The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has made public the results of a report on the reliability of automobile brands, based on a survey of thousands of drivers in 9 European countries. According to this study, three Japanese brands – Lexus, Suzuki and Subaru – lead the ranking as the most reliable in a ranking in which only two non-Asian manufacturers – Cupra and Smart – managed to place themselves in the top 10.
To carry out the study, the OCU asked 29,873 motorists what their car model was, the breakdowns they had suffered since purchasing it and their level of satisfaction with the vehicle. After evaluating the responses on 276 models, the consumer organization drew its own conclusions taking into account not only the number of breakdowns, but also their severity, the age of the car and the kilometers traveled.
With the data in hand, the OCU established a ranking of the most reliable brands that it has already presented in previous years. As in the last survey, Lexus once again emerges as the most reliable brand, followed by Suzuki and Subaru, in a ranking dominated by Asian manufacturers. Only two European brands, the Spanish Cupra (5th) and the German Smart (7th), manage to break the hegemony of Asian producers in the top 10 of the most reliable brands.
On the contrary, Land Rover – although with an acceptable overall score (64 out of 100) – stands as the red lantern of the most reliable brands. The cars of the brand of British origin – now under the umbrella of the Indian Tata Motors – occupy the last place in the OCU ranking. The survey also does not leave in a good place other very popular brands such as Opel, Peugeot, Citroën and Volkswagen, which precede Land Rover.
The brand of Elon Musk’s company, last in the ranking presented by the OCU in 2022, climbs positions to be in the middle of the table with 84 points thanks to the high reliability of its Model Y.
To calculate the reliability index of cars based on their engine, the OCU asked respondents about the breakdowns their vehicles have suffered and their importance. To make the study more reliable, breakdowns caused by an accident or an act of vandalism were not taken into account.
After analyzing the responses of those surveyed, the consumer organization highlights that the most reliable engines are non-plug-in hybrids. A total of 17 models equal or exceed a score of 95 out of 100 in reliability, the report highlights. Among combustion engines, gasoline engines win, with a big difference over those that consume diesel, which only has one model with a rating higher than 95.
The results for specific models confirm the superior overall reliability of non-plug-in hybrid cars. Among these cars, the Fiat Panda, the Lexus UX, the Suzuki Ignis and the Toyota Corolla stand out, although among them is a 100% electric car, such as the Tesla Model Y. A short distance away there are also some cars with electric engines. gasoline: the Audi A1, the Volkswagen T-Cross and the Mazda CX5.