Skip advert
Advertisement

German cars 'among worst for engine failures'

Audi, BMW and VW ranked in the bottom 10 of a study into engine reliability

German manufacturers no longer most reliable

German-made cars are not as reliable as many believe, according to new research. Warranty Direct has studied its claims data to compile a list of the manufacturers with the most reliable engines - and Audi, BMW and Volkswagen all finished in the bottom 10 out of a total 36 makers.

Advertisement - Article continues below

In fact, the only firm whose cars had a worse engine failure rate than Audi was MG Rover. MINI wasn’t much better, finishing third from bottom, while its parent company BMW came seventh from bottom. And, despite its reputation for rock-solid reliability, Volkswagen came ninth from bottom.

Honda scooped the gold medal – the study found that just one in every 344 Honda engines failed, compared to one in every 27 Audi engines. Despite its recent recall woes, Toyota came second and Mercedes managed to outperform its fellow German brands with a respectable third-place finish.

Duncan McClure, Warranty Direct Managing Director, said that engine failures are the worst for motorists as they’re the repairs that can lead to the highest costs because of the parts and hours of labour required to fix them: “The nuber of failures may be low compared to areas such as axle and suspension damage but engine repairs almost always result in costs reaching the thousands for motorists who aren’t covered by a warranty.”

An engine failure on a Range Rover Vogue recently led to Warranty Direct’s highest ever claim of £13,000.

Top 10 manufacturers

 ManufacturerFailure rate (%)Failure rate (1 in x)
1Honda0.29%1 in 344
2Toyota0.58%1 in 171
3Mercedes0.84%1 in 119
4Volvo0.90%1 in 111
5Jaguar0.98%1 in 103

Bottom 10 manufacturers

 ManufacturerFailure rate (%)Failure rate (1 in x)
1MG Rover7.88%1 in 13
2Audi3.71%1 in 27
3MINI2.51%1 in 40
4Saab2.49%1 in 40
5Vauxhall2.46%1 in 41

What’s your view? Do you think German manufacturers still deserve their reputation for building the most reliable cars?

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Ford Escort Mexico gets new lease of life with MST Sports
MST Ford Escort - front 3/4

Ford Escort Mexico gets new lease of life with MST Sports

While not officially Fords, the MST Mk1 and Mk2 Sports should drive as sharply as they look
News
7 Jul 2025
New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range
MG IM5 - Goodwood front

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range

The all-electric IM5 brings new technology and design to the MG line-up
News
10 Jul 2025
Car Deal of the Day: Hot Volkswagen Golf GTI for a cool £287 a month
Volkswagen Golf GTI - front cornering left 1

Car Deal of the Day: Hot Volkswagen Golf GTI for a cool £287 a month

The Golf GTI has been a classic from day one – and it’s our Deal of the Day for 8 July.
News
8 Jul 2025