With June approaching and the British ‘staycation’ making a comeback this year*, new research reveals the UK’s most dependable family car for the summer holidays: the Toyota Corolla (’01-’07).

The analysis – based on around 30,000 of Warranty Direct’s policies – shows that the UK-built Corolla (Burnaston factory, Derby) is the most likely to deliver the whole family to its holiday destination without skipping a beat – just 7% break down each year, on average.

At the other end of the scale, the Renault Espace (‘02-‘12) and Mercedes R-Class (’06-) are the most likely to leave your precious cargo stranded, with three quarters of all owners suffering unwanted garage bills.

The latest Warranty Direct study analysed three to five-year-old cars from the small family, family and MPV categories.

Honda’s Civic (’06-) and Accord (’02-’08) are also among the most dependable family vehicles, both with claim rates of 10% but separated by the Accord’s more costly maintenance bills.

Top 10 most reliable family-sized cars

Make	Model	Range	Claim / break down rate	Largest claim	Sector	Most common reason for claim
Toyota	Corolla	(01 – 07)	7	£1,397.96	Small Family	Axle & Suspension
Honda	Civic	(06 – )	10	£980.10	Small Family	Electrical
Honda	Accord	(02 – 08)	10	£1,658.80	Family	Engine issues
Mazda	3	(04 – 09)	10	£1,672.04	Small Family	Braking System
Toyota	Auris	(07 – )	11	£528.22	Small Family	Cooling & heating System
Toyota	Prius	(03 – 09)	12	£3,257.87	Family	Axle & Suspension
Ford	C-Max	(07 – )	14	£828.90	MPV	Electrical
Ford	Mondeo	(07 – )	15	£1,130.80	Family	Electrical
Nissan	Qashqai	(07 – )	16	£1,066.00	Family	Electrical
Peugeot	308	(07 – )	16	£728.80	Small Family	Electrical

Used car buyers looking for a reliable family vehicle should also consider the Mazda 3 and another UK-built car, the Toyota Auris (’07-).

Warranty Direct managing director, Duncan McClure Fisher, said: “Most cars will go wrong at some stage but there’s nothing worse than the family’s excitement at setting off on holiday being destroyed by a morning spent on the hard shoulder.

“And, as well as the inconvenience to your holiday, a breakdown can also put a serious dent in your wallet.”

Electrical issues and axle and suspension troubles cause the majority of claims, with the latter often a result of a collision with a pothole or other road defect.

The only European manufacturer to make Warranty Direct’s top 10 rundown is Peugeot, with its 308 – the majority hail from Japan. In contrast, no Asian manufacturers feature in the 10 least reliable vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Peugeot 807 attracted the largest individual bill with a claim for repairs totaling nearly £5,000.

Top 10 least reliable family-sized cars

Make	Model	Range	Claim / break down rate (%)	Largest claim	Sector	Most common reason for claim
Renault	Espace	(02 – )	74	£2,756.88	MPV	Axle & suspension
Mercedes	R-Class	(06 – )	74	£1,815.68	MPV	Electrical issues
Vauxhall	Vectra	(02 – 09)	57	£2,524.00	Family	Axle & suspension
Renault	Grand Scenic/Scenic	(04 – 09)	57	£2,421.96	MPV	Electrical issues
Renault	Megane	(02 – 09)	56	£2,250.00	Small Family	Electrical issues
Skoda	Superb	(02 – 08)	55	£3,690.71	Family	Axle & suspension
Peugeot	807	(02 – )	48	£4,975.00	MPV	Cooling & heating system
Volkswagen	Passat	(05 – )	47	£2,224.09	Family	Axle & suspension
Peugeot	407	(04 – )	46	£3,701.25	Family	Braking System
Volkswagen	Touran	(03 – )	46	£2,595.19	MPV	Axle & suspension

Up-to-date vehicle reliability information can be found at any time at Warranty Direct’s www.reliabilityindex.com website.

Warranty Direct cover starts from as little as £15 a month. For more information or for a quote, go to www.warrantydirect.co.uk.