Which Car Brands Are Most Expensive to Repair? New Research Reveals All

There’s plenty to consider when buying a car, new or used. Reliability is an important factor, but every car is going to go wrong at some point - it’s inevitable. At least one or two of the thousands of mechanical and electrical components in a modern car are bound to let you down at some point.

An important question to ask, then, is how expensive are these faults likely to be? Are there car manufacturers to avoid if you want to keep repair costs down?

The answer is yes. According to analysis from Warrantywise, some of Britain’s favourite car manufacturers charge significantly less than others for repairs.

Warrantywise looked at the 10 best-selling car brands in the UK and analysed repair costs to work out an average.

Although the sample size varied from brand to brand, the average repair cost was based on ‘at least 500’ different jobs over 2021 and 2022, the company said.

The ranking
It’s not a good showing for German manufacturers, which make up the top three - although it’s no surprise to see these luxury brands ranking above companies like Ford and Vauxhall.

Nissan and Ford are significantly outperformed by archrivals Toyota and Vauxhall respectively, but Kia is the real star of the show. Not only does it offer an industry-leading seven-year warranty, but its cars are also the cheapest to repair of any on the list.

1. BMW – £1,282
2. Audi – £1,164
3. Mercedes – £992
4. Nissan – £991
5. Ford – £960
6. Volkswagen – £892
7. Toyota – £828
8. Hyundai – £806
9. Vauxhall – £706
10. Kia – £646

Speaking to Car Dealer Magazine, Warrantywise CEO Lawrence Whittaker said: “Data like this helps motorists on the hunt for a new used vehicle think ahead about which brand fits best into their budget, long-term.

“Although these costs will inevitably go up as the cost of living keeps increasing into next year, hopefully this information will help dealers understand what cars consumers will be looking to buy as the effects of rising prices keep developing.

“Since the data was selected, Warrantywise has seen a significant rise in the price of labour and parts, which will impact future repair costs.”

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