Car Reliability Survey of over 30,000 European drivers

The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has conducted a survey of more than 30,000 European drivers on the reliability of a total of 178 different models. The results say that once again Japanese makes, led by Honda, are the most reliable on the market. The results, by make, segment and model are published in the February number of the OCU Compra Maestra magazine.
The factors that consumers take most into account when purchasing a car are price, fuel consumption, family needs and reliability. To assess the latter and using the experience of motorists, the OCU asked more than 30,000 drivers if they had had breakdowns in the past year and what sort in order to establish a reliability index for comparing the likelihood of a breakdown between the different makes and models of cars on the market.

Once again, drivers surveyed by OCU say Honda and Toyota are the most reliable makes, followed by Dacia (the highest placed European make in the survey) and Mazda. On the other hand, Smart, Land Rover and Alfa Romeo are the makes most likely to have suffered a breakdown.
Utility cars are the ones least likely to spend time in the repair-shop, and they are the models that, in general, receive the highest ratings. The highest rated vehicle is the Honda Jazz 1.4, followed by the Toyota Prius 1.8 M and 1.1 Renault Clio. In contrast, the worst score is the Ford Focus 1.6 D.
According to the OCU survey, one in three drivers had a breakdown to their car during the last year and 16% had a  breakdown while driving. Among the types of breakdown, the electrical system is what fails the most (19% are caused by lights, fuses, instrument panel, electric windows or central locking) representing one in five. This is followed by the braking system (11%) and the engine electronics (10%).

The cost of breakdowns and maintenance represent a significant expense for consumers. According to the OCU survey this can be as high as 662 euros for Mercedes and as low as 300 euros in the case of Nissan, the cheapest make.
Although it is not necessary to take the vehicle to an authorised dealer in order to keep the guarantee, 52% of drivers still prefer this option, even though service costs can be cut by half in an independent repair shop.
For more information (media) Eva Jimenez Tel:   917 226 061
prensa@ocu.or