesel, which can be slow and costly to repair when it goes wrong. 

1. Audi Q7 (2015-present)

Audi Q7

Reliability rating 80.8%

  • Most common faults: non-engine electrics 22%, engine 6%, sat-nav / infotainment system 6%

  • Average repair cost: 50% cost £0, 25% cost more than £1500

  • Typical time off road: 63% one day to one week, 25% more than a week

The Audi Q7 offers a relaxing blend of comfort and peaceful cruising manners, and it's surprisingly agile for a spacious seven-seat luxury SUV. However, its reliability record isn't great: it's the lowest scoring Audi model in our survey and it's the worst seven-seater. 

Although the Audi Q7's fault rate of 33% isn't sky high, the fact that many repairs were eye-wateringly expensive dented the ownership experience for some. Audi only covered the cost of 50% of repair work, leaving some owners with bills of up to £750 and a quarter had to pay more than £1500 to get their cars fixed. 

Most cars could still be driven, but only 13% of issues were resolved in a day or less; 63% took up to a week and the rest took longer than a week. A range of electrical issues were the most common complaints, and there were some reports of problems with engines, too. 

Owner’s view: “Very unreliable, with faults that even Audi couldn’t fix, leading to big bills for me.”

Audi Q7 review


2. Seat Tarraco (2018-present)

Used Seat Tarraco front cornering

Reliability rating 82.3%

  • Most common faults: sat-nav / infotainment 35%, engine 17%, non-engine electrics 13% 

  • Average repair cost: 71% cost £0, 14% cost £101-£200

  • Typical time off road: 67% one day or less, 29% more than a week

The Seat Tarraco is closely related to the Skoda Kodiaq, but it doesn’t share that model’s dependability. Owners told us a hefty 61% of their Tarracos went wrong, with sat-nav / infotainment system faults accounting for 35% of those issues. There were also a fairly high proportion of problems with other electrical systems and the engine.

Only 71% of faults were fixed for free by Seat and its dealer, leaving many of the owners who had to pay with bills of up to £200 per fault. Although all faulty cars could still be driven, 29% were in the workshop for more than a week. The only good news is that two-thirds of problems were resolved in a day or less. 

Seat Tarraco review


3. Land Rover Discovery Sport (2014-present)

Land Rover Discovery Sport 2021 front left cornering

Reliability rating 81.4%

  • Most common faults: non-engine electrics 7%, bodywork 5%, 12-volt battery 4%, engine 4%

  • Average repair cost: 78% cost £0, 16% cost more than £1500

  • Typical time off road: 47% more than a week, 43% one day to a week

The Land Rover Discovery Sport sits below the Discovery in the brand's line up, but it is a practical and comfortable family load-lugger with a well-finished interior and the option of seven seats with most engines.

Although the fault rate for the Discovery Sport is reasonable at 27%, it had issues in a wide number of areas and some faults were costly and slow to put right. Land Rover covered the cost of 78% of repair work, but that left 16% of owners with bills that topped £1500 per fault. Most issues took longer than a day to remedy, too: nearly half of faulty cars were out of action for more than a week and most of the rest took up to seven days to repair. 

A range of electrical faults were the most common troublespots, but there were also problems with the 12-volt battery, bodywork and engine. 

Land Rover Discovery Sport review


Reliability of seven-seaters aged up to five years old

Rank Make and model Score
1 2018-2024 Hyundai Santa Fe 98.9%
2 Land Rover Defender (2020-present) 96.3%
3 Peugeot 5008 (2017-2024) 95.0%
4 Skoda Kodiaq diesel (2016-2024) 94.7%
5 Volvo XC90 (2015-present) 93.2%
6 Mercedes GLB (2019-present) 92.3%
7 Kia Sorento (2020-present) 92.1%
8 Skoda Kodiaq petrol (2016-2024) 91.8%
9 Land Rover Discovery diesel (2017-present) 85.7%
10 Land Rover Discovery Sport (2014-present) 84.1%
11 Seat Tarraco (2018-present) 82.3%
12 Audi Q7 (2015-present) 80.8%

To read the reliability data for other car classes follow these links:

Most and least reliable cars overall (2024)
Most reliable car brands (2024)
Most reliable small cars (2024)
Most reliable family cars (2024)
Most reliable executive cars (2024)
Most reliable luxury cars (2023)
Most reliable small SUVs (2024)
Most reliable family SUVs (2024)
Most reliable large SUVs (2023)
Most reliable electric cars (2024)
Most reliable electric SUVs (2023)
Most reliable sports cars (2023)
Most reliable diesel cars (2023)
Most reliable petrol cars (2023)
Most reliable hybrid cars (2023)


How the research was carried out

The latest What Car? Reliability Survey gained 29,967 responses and that enabled us to report on 199 models (up to five years old) from 31 different brands. 

To compile the survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy, we ask thousands of car owners to tell us how well their cars had behaved over the previous 24 months. 

For every car that has suffered a fault, we ask in what area the issue occurred, plus how much it cost to repair and how long it spent in the workshop. This information is used to create a reliability rating for each model and brand where we have a large enough response rate.


About the report author

Claire Evans has been a motoring journalist for more than 30 years, working on consumer issues for a great deal of that time. After a stint as the advice columnist for Carweek magazine in the 1990s, she also spent six years working on motoring content for Which?. It is here she oversaw the running of the charity's annual used car reliability survey.

Claire launched the What Car? Reliability Survey in 2017, and since then has helped thousands of buyers choose the most reliable new cars and SUVs, as well as the most dependable used cars.


For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

Next: Most reliable car brands >>

Also consider

Spinner