Used Land Rovers break - used Hondas don't

The What Car Reliability Survey 2012 uses Warranties Direct data to judge the most reliable used cars. Honda came top, Land Rover bottom.

What Car runs a survey every year to discover which used cars are reliable, and which aren’t, based on data on used car warranty claims from Warranty Direct. A simple way to judge what risks you’re taking when you buy a used car.

To no one’s surprise, cars built by makers in the Far East fare best, with the top five spots taken up by Japanese brands – Honda, Toyota, Lexus Suzuki and Subaru – and the sixth spot going to South Korea’s Hyundai.

Equally unsurprising is that it’s the Brits, the French and the Italians lurk in the bottom five of the table, with Fiat in the frame three times – Alfa Romeo, Chrysler and Jeep – along with Renault and Land Rover dead last.

Perhaps the only sensible conclusion you can reach is that car makers from the Far East not only bolt their cars together properly, they also don’t cost-cut on components.

So what an be offered in the way of mitigation – and promise for the future – for those car makers who find themselves at the bottom of the table?

For the Fiat group cars you could perhaps conclude that the takeover of Chrysler and the launch of new models will see things improve, but for Renault it’s hard to see what has changed much in the last few years to make future Renaults more reliable.

As for Land Rover, reliability has long been an issue. A big part of that is the complexity of the cars – particularly the Range Rover – and a lack of real investment under a cash-strapped Ford during its tenure.

Our experience of more recent Land Rovers is that they are much better bolted together than they ever were – although we do still moan about some silly cost cutting in some areas – but the only all new car since Tata took over is the Evoque, and it’s too soon to see that included in Warranty Direct’s figures.

The key for Land Rover will be the new cars coming on stream in the next few years – starting with the 2013 Range Rover – which will see Land Rover’s entire range renewed. Only then will we see if Tata has made long-term reliability a priority.

But for now, if you do want a used Land Rover, it’s best to make sure it has a warranty – especially if it’s a Range Rover. Paradoxically, the Range Rover is still perhaps the greatest car on the road, despite its irritating habit of breaking.