BRITAIN’S most unreliable motors of 2025 have been revealed – with some models costing owners up to £1,500 per fault.
According to the What Car? 2025 Reliability Survey, which is based on feedback from 30,000 owners, the least reliable used car in the UK is the petrol-powered Nissan Juke, from 2019 to present, which took the bottom spot.
The Nissan Juke was ranked botom of the What Car? 2025 Reliability Survey[/caption]
Common issues on the popular model including engine and battery failures[/caption]
The VW Tiguan, from 2024 to present, also performed poorly with 81% of owners reporting faults[/caption]
Their findings suggest 60% of faults resulted in repair bills exceeding £1,500, with common issues on the popular model including engine and battery failures, with 64% of affected cars off the road for over a week.
A Nissan spokesperson said: “We are pleased to see that Qashqai, X-Trail and LEAF all performed well in their classes with a 95% or higher reliability score, and all were in the top 25% of most reliable cars overall.
“The Juke result is disappointing as it differs from our customer data and from other independent sources and we are discussing this with What Car?
“Nissan is fully committed to the highest standards of quality and reliability in its vehicles and always values fair and constructive customer feedback.”
The Volkswagen Tiguan, from 2024 to present, also performed poorly, with 81% of owners reporting faults – including problems with the infotainment system, brakes and electrics.
While repairs were covered by VW, 41% of faulty cars were out of action for more than a week.
It’s also bad news for another top-seller, the Kia Sportage, with the model from 2016 to 2021 suffering significant engine and gearbox issues – leaving 50% of affected cars off the road for over a week.
Although Kia covered most repair costs, some owners faced bills exceeding £1,500.
Other models in the named and shamed list include the Mazda CX-60 and Mercedes C-Class, which experienced suspension, steering and electrical faults – resulting in lengthy downtimes.
The Audi Q7 particularly stands out for its high repair costs, with 29% of owners paying over £1,500 per fault.
EVs were present on the list as well, including the VW ID.4 and Hyundai Ioniq Electric, with battery and motor issues leading to long repair times and occasional high costs.
In contrast, four models achieved perfect reliability ratings, the Hyundai i10, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia EV3 and Toyota GR Yaris – with no faults reported by owners.
Other motors, such as the Toyota Aygo X and Vauxhall Grandland, also performed exceptionally well – with minimal faults and quick, cost-free repairs.
Honda was named the most reliable car brand, followed by Mini and Suzuki.
Lexus, usually a top contender, dropped to ninth – due to battery-related issues found in some models.
On the other end of the scale, Chinese-owned carmaker MG is at the bottom of the pile, although with an improved score compared to last year.
Nissan and Fiat were also low down the order.
The survey offers data on 227 models across 30 brands, with a broad mixture of petrol, electric and hybrid offerings to make it more comprehensive and, to ultimately, help buyers of both new and used cars make good, informed decisions.
It works by considering faults reported in the previous 24 months for cars up to five years old, focusing on the inconvenience caused by repair time and costs.
Owners reported issues across 16 specific categories, such as batteries, electrics, engines and infotainment systems.
The little Hyundai i10 scored highly with no faults reported by owners[/caption]
Honda was named the most reliable car brand followed by Mini and Suzuki[/caption]
