The Spanish Consumer Protection Organization (OCU) conducted a large-scale study aimed at identifying the most reliable car brands available on the European market. The study covered almost 30,000 car owners from nine European countries, who shared their experience of operating 276 car models.
The results of the study once again confirmed the dominance of Japanese car manufacturers in the reliability ranking. The absolute leader is the Lexus brand, which received 98 points out of 100 possible. Second and third places are shared by Suzuki and Subaru, which collected 93 points each. Toyota occupies fourth place (91 points), and with the same result the Spanish brand CUPRA is in fifth place. Here is the full ranking.
It is worth noting that of the European brands on the list, only CUPRA and Smart are present, while the remaining places are occupied by Asian manufacturers, mainly Japanese. The least reliable car brand according to the study is Land Rover, which receives only 64 points. Also among the unreliable are Citroën, Peugeot and Opel.
The study also shed light on the main criteria by which buyers choose a car. In the first place among the priorities is reliability, which is noted by 39% of respondents. In addition, engine size and type (16%), fuel consumption, price, fuel type, design and brand prestige are also important factors.
In addition to the overall brand ranking, OCU also determined the most reliable car models on the European market. The list includes:
Fiat Panda (since 2012)
Suzuki Ignis (since 2017)
Lexus NX (2014-2021)
Tesla Model Y (since 2021)
BMW i3 (2014-2023)
Ford Kuga (since 2019)
Mitsubishi Outlander (2013-2022)
Audi A8 (since 2018, petrol version)
Volkswagen T-Cross (since 2018)
Mazda CX-5 (since 2017)
Suzuki S-Cross/SX4 (2013-2021)
Audi Q5 (since 2016, diesel version)
BMW 2 Series (2013-2021, diesel version)
It is also interesting that cars with hybrid technology HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), where the battery is charged by the internal combustion engine while driving, demonstrate the least tendency to breakdowns.