Breakdown statistics 2020: Which cars are particularly reliable - and which are not
Cologne. If you want to know something about the technical quality of a car, you should consult as many sources as possible. In addition to Internet forums, long-term test reports and HU rankings, the breakdown statistics of the automobile clubs are also an important piece of the puzzle in the overall picture. The ADAC has now evaluated its average operations from last year and named the most reliable models. An overview.
In its statistics, the automobile club evaluated around 3.8 million breakdowns of 113 passenger car model series from 25 brands. The club rated the models that are among the top 40 percent of their class in terms of breakdown numbers in all model years as "top". "Flops" are cars that are among the worst 5 percent in a year of construction. A total of 18 models qualified for the negative assessment, 37 landed in the best category.
Among the smallest cars, the Toyota Aygo performed best – even among ten-year-old cars, only just under 9 out of 1,000 registered vehicles needed help from a Yellow Angel. Notorious weaknesses were not noticed. The VW Fox, which is already quite old, is also puncture-proof with a breakdown index of 22 accidents per 1,000 registrations. Timing chain and ignition coil are among the weak points.
At the bottom of the failure ranking are the Smart Fortwo and Smart Forfour from the 2015 and 2016 model years as well as the Fiat 500 (2014 – 2015).
A large selection of reliable models are available one class higher. Eleven small cars perform particularly well, including more expensive examples such as the Audi A1 and Mini, but also low-cost models such as the Fiat Punto, Citroen C3 and Mitsubishi Space Star.
Even small SUVs such as Peugeot 2008, Renault Captur, Mazda CX-3 and Suzuki Vitara rarely needed help. Reliable models also included Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris. In the list of the most common reasons for breakdowns, problems with the ignition are noticeable in many models.
The Japanese small car is cheap, but does well in the breakdown statistics.
This is also known from the Hyundai i20, which is one of the flop models in the breakdown statistics in the 2011 to 2014 model years. The Yellow Angels had to be deployed up to 47 times per 1,000 registrations (built in 2013). The Opel Meriva from 2017 is hardly better in form, sharing the red lantern with the Korean.
In the compact class, the selection of breakdown-resistant cars is also large. Above all, there are numerous models from German manufacturers, including especially the premium mobiles from Audi (A3, Q3), BMW (1 Series, 2 Series, X1) and Mercedes (CLA, GLA, A- and B-Class). They are joined by the VW Beetle and the Skoda Rapid, equipped with Golf and Polo technology. The only real import models are the Mitsubishi ASX and the Hyundai Tucson among the top models.
The list of flops is similarly long as the ranking of the reliable, which includes buyers such as the Nissan Qashqai (2016 and 2017), Peugeot 308 (2010 Р2012) and Kia Ceed (2011 Р2013). With Ford Kuga (2012) and C-Max (2010), two German models can also be found among the most vulnerable compact cars. Hyundai i30 (2010), Kia Sportage (2011), Renault Kangoo (2015 Р2017) and Renault Sc̩nic (2014 Р2015) complete the list.
The model from the Ingolstadt-based company is considered particularly reliable.
In the mid-range, there is a clear German dominance among the top models. Audi (A4, A5, Q5) and BMW (3 Series, 4 Series, X3) place almost their entire segment range at the top of the field. Mercedes is only represented with the SUV GLC and its predecessor GLK, but does not make it to the podium with the C-Class.
Trailing at the bottom of the list is the Opel Insignia (2015 – 2016), a classic company car with high mileage. It is flanked by the three large vans Seat Alhambra (2013, 2014, 2017), VW Sharan (2013, 2014, 2017) and Ford S-Max (2010, 2016, 2017), which are often driven by families, especially in older model years, where the money for maintenance and repairs is not always quite so loose.
In the small and elite luxury class, the German premium manufacturers remain among themselves. The trio of Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes GLE has a top record. But even in this segment, the Stuttgart sedan does not make it into the top group.
Rather, it ends up on the flop side: The Mercedes E-Class (2010, 2011) repeatedly attracts attention with battery, ignition lock and steering problems. Compared to the two Bavarian competitors, however, the Mercedes is also likely to be exposed to particular stress statistically, not least due to the frequent use of taxis.
In the ADAC breakdown statistics, the luxury class model performs worse than the competition.
In general, the ranking does not allow absolute quality judgements. One of the most important distorting factors is the fact that some manufacturers maintain their own breakdown services. Often as part of a mobility guarantee that applies to the first few years of new cars. Their vehicles are then not listed in the ADAC statistics.
In addition, high-priced models are usually likely to perform statistically better than cheap ones because their owners can or want to invest more in care and maintenance. In addition, such cars are more often parked in garages, which makes them less sensitive to cold-related battery failures, among other things – one of the main reasons for ADAC deployment.
A cheap car that is well maintained by its owner can therefore be just as reliable as the model of an expensive brand in individual cases. Anyone planning to buy a car should therefore not rely solely on breakdown statistics, but also consult other sources.