Hyundai i10, Santa Fe and Kia EV3 top What Car? reliability study
Four models achieved a 100 percent reliability score; Nissan Juke petrol ranked lowest at 55.2 percent among 199 cars surveyed.
A new reliability study by What Car? ranks passenger models by how rarely they need unscheduled repairs, and several small and family cars topped the list with near‑perfect results.
Top performers and what stood out
Four models achieved a flawless record in the survey period: the Hyundai i10 (2020 – present), Hyundai Santa Fe (2018 – 2024), Kia EV3 (2024 – present) and Toyota GR Yaris (2016 – present) all scored 100 percent. The report says no owners covered in the study reported defects for those models during the two‑year window.
Other high scorers included the Toyota Aygo X (2021 – 2025) at 99.7 percent; the Toyota RAV4 PHEV (2019 – present) at 99.2 percent, where around 12 percent of owners reported issues—mostly with the infotainment system or the 12‑volt battery but fixed free of charge; and the Kia Niro Hybrid/PHEV (2022 – present) at 99.0 percent, with most faults linked to the 12‑volt battery, brakes and electrical systems.
Luxury and mainstream models also featured among the top ten: Porsche Macan (2021 – present) and Volkswagen T‑Roc (2018 – 2025) both scored 99.0 percent, while the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (2019 – present) posted 98.9 percent. Reported problems across these cars ranged from gearbox and electrical faults to bodywork issues, and in most cases defects were repaired quickly and without extra cost to owners.
The study highlights a clear trend: Japanese and South Korean manufacturers dominate the highest ranks. Toyota alone has four models in the top ten, while Hyundai and Kia together account for another four entries.
At the opposite end of the scale, the petrol Nissan Juke (2019 – present) recorded the lowest reliability score among the 199 models surveyed, at 55.2 percent. Owners most commonly reported engine problems and 12‑volt battery faults; the study notes that 60 percent of interventions on the Juke cost more than £1,500.
For prospective buyers the findings underline that model choice—and in particular proven Japanese and Korean nameplates—can have a big impact on the likelihood of unscheduled repairs. The survey also included a short primer on tyre safety and the implications of the three‑percent tread rule for stopping distances.
Photo: pexels-kelvin-linhares
