Google Data Reveals The Most Unreliable Cars On The Market
Vauxhall is the least reliable car brand in the UK, according to a new study by Scrap Car Comparison that analysed over 2 million Google searches.
Getting under the bonnet of the particular car makes and models that owners are regularly turning to Google trouble-shooting assistance, the study analysed breakdown related search volumes for almost 500 different models offering a free scrap vehicle check. The data was then cross-referenced with the sales figures for each model to achieve a fair comparison.
The resulting ‘Crap Car Comparison Index’ reveals that British manufacturer Vauxhall is the least reliable, with over 56,000 Google searches logged per year from Vauxhall owners hunting for advice around a fault, warning light or breakdown. BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz also featured as some of the 10 manufactures you can rely on least, showing that German engineering maybe isn’t what it once was. Brands such as Toyota and Volkswagen fared better, with comparatively low searches vs. their high yearly sales leaving them outside of the top 15.
The UK’s Least Reliable Car Manufacturers
| Rank | Manufacturer | UK Yearly Search Volume for Faults (accumlated from all models) | Cars Sold Per Year (Approx.) | Score (Higher score = Less reliable) |
| 1 | Vauxhall | 56,670 | 808,576 | 70.08 |
| 2 | BMW | 52,860 | 2,028,000 | 26.06 |
| 3 | Ford | 55,750 | 4,200,000 | 13.27 |
| 4 | Audi | 21,990 | 1,692,773 | 12.99 |
| 5 | Land Rover | 6,830 | 579,000 | 11.79 |
| 6 | Nissan | 38,290 | 4,930,000 | 7.76 |
| 7 | Fiat | 27,560 | 4,300,000 | 6.40 |
| 8 | Kia | 15,170 | 2,600,000 | 5.83 |
| 9 | Mazda | 6,950 | 1,243,005 | 5.59 |
| 10 | Mercedes Benz | 8,690 | 2,164,187 | 4.01 |
| 11 | Renault | 13,810 | 3,818,411 | 3.61 |
| 12 | Volvo | 2,230 | 705,452 | 3.16 |
| 13 | Honda | 12,210 | 4,800,000 | 2.54 |
| 14 | Peugeot | 7,360 | 3,500,000 | 2.10 |
| 15 | Hyundai | 9,790 | 7,400,000 | 1.32 |
When breaking the results down further to individual car models, the data revealed a similar story, with the Vauxhall Insignia, Mokka, Zafira and Meriva all ranking as some of the least reliable cars on the market. Although owners of the brand’s most successful model, the Corsa, will be relieved to see the hatchback falling outside of the top 15.
However, taking the unfortunate crown of the least reliable car in the UK was the popular BMW 1 Series. The sporty hatchback has historically gained favorable reviews from motoring critics, however the reality of owning one seems to result in a variety of faults, with over 30,000 searches a year logged for 1 Series breakdown advice.
