Rover - Volvo

ROVER
24th out of 32

Last years position 16th out of 30
Cars needing repair work 30%
Average repair cost 333
Star models 45 (99-04)/Streetwise (03-05)
Just like its MG sibling, Rover is gently sliding down the results table. Two of its cars did manage five-star ratings, but the rest were a long way behind. Rovers suffered more engine issues than any other brand, these accounting for 27% of all faults. The 75 (99-04) turned in the worst score, with a third of all cars failing.

SAAB
29th out of 32

Last years position 25th out of 30
Cars needing repair work 43%
Average repair cost 289
Star model 9-5 (05-)
Saabs best-performing model, the 9-5 (05-) was awarded only three stars, suffering 23 faults per 100 vehicles. The older 9-5 (97-01) proved nearly as sturdy, with 25 faults per 100 vehicles. The rest of the range scored three stars or lower, with the 9-3 (02-) the model to avoid it got only one star. Saabs suffered a higher percentage of engine faults than most brands.

SEAT
20th out of 32

Last years position 26th out of 30
Cars needing repair work 27%
Average repair cost 288
Star model Leon (05-)
With a slightly better-than-average performance, Seat has just managed to scrape four stars overall. The best model, the Leon (05-), suffered 28 breakdowns per 100 cars, while the worst model, the Cordoba (01-06), received one star, with 50% of cars failing. The Alhambra (00-) generated the highest warranty claim for a Seat, at 1245. At 288, the average repair cost for Seat was reasonable, and the cars took just over two hours to repair.

SKODA
8th out of 32

Last years position 22nd out of 30
Cars needing repair work 22%
Average repair cost 255
Star model Octavia (04-)
Skodas dramatic improvement earns it
a place in the top 10 for the first time since 2005. The Octavia (04-) may have been the best performer, with four stars and a failure rate of 21 per 100, but the Octavia (98-04) and Fabia (00-07) werent far behind, with failure rates of 21 and 26 per 100 respectively. Even the worst model, the Superb (02-08), still got three stars, with 30 breakdowns per 100 cars.

SMART
13th out of 32

Last years position Not in survey
Cars needing repair work 25%
Average repair cost 251
Star model Fortwo (03-07)
The newer Fortwo proved much more reliable than the older City Coup (99-04), with 12% fewer malfunctions per 100 cars and an overall rating of four out of five. Wonky electrics are Smarts Achilles heel, causing 42% of all breakdowns, while axle and suspension woes generated 28% of faults. The average 251 repair cost is one of the lowest in the survey.

Subaru has moved up to second place; the Forester is its most reliable modelSUBARU
2nd out of 32

Last years position 7th out of 30
Cars needing repair work 11%
Average repair cost 338
Star model Forester (03-08)
Subaru has steadily improved in recent years to take the silver medal in this supertest. All of its models achieved five-star results, with the worst model, the Legacy (91-03), suffering just 18 failures per 100 cars. Axle and suspension issues accounted for 50% of all breakdowns.

TOYOTA
5th out of 32

Last years position 3rd out of 30
Cars needing repair work 13%
Average repair cost 369
Star model Corolla (02-07)
Despite reducing its failure rate over the last few years, Toyota has still slipped in our league table. The Corolla continues to be the most dependable model, with the 02-07 car suffering an 8% failure rate, and the 00-02
car having nine failures per 100 cars. When things did go wrong with a Toyota, the electrics, the cooling system and the suspension were usually to blame.

VAUXHALL
27th out of 32

Last years position 12th out of 30
Cars needing repair work 34%
Average repair cost 268
Star model Agila (00-08)
Vauxhall has been relegated to the reliability fourth division. A few cars did manage five-star results the Agila (00-08), the Astra (04-09) and Tigra (04-09) but the rest of the range dragged the overall score down. The Vectra (02-05) and Signum (03-08) both got only one star, with 50 and 58 failures per 100 cars respectively.

VOLKSWAGEN
19th out of 32

Last years position 20th out of 30
Cars needing repair work 27%
Average repair cost 324
Star models Beetle (00-)/Lupo (99-05)
Volkswagen rarely does well in our reliability surveys, and this year is no exception. Its best model managed 21 failures per 100 cars, good enough for a four-star rating, but the Sharan (00-) suffered 41 breakdowns per 100 cars, while the Touareg (03-) was affected by 32 faults per 100. The Golf (04-08) had 24 faults per 100 cars.

VOLVO
16th out of 32

Last years position 15th out of 30
Cars needing repair work 26%
Average repair cost 409
Star model S40 (96-04)
In a carbon copy of last years result, Volvo finishes in the middle of our reliability supertest. The S40 (96-04) just beat the V50 (04-) as the most dependable model, with both cars scoring five out of five, while the C70 coupe and convertible (97-05), V40 (96-04) and S60 (00-08) all ranked as three-star cars. The XC90 came last, with a failure rate of 35 per 100, earning just two stars. Volvo had one of the highest average repair costs in this years survey.

10 Renault
Grand Scnic (04-09)
58 faults per 1009 Vauxhall
Signum (03-08)
58 faults per 1008 Land Rover
Range Rover (02-)
59 faults per 1007 Citron
Synergie (95-02)
60 faults per 1006 Audi
A8 (99-02)
62 faults per 1005 Audi
Allroad (00-05)
63 faults per 1004 Alfa Romeo
GT (05-)
68 faults per 1003 Audi
RS6 (02-04)
71 faults per 1002 Ford
Escort (90-01)
75 faults per 1001 Alfa Romeo
GTV (96-03)
77 faults per 100