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

Small hatchbacks are often relied on by those with the tightest budgets, such as new drivers and students, and that means they need to keep soldiering on with no unexpected repair bills.

The good news is that small cars are often less complicated and kitted out with fewer electronic gizmos than luxury cars, so there's less to go wrong. They also often have tech that's been migrated down from larger models, and that means any bugs are likely to have been ironed out. 

No wonder, then, that the small car class is consistently the highest scoring of all those we report on; it's nearly 7% better than electric cars, which only averaged 87.7% in the latest survey. 

However, the small cars reported on this time around weren't quite as bulletproof as those we were told about the year before: the score for the class is currently 94.3%, which is nearly one percentage point lower than in the 2023 survey. One reason for this is that some models have been blighted by the electrical glitches that have affected larger models this year and last. 

A prime example of this is the Seat Ibiza, which is the poorest performing small car, and has suffered with a high percentage of issues with its infotainment/satnav system. In contrast, this year's peak performer, the Toyota Aygo X, has a fault-free record, giving it the highest possible 100% reliability rating. 

Here we're looking at reliability data for small cars aged up to five years old. Reliability information for older models is in our Most reliable used cars feature.  

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

Most reliable small cars

1. Toyota Aygo X (2021-present)

Reliability rating 100%

• Most common faults: none

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: none

The Aygo X is quite a rarity among new cars these days - it's a small car with a petrol engine. While many car makers have swapped petrol for electric power for their most petite models, Toyota has stuck with a 1.0-litre petrol engine that makes the Aygo X cheaper to buy than electric alternatives, such as the Fiat 500 Electric, but still means it's pretty affordable to run. 

Toyota's tiniest car has outdone all of its bigger siblings with a rock-solid reliability rating of 100%. That means not a single Aygo X owner responding to our survey needed to seek assistance from dealers at all in the previous 24 months.

Owner’s view: “Its superb reliability is the thing I like best about my Aygo X.”

Toyota Aygo X review

2. Kia Picanto (2017-2024)

Reliability rating 99.3%

• Most common faults: gearbox/clutch 6%

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: one day or less

Don't discount the 2017-2024 Kia Picanto because of its size. This small car comes with a choice of petrol engines ranging from a frugal 66bhp 1.0-litre to a punchy 83bhp 1.25-litre unit, which is powerful enough for relaxed motorway driving. Although the lowest 1 trim level may seem rather spartan, top spec GT-Line S provides lots of large car luxuries, such as heated seats and steering wheel and a high-tech infotainment system that can be used to view traffic, parking and other useful live information.  

This version of the Picanto may no longer be on sale new, but it’s well worth considering as a bulletproof city car. A mere 6% of examples aged up to five years old had any issues, and only with the gearbox/clutch. Kia covered all repair costs, too, and its workshops resolved all problems in a day or less.

Used  Kia Picanto review

New Kia Picanto review

3. Volkswagen Polo (2018-present)

Reliability rating 98.3%

• Most common faults: bodywork 4%, air-con 1%, gearbox/clutch 1%, interior trim 1%

• Average repair cost: 83% £0

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

The Polo is the highest-scoring B-segment car — that is it's bigger than a city car, but not as roomy or practical as a family hatchback. It's pricier to buy than many rivals, such as the Renault Clio, Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia. However, it holds onto its value better than most, so it should still be affordable on a personal contract purchase (PCP) deal. 

The Polo outshines many of Volkswagen's larger models with a high reliability rating and 7% fault rate. Half of the complaints were about minor bodywork issues that didn’t cause breakdowns and were fixed in a day or less. Volkswagen paid for 83% of repairs, and none of the remaining bills exceeded £50 per fault.

Volkswagen Polo review

4. Hyundai i20 (2020-present)

Reliability rating 98.1%

• Most common faults: air-con 6%, exhaust 5%

• Average repair cost: £0

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

The i20 isn't the biggest-selling small hatchback in the UK, but that doesn't mean it's not a good one. It's well-equipped, roomy inside and comes with a  1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that's economical yet reasonably powerful. You can expect to get around 50mpg from the i20, which compares well with rival small cars, but isn't as good as hybrid cars, such as the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris.

The little Hyundai upholds the Korean brand's solid reputation for building dependable cars. Only 11% of the i20s in our survey had any issues and the only areas to give cause for concern were the air-con and exhaust. All problems were fixed for free, and all faulty cars could still be driven. Half of those cars were back on the road the same day, but the other half took more than a week to fix. 

Hyundai i20 review

5. Mini hatchback (2014-2024)

Reliability rating 97.9%

• Most common faults: bodywork 3%, air-con 2%, brakes 2%, interior trim 2%, non-engine electrics 2%, sat-nav/infotainment system 2%

• Average repair cost: 71% £0, 29% £1-£200

• Typical time off road: 43% one day or less, 43% one day to a week

Mini was rated the most reliable car brand of all 31 compared in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, and the Mini hatchback is a key model in helping it achieve this success. The Mini hatchback was the first of the new-era BMW Mini models and it remains the bread-and-butter model of the brand's expanding range. It has appealing retro styling is fun to drive and is affordable to live with. 

Bodywork problems were the most common complaint of the 11% of Mini hatchback owners who told us their car had suffered a glitch. There were also a small percentage of electrical issues, too. However, all the affected cars could still be driven, half were in and out of the garage in a day or less, and most of the other half were put right in less than a week. While Mini footed the bill for 71% of remedial work, that left some owners with bills of up to £200. 

Mini hatchback used buying guide

Mini hatchback review

6. Honda Jazz (2020-present)

Reliability rating 97.6%

• Most common faults: bodywork 5%, 12-volt battery 4%, non-engine electrics 2%, sat-nav/infotainment system 2%

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: 55% one day or less, 23% more than a week

Honda is the fourth most reliable car brand in our latest reliability survey, and strong performance of the Jazz has played a big role in its success. The small hatchback is well-built, frugal and as practical inside as many far larger models thanks to its 'magic' rear seats that fold up out of the way to allow owners to stow large items upright in the back. 

With few faults and all repairs covered by Honda, it's easy to see why the Jazz scores well for reliability. Only 12% of the cars in our survey went wrong, mostly with bodywork and 12-volt battery issues. Virtually all cars remained driveable and 55% were fixed in a day or less, and three-quarters were sorted out in less than a week. Best of all, no owners were landed with any repair bills. 

Honda Jazz review

7. Suzuki Swift (2017-2024)

Reliability rating 95.7%

• Most common faults: 12-volt battery 6%, sat-nav/infotainment system 5%

• Average repair cost: 50% £0, 50% £301-£500

• Typical time off road: 100% more than a week

Although this generation of the Swift is now only available secondhand, it's a great car to hunt down because it's good to drive, generously equipped and pretty cheap to run. There are 1.0 and 1.2-litre petrol engines to choose from, and the smaller unit is our top choice because it's fitted with a turbo to boost performance and hybrid technology to improve fuel economy. 

Only 9% of the Suzuki Swifts reported on had any problems; those that did had issues with the 12-volt battery and the sat-nav/infotainment system. While half of the faulty cars were fixed for free, the remaining owners had to pay up to £500 to get the problems resolved. The biggest issue was with the time taken to fix cars, though, with all respondents telling us they'd had to leave their car in the dealership for more than a week. 

Suzuki Swift used buying guide

Suzuki Swift review

8. Audi A1 (2018-present)

Reliability rating 93.9%

• Most common faults: non-engine electrics 19%, bodywork 4%

• Average repair cost: 67% £0, 33% £201-£500

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

The Audi brand fared poorly in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, ranking 24th out of 31 car makes, partly due to many models suffering with infotainment-related issues, but the A1 scores better than most other Audi models. It's also a good choice if you're after a compact hatchback with a premium feel. 

That said, the A1 has a high fault rate for a small car: 22% of cars had some sort of problem, the most common of which related to non-engine electrical systems. Although all the faulty cars could still be driven, half of them were in the workshop for more than a week. Audi paid the repair bills for 67% of owners, but that left the others with bills of up to £500. 

Audi A1 review

9. Toyota Yaris Hybrid (2020-present)

Reliability rating 93.5%

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

• Average repair cost: 69% £0, 25% £101-£300

• Typical time off road: 60% one day or less, 20% more than a week

The Yaris Hybrid is a halfway house between a conventional petrol-engined car and a pure electric model. Its hybrid technology improves economy, and it has the ability to drive for short distances on electric power alone, but it never needs to be plugged in to replenish its batteries. 

However, if you're looking for a fault-free small Toyota, the Aygo X is a better bet than the Yaris Hybrid. That's because, alongside the Yaris Cross, the Yaris Hybrid is Toyota's least dependable model.

Issues with the 12-volt battery were the biggest headache for Yaris Hybrid owners, who told us 20% of their cars went wrong, 15% of them with battery problems. Although many cars were rendered undriveable by these problems, 60% of faulty cars were fixed in a day or less. While Toyota covered the cost of 69% of remedial work, that left many owners with bills of up to £200. 

Toyota Yaris Hybrid review

10. Ford Fiesta (2017-2023)

Reliability rating 92.0%

• Most common faults: 12-volt battery 7%, air-con 3%, bodywork 3%, engine 1%, engine electrics 1%, exhaust 1%

• Average repair cost: 74% £0, 22% £1001-£1500

• Typical time off road: 37% one day or less, 22% more than a week

In many respects, the now-discontinued Fiesta is one of the best small cars you can buy. It's surprisingly rewarding to drive, well kitted out and available with a good choice of engines. Petrol options range from a slow but economical 69bhp 1.1-litre to a fantastic 138bhp turbocharged 1.0-litre.  

However, the Fiesta isn't ageing as gracefully as it should, with 20% of owners telling us their cars suffered glitches. The 12-volt battery and air-con systems were the most problematic areas on the cars reported on, followed by engine, electrical and exhaust woes. Getting things put right was fairly quick: four out of five cars were repaired in less than a week, and most bills (74%) were paid for by Ford, but that left 10% of owners having to find £1000-£1500 to put things right. 

Ford Fiesta used buying guide

Least reliable small cars 

Although small cars are the most dependable car class, not all models can be guaranteed to be problem-free. Here we round up the three cars that gave their owners the most grief in terms of fault repair costs and time spent in the workshop being fixed.  The problems highlighted by owners, and the associated disruptions in terms of time and cost, were used to give these models their reliability ratings. 

1. Seat Ibiza (2017-present)

Reliability rating 78.0%

• Most common faults sat-nav/ infotainment 30%, air-con 9%, engine electrics 9%, exhaust 9%, fuel system 9%, gearbox/clutch 4%, steering 4%
   

• Average repair cost: 74% £0, 16% £101-£500

• Typical time off road: 38% one day to a week, 42% more than a week

A roomy interior, tidy handling and low running costs should make the Ibiza one of the best small cars you can buy. However, its reputation is marred by a poor reliability record. 

Although the Ibiza shares its underpinnings with the Volkswagen Polo, there’s a huge difference in dependability. In fact, 57% of the Ibiza owners who reported on their cars in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey told us their cars had gone wrong, with most headaches caused by the infotainment and sat-nav.

Although 90% of the faulty cars could still be driven, 42% of them spent more than a week in the workshop. Only 74% of remedial work was carried out for free and some owners were landed with bills of up to £500.

Owners's view: "I bought my Ibiza nearly new and it suffered a number of niggly faults during the first 18 months."

Seat Ibiza review

2. Fiat 500 Hybrid (2008-present)

Reliability rating 82.1%

• Most common faults engine electrics 16%, exhaust 16%, air-con 5%, gearbox/clutch 5%, non-engine electrics 5%, sat-nav/ infotainment 5%
   
• Average repair cost: 40% £0, 40% £501-£750
   
• Typical time off road: 50% one day or less, 50% one day to a week

While the 500 has distinctive retro styling on its side, there are too many other negative aspects to make it a truly appealing proposition. Don't be fooled by the word hybrid in the Fiat 500's name, this car only has mild hybrid technology rather than the full hybridisation of the Yaris Hybrid. Its 69bhp non-turbocharged engine is pretty slow, not that frugal and not peppy enough for motorway speeds. On top of that, the engine is coarse and noisy and the 500 has an unsettled ride. 

It's not a dependable option, either, as owners told us. Problems with the engine electrics and exhaust system accounted for a third of all issues reported with mild hybrid versions of the Fiat 500. The car maker paid for 40% of repairs, and 20% of owners had only to pay up to £100, but 40% had to find £501- £750 to get their cars fixed. Half of faulty cars were fixed on the same day, though, and the rest in less than a week.

Fiat 500 Hybrid review

3. Vauxhall Corsa (2014-2019)

Reliability rating 82.9%

• Most common faults 12-volt battery 5%, bodywork 5%, brakes 5%, engine 5%, non-engine electrics 5%, steering 5%, suspension 5% 
   

• Average repair cost: 29% £0, 43% £201-£300, 29% £501-£1000

• Typical time off road: 86% one day to a week, 16% one day to a week

The secondhand Vauxhall Corsa is the car many people learned to drive in or owned as their first car. It has many merits: it's affordable to buy, roomy enough for four adults and most versions are well equipped. However, when things go wrong they can be costly to put right as owners told us in the latest survey. 

Overall, 21% of the Corsas reported on went wrong, with brakes, engine, electrics, steering and suspension faults among those reported. Costly repair bills were a major cause of complaint; 29% of cars cost £501-£1000 to put right and only 29% were repaired for free. Thankfully, 86% were fixed in a day or less.

2014-2019 Vauxhall Corsa used buying guide

Vauxhall Corsa review

Reliability of small cars aged up to five years old

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 family cars (2024)
Most reliable executive cars (2024)
Most reliable luxury cars (2024)
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 (2024)
Most reliable sports cars (2024)
Most reliable diesel cars (2023)
Most reliable petrol cars (2024)
Most reliable hybrid cars (2024)

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 enough data to report on 199 models aged up to five years old from 31 different car brands.

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.

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