Owners of family cars under the age of five spoke about the experience of operating their cars. Experts have identified models that break more often than others.
Experts have identified the most unreliable family cars under the age of five. They identified the main problems of these models. Research result published on the What Car?
There is fierce competition in the family car market. Manufacturers offer hundreds of different models that differ significantly from each other.
Together with the insurance company MotorEasy, the experts interviewed 24,927 drivers about their experience with their cars. They told what kind of breakdowns they encountered in recent years and how difficult the repair turned out to be.
The rating included family cars that broke down most often. Their breakdowns most often had to be repaired at their own expense.
TOP 25 most unreliable family cars:
25. MINI Clubman
MINI Clubman had no major damage
Photo: MINI
Release years: 2015 – our time
Reliability Rating: 95,4%
Only 14% of MINI Clubman owners reported a breakdown. All of them were minor and were corrected as soon as possible.
24. Skoda Octavia (petrol)
Some Skoda Octavia were found to have minor electronic and engine failures
Photo: Skoda
Release years: 2013 — 2020
Reliability Rating: 95,2%
15% of owners of gasoline Skoda Octavia experienced breakdowns related to electronics and the engine. Repairs often took less than a week and were at the expense of the manufacturer.
23. SEAT Leon (diesel)
Diesel Seat Leons are only slightly inferior in reliability to gasoline versions
Photo: SEAT
Release years: 2013 — 2020
Reliability Rating: 95,1%
Diesel SEAT Leon suffers from breakdowns more often than petrol versions. 19% of cars had failures in the engine and electronics.
22. Kia Ceed
Kia Ceed proved to be reliable, but not the easiest car to repair
Photo: Kia
Release years: 2018 – our time
Reliability Rating: 94,8%
The Kia Ceed did not have any major faults. However, fixing some of the breakdowns took too long.
21. Mazda 3
The new generation Mazda 3 is more reliable than its predecessor
Photo: Mazda
Release years: 2019 – our time
Reliability Rating: 94,7%
The new Mazda 3 proved to be more reliable than its predecessor. Only 23% of cars found minor damage.
20. Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius suffers from problems in the operation of the infotainment system
Photo: Toyota
Release years: 2016 — 2022
Reliability Rating: 94,6%
18% of Toyota Prius experienced malfunctions in the infotainment system. Many problems were fixed in less than a week.
19. Volvo V40 (gasoline)
Volvo V40 has problems with electronics and suspension
Photo: Volvo
Release years: 2012 — 2019
Reliability Rating: 94,2%
Petrol Volvo V40 most often failed electronics and suspension parts. 18% of owners faced such problems.
18. Volkswagen Golf (gasoline)
Gasoline Volkswagen Golf proved to be more reliable than diesel versions
Photo: Volkswagen
Release years: 2013 — 2020
Reliability Rating: 94,0%
Gasoline Volkswagen Golfs are much more reliable than diesel versions of the model. Only 20% of the owners of this car faced breakdowns.
17. Audi A3
16% of Audi A3s have electronic problems
Photo: Audi
Release years: 2013 — 2020
Reliability Rating: 93,9%
The main problem of the Audi A3 is unreliable electronics. 16% of model owners encountered such breakdowns.
16. Mazda 3
Mazda 3 of the past generation was not as reliable as the successor
Photo: Mazda
Release years: 2014 — 2019
Reliability Rating: 93,8%
46% of owners of the previous generation Mazda 3 experienced breakdowns related to the brake system and electronics. In most cases, repairs were carried out quickly and at the expense of the manufacturer.
15. Let’s Xceed
Kia XCeed suffers from body problems
Photo: Kia
Release years: 2019 – our time
Reliability Rating: 93,3%
About 15% of model owners reported problems with the body. There were also breakdowns associated with electronics or the engine.
14. Citroen Cactus
Citroen Cactus often break electronics and exhaust system
Photo: Citroen
Release years: 2014 — 2021
Reliability Rating: 93,1%
The French crossover suffers from problems with electronics and exhaust system. All owners noted that the repair work was carried out at the expense of the manufacturer.
13. Ford Focus (petrol)
Ford Focus petrol versions suffer from electronics and transmission problems
Photo: Ford
Release years: 2018 – our time
Reliability Rating: 92,5%
29% of Ford Focus owners experienced electronic and transmission related failures. Fortunately, the repair took a little time.
12. Ford Focus (diesel)
Diesel Ford has more reliability issues than petrol versions
Photo: Ford
Release years: 2018 – our time
Reliability Rating: 87,8%
The diesel version of the hatchback proved to be more problematic than the petrol version. The most common problems are electronics and fuel system.
11. Honda Civic
About 22% of owners of the tenth generation Honda Civic reported breakdowns
Photo: Honda
Release years: 2017 — 2022
Reliability Rating: 86,7%
The tenth generation Honda Civic suffers from electronics and infotainment problems. 22% of model owners faced this.
10. Opel/Vauxhall Astra (petrol)
Opel Astra repair takes a lot of time
Photo: Opel
Release years: 2015 — 2022
Reliability Rating: 86,7%
The main problem of the model is the slow correction of many breakdowns. Owners in some cases had to wait more than a week.
9. Honda Civic
35% of owners of the ninth generation Honda Civic had a breakdown
Photo: Honda
Release years: 2012 — 2017
Reliability Rating: 85,2%
The ninth generation Honda Civic proved to be rather unreliable. 35% of cars had malfunctions in the electronics and gearbox.
8. Mercedes-Benz A-Class (gasoline)
Petrol versions of the Mercedes A-Class are easier to repair than diesel modifications
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Release years: 2018 – our time
Reliability Rating: 84,5%
The petrol-powered Mercedes-Benz A-Class suffers from electronics issues with interior trim. Nevertheless, most of the breakdowns were eliminated at the expense of the manufacturer.
7. Mercedes-Benz A-Class (Diesel)
Diesel Mercedes A-Class has a lot of serious problems
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Release years: 2018 – our time
Reliability Rating: 83,7%
The diesel version of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class proved to be less reliable than the petrol version. Breakdowns occurred in 31% of cars, which were most often associated with electronics.
6. Volkswagen Golf (diesel)
Diesel Volkswagen Golf fails more often than petrol versions
Photo: Volkswagen
Release years: 2013 — 2020
Reliability Rating: 83,4%
Diesel Volkswagen Golf of the seventh generation showed mediocre reliability. The model often breaks the battery, electronics, gearbox and exhaust system.
5.Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Golf suffers from electronics and fuel system problems
Photo: Volkswagen
Release years: 2020 is our time
Reliability Rating: 79,9%
39% of owners of the ninth generation Volkswagen Golf experienced breakdowns. Most often, the electronics and the fuel system failed.
4. Skoda Yeti
Skoda Yeti suffers from gearbox and clutch problems
Photo: Skoda
Release years: 2009 — 2017
Reliability Rating: 79,2%
The Czech compact crossover lasted 8 years on the assembly line and was updated several times. However, this did not make the car more reliable. The main problem is the gearbox and clutch.
3. Skoda Octavia
More than half of Skoda Octavia owners reported breakdowns
Photo: Skoda
Release years: 2020 is our time
Reliability Rating: 78,7%
The new generation of the popular Skoda Octavia turned out to be not only more technologically advanced, but also less reliable. 54% of the owners of this car had serious breakdowns during operation.
2. Mercedes-Benz A-Class (hybrid)
Mercedes-Benz A-Class Hybrid Has Many Reliability Issues
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Release years: 2018 – our time
Reliability Rating: 78,4%
The hybrid version of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class suffers from engine and electronic problems. In most cases, breakdowns were fixed at the expense of the manufacturer, but sometimes the owners had to pay more than two thousand dollars for repairs.
1. Audi A3
Audi A3 suffers from electronics and gearbox problems
Photo: Audi
Release years: 2020 is our time
Reliability Rating: 74,2%
About 57% of Audi A3 owners reported serious breakdowns that happened to their cars. The most common problems are electronics and gearbox.
Previously Focus wrote that experts named the most economical hybrid cars.
