REVEALED: The 10 most reliable family cars – and three to knock off your shopping list

Shopping for a household automotive is a giant choice.

It’ll have to be spacious sufficient for the variety of children you transport, have a capacious boot for hauling pushchairs, a fortnight’s price of groceries together with different day-to-day wants of household life, and have loads of equipment to maintain everybody occupied.

Nonetheless, reliability is arguably as necessary – if not most – as the entire necessities listed above.

The very last thing any guardian wants is to be stranded on the roadside with a automotive full of kids onboard or to incur surprising – and infrequently costly – automobile restore payments.

Luckily, What Automobile? conducts an annual reliability survey of just about 30,000 drivers through which it ranks probably the most and least reliable motors by class – together with household motors.

This data has been shared with That is Cash so we will inform you which fashions as much as 5 years previous – so both out there in showrooms or as nearly-new used motors – could be relied upon most.

And we’ve additionally included the three household vehicles with the bottom reliability scores.

MOST RELIABLE FAMILY CARS

10. Ford Focus petrol (2018-2024)

Reliability rating: 94.9%

The Ford Focus is a properly established fixture on UK roads. It stays one of the frequent family-size hatchbacks within the nation. Nonetheless, numbers will begin to dwindle when Ford culls the Focus subsequent 12 months because it switches consideration to a brand new vary of electrical autos.

The final era Focus performs greater than adequately when it comes to reliability – in case you select one with a petroleum engine. Simply 9 per cent of homeowners of those vehicles stated that they had developed a fault within the earlier 24 months. Curiously, a 3rd of diesels had not less than one subject over the identical interval.

The commonest faults are linked to the 12-volt battery, bodywork and non-engine electrical methods, which incorporates the sat-nav and infotainment system. None of those faults made the vehicles undrivable, although greater than half of petrol Focuses had been off the highway being repaired for over every week. Repairs had been all coated below guarantee for gratis to house owners.

9. Mini Clubman (2015-2024)

Reliability rating: 95.5%

Some 15 per cent of Mini Clubman drivers stated their vehicles had developed issues during the last two years. Nonetheless, each occasion of faults had been bodywork issues.

Each Clubman with bodywork points had been mounted in lower than every week – two thirds of them again with their house owners inside a day.

Mini warranties coated restore prices for a 3rd of homeowners. Fashions that had been outdoors of three-year, limitless mileage guarantee interval price drivers between £50 and £500 in storage receipts.

8. Kia XCeed (2019-present)

Reliability rating: 95.6%

The Kia XCeed is ranked the eighth most reliable household automotive, although there have been issued reported linked to the 12-volt battery and sat-nav/infotainment display screen

Just like the Mini Clubman, the most typical issues with Kia XCeeds had been associated to the bodywork. This was a difficulty for 21 per cent of homeowners who reported a fault with their automotive. There have been additionally points are the 12-volt battery and sat-nav/infotainment system, although in smaller volumes.

All vehicles had been mounted in lower than every week and a 3rd of them had been out and in of workshops in lower than 24 hours.

Regardless of each XCeed being inside Kia’s seven-year guarantee interval, this coated the restore prices of simply two thirds of vehicles with faults. The remaining house owners needed to stump as much as £200 to get their vehicles mounted.

7. Citroen C4 (2020-present)

Reliability rating: 96.2%

Some 17% of homeowners of Citroen C4s stated that they had encountered faults with their vehicles within the earlier 24 month. Electrical gremlins had been the most typical points

Citroen hasn’t all the time had the best document for reliability, however the present C4 mannequin is proving to be a reasonably reliable household workhorse.

Some 17 per cent of homeowners of the French hatchbacks stated that they had encountered faults with their vehicles within the earlier 24 months, with electrical points – together with air-con and sat-nav/infotainment system gremlins – the primary complications.

Half of C4s needing to enter a storage to be mounted had been in workshops for over every week, which barely weighed on the mannequin’s rating. That stated, no house owners had been ignored of pocket with each occasion of remedial work carried out below guarantee.

6. Toyota Corolla (2018-present)

Reliability rating: 96.4%

The Toyota Corolla, which is produced within the UK, is sixth within the checklist of probably the most reliable household motors as much as 5 years previous

Whereas Citroen’s reliability monitor document over time may need a number of holes in it, Toyota’s doesn’t. It has been a perennial high scorer when it comes to dependability, and the Burnaston-built Corolla household hatch is not any completely different.

Simply 15 per cent of Corolla house owners stated their vehicles had suffered a fault within the earlier two years. These had been both electrical or bodywork issues, and the odd 12-volt battery subject.

With Toyota’s guarantee solely masking fashions for the primary three years, some older examples with issues price their house owners. Whereas 84% of vehicles had been mounted totally free below guarantee, the remainder confronted restore payments – although by no means exceeding £200. What pushed the Corolla’s reliability rating down was the truth that virtually a 3rd with faults had been rendered undriveable – and 28 per cent had been off the highway for over every week being mounted.

5. Hyundai Ioniq hybrid (2016-2022)

Reliability rating: 96.5%

The hybrid variants of the Ioniq hatchback are outperforming the fully-electric variations

The Ioniq was Hyundai’s ‘cowl all bases’ automotive when it launched virtually a decade in the past; it was offered as a self-charging hybrid, plug-in hybrid of full EV. The fashions coated listed here are the hybrid.

The variations with a mix of petrol engine, battery and e-motors seem extra sturdy than the Ioniq Electrical. One in 5 Ioniq hybrids had been reported to have gone unsuitable over the course of the 24 months, however 47 per cent of the  EVs developed points over the identical interval.

For the 96.5 per cent reliability rated Ioniq hybrids, bodywork, brake methods and sat-nav/infotainment methods had been the primary gremlins. Luckily, three quarters of Ioniqs with faults had been had been mounted in a day or much less and most (88 per cent) had been coated below guarantee. People who weren’t price house owners lower than £200.

4. Honda Civic (2022-present)

Reliability rating: 97.6%

Honda’s lengthy historical past of manufacturing dependable vehicles continues with the Civic, which is way improved on the earlier era household hatchback from the Japanese marque

What Automobile?’s Reliability Survey outcomes discovered that Honda has made nice strides in making its well-liked household hatchback, the Civic, extra sturdy. Simply 8 per cent of homeowners stated theirs went unsuitable within the prevailing two years, whereas greater than 1 / 4 of the previous-generation mannequin had encountered points.

The most recent Civics solely subject is expounded to the steering system, which was highlighted by all 8 per cent of drivers who stated their automotive had developed a fauly.

Given the present Civic has solely been on sale since 2022, it is no shock that each one repairs had been coated below guarantee. Nonetheless, each defective mannequin instance was off the highway for greater than every week, which did price it marks.

3. BMW 1 Sequence (2019-2024)

Reliability rating: 98.6%

A brand new 1 Sequence has simply been launched, however clients seeking to snap up a reduced new model of the previous-gen BMW can be rewarded with a dependable workhorse, house owners recommend

BMW’s fourth-generation 1 Sequence was launched this 12 months, successfully decreasing the curtain on the third iteration of BMW’s five-door hatchback. However, based mostly on suggestions from house owners, it is one you would possibly wish to think about as a really sturdy used household automotive choice.

What Automobile? says it’s the German model’s most reliable mannequin, scoring the best reliability score for the producer of 98.6 per cent.  

Simply 8 per cent of homeowners stated they confronted reliability points within the earlier 24 months, most of them triggered by non-engine electrical woes. All remained driveable and two-thirds had been mounted inside every week. Most (83 per cent) had been mounted below guarantee – people who weren’t price not more than £100 to place proper.

2. Mercedes A-Class hybrid (2018-present)

Reliability rating: 98.7%

Hybrid variants of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class are proving extra reliable than the petrol variations, What Automobile?’s Reliability Survey has discovered

What Automobile? obtained sufficient suggestions from A-Class house owners to separate the autos into hybrid and petrol – and it is the previous that performs better of the 2 gasoline varieties. Simply 11 per cent of drivers of hybrids reported faults in 24 months in comparison with a fifth of homeowners of petrols.

Hybrids no solely went unsuitable much less ceaselessly, they had been additionally faster and cheaper to repair. 

All defective hybrids had been repaired for gratis to house owners inside 24 hours, whereas some petrol vehicles price as much as £300 and took greater than every week to place proper.

1. Skoda Octavia petrol (2013-2020)

Reliability rating: 99.3%

For those who’re on the lookout for a dependable used household automotive, you are able to do no higher than the previous-generation Skoda Octavia with petrol engines

A brand new Octavia has been in showrooms for the final 4 years however, based mostly on What Automobile?’s reliability report, it may not be the one try to be contemplating.

That is as a result of petrol variations of the previous-generation Skoda household mannequin has a near-perfect document – and completely blitzes the mannequin that changed it (which we’ll get to shortly).

Solely 6 per cent of homeowners of the older Octavia stated their automotive had a difficulty within the final two years – and all had been inconsequential, not triggering breakdowns and resolved inside a day for gratis.

LEAST RELIABLE FAMILY CARS

3. Skoda Octavia (2020-present)

Reliability rating: 80.3%

Whereas the older Skoda Octavia is proving very dependable, the one which changed it has developed a number of points for house owners, in line with the responses to the survey

Whereas the earlier era Octavia is – based mostly on this information alone – probably the most reliable of all household vehicles, the identical cannot be stated in regards to the present model.

Over a 3rd of drivers of the present Octavia confronted issues over a two-year spell. And whereas most defective vehicles may nonetheless be pushed, over half (52 per cent) had been off the highway being mounted for over every week. Skoda’s guarantee did cowl 97 per cent of restore payments, although. 

House owners had been mostly inconvenienced by non-engine electrical woes – significantly the sat-nav and infotainment methods – which triggered 52 per cent of all reported faults.

2. Seat Leon (2020-present)

Reliability rating: 74.2%

Nearly three in 5 house owners of the Seat hatchback stated one thing had gone unsuitable with their Leon within the earlier 24 months, once more principally linked to the sat-nav and infotainment system

The Leon is amongst Seat’s best-selling fashions within the UK, however the newest model has a surprisingly excessive fault fee given its infancy available on the market, solely launching in 2020.

Nearly three in 5 house owners stated one thing had gone unsuitable with their Leon within the earlier 24 months, once more principally linked to the sat-nav and infotainment system.

These took fairly a while to resolve, too, with 62 per cent off the highway being repaired for over every week. Seat’s three-year guarantee coated restore prices for many (97 per cent) defective vehicles. 

1. Volkswagen Golf diesel (2020-present)

Reliability rating: 70.4%

Volkswagen Golfs throughout all gasoline varieties have been plagued with infotainment and different electrical system issues. Nonetheless, diesels have additionally struggling gearbox faults

The VW Golf could be an icon however the newest iteration is not with out its gremlins.

Examples throughout all gasoline varieties have been plagued with infotainment and different electrical system issues. Nonetheless, diesels have additionally been struggling gearbox faults, house owners stated.

Three in ten diesel Golfs had reliability points over the two-year interval, and a thid of those took over every week to repair. To make matter worse, simply 41 per cent had been mounted totally free below guarantee; one in ten house owners reporting faults stated they had been handed restore payments of £1,000 or extra.