In association with MotorEasy
What Car? Reliability Survey: Most and least reliable 7-seaters
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 7-seaters in the UK...
Anyone with a larger family or the need to transport up to six people occasionally will appreciate the added versatility of a seven-seat car.
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%.
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Most reliable 7-seaters
1. Hyundai Santa Fe (2018-2024)
Reliability rating 98.9%
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Most common faults: non-engine electrics 4%
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Average repair cost: £0
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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.”
2. Land Rover Defender (2020-present)
Reliability rating 96.3%
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Most common faults: bodywork 5%, sat-nav / infotainment system 5%
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Average repair cost: £0
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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.
3. Peugeot 5008 (2017-2024)
Reliability rating 95.0%
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Most common faults: brakes 5%, interior trim 5%, non-engine electrics 5%
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Average repair cost: £0
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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.
4. Skoda Kodiaq diesel (2016-2024)
Reliability rating 94.7%
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Most common faults: non-engine electrics 6%
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Average repair cost: 73% cost £0
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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.
5. Volvo XC90 (2015-present)
Reliability rating 93.2%
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Most common faults: sat-nav / infotainment system 11%
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Average repair cost: 90% cost £0
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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.
6. Mercedes GLB (2019-present)
Reliability rating 92.3%
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Most common faults: non-engine electrics 18%
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Average repair cost: £0
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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.
7. Kia Sorento (2020-present)
Reliability rating 92.1%
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Most common faults: non-engine electrics 19%
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Average repair cost: £0
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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.
8. Skoda Kodiaq petrol (2016-2024)
Reliability rating 91.83%
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Most common faults: Non-engine electrics 10% sat-nav / infotainment system 10%
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Average repair cost: 63% cost £0, 13% cost more than £1500
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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.
9. Land Rover Discovery (2017-present)
Reliability rating 85.7%
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Most common faults: 12-volt battery 12%, engine 8%, non-engine electrics 8%
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Average repair cost: 92% cost £0
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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.
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)
Reliability rating 80.8%
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Most common faults: non-engine electrics 22%, engine 6%, sat-nav / infotainment system 6%
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Average repair cost: 50% cost £0, 25% cost more than £1500
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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.”
2. Seat Tarraco (2018-present)
Reliability rating 82.3%
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Most common faults: sat-nav / infotainment 35%, engine 17%, non-engine electrics 13%
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Average repair cost: 71% cost £0, 14% cost £101-£200
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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.
3. Land Rover Discovery Sport (2014-present)
Reliability rating 81.4%
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Most common faults: non-engine electrics 7%, bodywork 5%, 12-volt battery 4%, engine 4%
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Average repair cost: 78% cost £0, 16% cost more than £1500
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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 (2024)
Most reliable small SUVs (2024)
Most reliable family SUVs (2024)
Most reliable large SUVs (2024)
Most reliable electric cars (2024)
Most reliable electric SUVs (2023)
Most reliable sports cars (2024)
Most reliable diesel cars (2023)
Most reliable petrol cars (2024)
Most reliable hybrid cars (2024)
How we compiled the survey
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, and has focussed on consumer issues for much of that time. She was the advice columnist for Carweek magazine in the 1990s, helping car owners with faulty cars get the right level of reparation from car makers.
She also spent six years working on motoring content for Which?, and 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.
