Most Reliable Used Cars – TOP 5 Brands

Which cars are the most breakdown-prone, and which can be considered the least breakdown-prone cars – discussions on this topic usually end in an argument, because each participant is convinced that his or her opinion is correct. Fortunately, one does not always have to rely solely on subjective feelings. Failure rate rankings give a more concrete answer.

 

Why Choose Most Reliable Used Cars?

Every breakdown involves downtime and expenses. These may not be small. Sometimes it is enough to “reset” the module in which the error occurred to effectively resolve the problem. However, this is not always possible. It is also not always immediately known what the cause of the fault is. Diagnosis alone, even by a very experienced mechanic, can take more time and the subsequent repair can cost as much as a second car. It’s no wonder, then, that so many people opt for the least-failure cars possible, putting other criteria to the back of their minds.

 

 

This may mean that in the driveway in front of the house will appear not a sporty Mercedes coupe, but, for example, a tried-and-true compact, a Volkswagen Golf equipped with a not so exciting, but durable engine. However, the choice in each case depends on needs and possibilities. If the car is to be an occasionally used toy, you can afford any models. If, on the other hand, a daily and reliable means of getting around, the greater reliability of a given model will certainly make a difference.

 

 

A less-failure car, therefore, means lower costs, less unnecessarily wasted time and greater safety – advantages that are hard to ignore.

 

How is the Reliability Ranking Produced?

Reliability ranking of cars is considered the surest way to objectively verify which are the least and which are the most faulty vehicles among those available in showrooms or on the secondary market. A separate – and often questioned – issue is the reliability of the rankings, because they are based each time on a specific slice of data.

For example, the ADAC ranking is based on reports of breakdowns by German drivers. We are talking about cases when roadside assistance is called to vehicles immobilized on the road. Dekra’s rankings, on the other hand, are based on malfunctions detected during an inspection at a vehicle inspection station – so the data does not include malfunctions that were repaired between inspections.

 

 

What if drivers were asked for their opinion? This is what the authors of the “What Car?” rankings do, and of course, this approach is not without flaws either. First, it is impossible to interview all drivers. Second, the reliability of the answers also comes into question. Does this mean that reliability rankings should be considered a priori unworthy of attention? On the contrary.

It’s worth checking which models in a given list appeared in high and low positions – and even if you don’t treat the ranking as an absolute oracle, at least as a guideline for making an individual purchase decision.

 

Most Reliable Used Cars in 2024

Which city cars, family cars, vans or electric cars deserve attention? And conversely, which models in particular should be avoided? These are the key questions buyers are asking themselves. They are also questions whose answers can be sought precisely in reliability rankings.

 

Top 5 Least Failing Cars

1) Lexus NX

Futuristic design, luxurious equipment, excellent workmanship and very good quality of materials used inside. The Lexus NX hybrid is highly regarded among drivers. Statistics showed the lowest number of breakdowns in the first years of the NX model. Moreover, a significant part was repaired at the manufacturer’s expense – under warranty. Deciding on a Lexus NX, there is apparently nothing to complain about, except for the purchase price. This one, even in the most basic version, will not be low at all.

 

2) Toyota Yaris

The first Toyota Yaris debuted on the market in 1999, which means that the urban model has just turned a quarter century. For twenty-five years, the little Toyota has gained a massive following, appreciating it for its above-average durability in its segment, as well as its practicality. It’s a model that surprisingly combines small exterior dimensions with comfortable interior travel.

 

3) MINI Cooper SE

The MINI brand has never been known for its reliability, so the high place of the Cooper SE model, an all-electric MINI, can safely be considered a surprise. However, this is a big change, which is no coincidence – the MINI Countryman was also highly rated. So it looks like the historic brand has made really good progress in recent years. The question is whether customers will also appreciate it.

 

4) Suzuki Vitara

The Suzuki Vitara is a model well known to lovers of tearing through the roughest terrain – with superbly refined four-wheel drive, the older Vitara seemed almost unstoppable. The latest Suzuki editions lack off-road claw, but users have found other advantages in them. These include reliability – so the Suzuki Vitara is another interesting representative when it comes to the least failure-prone cars.

 

5) Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

As with the MINI, the Mitsubishi Outlander can also be said to have undergone a major change for the better. While the former Outlanders were regarded as bottomless piggy banks, the new models – in addition to the PHEV hybrid version – are very positively surprising. They are spacious and versatile cars that lack nothing. What for many will be another advantage, they cost slightly less than their high-end Western competitors.

 

Comparison of the Most Reliable Used Cars

Are the models chosen this time as the least faulty cars a surprise? For some, certainly – as it turned out that electric and hybrid cars, so far treated as neglected, are doing quite decently. On the other hand, the brands – mostly Japanese – are not surprising, which shows once again that their reputation does not come from nothing.

Both advanced and modern designs work well, as well as somewhat simpler solutions based on standards established over the years. However, which – of the cars currently being produced – will stand the actual test of time? We will find out in the future. Experts, however, seem to cool down expressions of excessive optimism.

 

Factors Affecting Automobile Reliability

It’s not the brand’s reputation, but what goes into it that makes some cars perform better and others worse as they age and wear out.

 

Quality of Workmanship

High quality workmanship – what does it consist of? Durability of the materials used, their mutual fit and resistance to wear. Precision of assembly. Quality is also a well-thought-out design, allowing the replacement of specific components instead of entire subassemblies if necessary. In keeping with its good reputation and in line with the results of the rankings, Toyota and its more luxurious brand, Lexus, are leading the way. In the context of the most reliable vehicles, one usually thinks of them.

 

Maintenance and Service

In the face of improper operation, even trouble-free cars will quickly begin to wear out and break down. That’s why, among other things, regular maintenance and service are so important to keep a vehicle in the best possible shape. It is worthwhile to cover the undercarriage with an anti-corrosion coating from time to time, and regular oil changes along with a set of filters – every 10,000 km or so, or every year – probably don’t even need to be reminded. Any neglect of these issues will bring only apparent savings. In the future, however, they will prove to be very costly.

 

Driver’s Driving Style

Ford, Hyundai, Mazda, Opel or Peugeot – each of these brands has a history of models that some drivers loved, while others would most like to forget their existence at all. Is this the fault of the cars? Only in part, because drivers themselves also have no small influence on what faults most often affected their cars. Driving on half-clutch, sawing the engine, rapid acceleration and braking, jumping curbs – all these are things to be avoided if you want to ensure trouble-free operation of your vehicles.

 

The Future of the Most Reliable Used Cars

Reliable cars – do they exist? Or: did they ever exist? While there have been particularly successful, at least in terms of durability, models throughout automotive history, none have been without flaws. In the future, too, more and less defective cars will be offered, but if someone dreamed of covering a million kilometers without an engine overhaul, they will be sorely disappointed. But let’s remember that in the past, too, such feats were rare.

Motorization is changing, and with it the least and the most failure-prone vans, cars, trucks. New technologies, types of propulsion, but also evolving driver expectations faster than ever before – all this means that no one thinks about cars for years anymore.

 

New Technologies in the Automotive Industry

Each year brings more and more advanced solutions to the automotive market, and manufacturers are outdoing themselves in finding new ways to please customers. Breakdowns associated with these “inventions” are no exception, and it’s not only among older drivers that there are opinions that the best cars are the simplest ones. In them there is simply nothing to break down. The thing is, such ones are no longer offered by any manufacturer.

Electric cars with drivetrains that can’t be repaired without a lab. Automatic systems that take out the driver for autonomous cars. Increasingly complex suspensions that choose road bumps even better. All these modern developments have their supporters. In many cases, only up to a certain point, because in the event of any malfunction, the chances of quickly restoring such a vehicle to working order diminish dramatically.

 

Trends in the Automotive Industry

When analyzing the failure rate of vehicles, it is worth considering one more element. Not all solutions used are the result of manufacturers’ decisions alone. In many cases, they are enforced by regulations – national or European, including those related to care for ecology.

It is as a consequence of them that automotive giants have largely abandoned large-capacity engines, replacing them with small turbocharged and, as a result, also very powerful units. SCR (AdBlue) catalysts were also not installed by any manufacturer of their own accord.

Do regulations – local or supra-local – only have a “negative” effect on automotive development? Not necessarily. In numerous cases, they serve the drivers themselves, improving their safety or guaranteeing vehicle manufacturer liability in case of defects. They also make harmful practices come to light, as Volkswagen found out with the so-called dieselgate (by the way, casting doubt on the legendary honesty of our Western neighbors).

 

Is It Worth Investing in the Most Reliable Used Cars?

Malfunctioning cars happen – whether it’s an urban mini class or luxury SUVs, every manufacturer gets more or less successful models. And is it worth investing in cars considered to be the most durable? Of course it is – but at the same time keeping in mind that in the aftermarket the durability of the structure is one thing, while exploitation by previous owners is a completely different matter.

Even the most resilient design will not last long if the user does not follow the basic rules of operation. And then fewer reported failures in the failure rate rankings will not help much.