The reliable robins

IF you’re on the lookout for a reliable motor then a new report from J D Power based in the UK should certainly be able to help.

Their Vehicle Dependability Study measures the volume of problems reported by original owners over the course of the past year after one to three years of purchase. 

The trusty Skoda raced to the top of the chart with an average of just 66 problems per 100 vehicles across the course of the year, beating off Suzuki and Kia into second and third place with 79 and 80 problems each. 

Vauxhall finished a surprisingly strong fourth with 90, edging out Peugeot and Volkswagen who shared fifth, a good result for the under-fire German manufacturer. 

Ford, SEAT, Toyota and Nissan made up the rest of the top 10, just ahead of French brands Citröen and Renault. Japanese brand Honda finished marginally ahead of Korean rivals Hyundai, while major movers Jaguar and Volvo will look to improve on their joint 16th positioning. 

Heading up the bottom of the field are Mercedes, BMW and Audi who all registered more than 150 problems, while Land Rover came last with a fairly disastrous 197 problems per hundred vehicles.