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.