New data ranks the top 10 least reliable vehicles on UK roads and the great thing is that Free Car Mag are very good at choosing used cars/.
Knowing what vehicle to purchase comes with many challenges and reliability is one of the most important factors in the decision-making process
To know which makes and models to avoid, scrap vehicle experts National Scrap Car, submitted a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA to find out the number of newly registered vehicles in 2014, and compared this with the total scrapped vehicle data from 2014-2023, to uncover the least reliable vehicles.
The study reveals that the Peugeot Bipper, SEAT Toledo and Citroën Nemo are the least reliable vehicles on UK roads.
Interestingly, the majority of the vehicles in the top 10 list are compact or full-size vans typically used for commercial use.
Taking the top spot is the Peugeot Bipper, where 366 of the 3,279 new registrations in 2024 were scrapped in the past decade. This created a reliability score of 88.84%. In the years prior to 2014, the van was subject to a number of recalls such as risks of engine failure and cracks to the rear crossmember if the suspension was repeatedly extended to maximum travel.
In second position is the SEAT Toledo. Between 2014-2023, 140 vehicles were scrapped compared to the 1,492 that were registered – creating a reliability score of 90.62%. Followed closely behind is the Citroën Nemo, which has a reliability score of 92.77%. Out of the 2,267 new registrations, the study highlighted that 164 were scrapped.
When it comes to the lifespan of a vehicle, there are numerous factors that contribute to this. Anything from general wear and tear, to failure and severe accidents can affect how long your car will remain reliable for. If you’re regularly using your vehicle or making long trips in harsh weather conditions, you may notice that wear and tear appears quicker, leading to a shorter lifespan.
Dorry Potter, vehicle expert at National Scrap Car commented:
“Typically drivers hold on to their vehicles for 8 years, while you can expect a standard car to last around 12 years or about 200,000 miles. Looking at the volume of manufacturers within the data we can see some appear again and again for their different models. The manufacturers with the highest number of occurrences are Audi, Volkswagen, Peugeot, BMW and Toyota.”
More importantly….Their study places the Lexus RX as the most reliable vehicle. In the past decade, only 4 vehicles were scrapped compared to the 1,799 that were registered in 2014 – creating a reliability score of 99.78%.
In second position is the Volvo XC series, followed by the Mini Roadster. Although the Mini Roadster has also seen just 4 scrapped vehicles since 2014, there’s been a higher volume of new registrations of this fleet – bringing its reliability score to 99.65%. This sporty convertible was discontinued in 2015, however it upholds its reputation for its build quality and suitability to urban driving.
ENDS
Methodology: The data in this report compiles data from the DVLA following a Freedom of Information request that was submitted in May 2024. The data measures the volume of newly registered vehicles in 2014 and compared with the volume of scrapped vehicles between 2014-2024. The data excluded vehicles with less than 1,000 registrations in 2014.
