Brands dogged by reliability issues

01 March 2023 | David Young

New research has found that drivers have long memories when it comes to vehicle reliability, with nearly a third unlikely to buy a brand that had been unreliable in the past

According to What Car?, a survey of 1,022 in-market buyers said poor reliability on a car they've previously owned has put them off buying from the same brand in the again.

The survey also found that 42.1% said they believe petrol and diesel cars to have a better reliability record than electric vehicles, with 45.1% undecided between the two. Of the 137 in-market buyers set to buy an electric vehicle as their next car, 50.4% believe EVs to be more reliable than petrol and diesel models, with 40.2% unsure.

Steve Huntingford, editor, What Car?, said: "This data highlights once again just how important a reputation for reliability is for manufacturers – and why our annual Reliability Survey is so important in keeping Britain's car buyers up to date on the latest issues being faced by car makers.

"It also shows that the advantages of EVs having far fewer moving parts, and therefore less things to go potentially wrong, remains an important message that the industry needs to get out there if it wants to continue to grow consideration among would-be buyers."