Top Ten Least Reliable 4x4

With all the recent bad weather, many people are asking whether or not it is a good idea to switch to a 4x4 for their next vehicle purchase. The recent findings released by Warranty Direct looked at the most common faults and breakdowns for over 150,000 cars between the age of 3 -8 and the results can be found below.

Drum roll please, and now announcing the losers

• In tenth place is the Toyota Landcruiser with the average repair bill costing £525.01, it's still a tough SUV and favourite for many.
• In ninth place is the Nissan X-trail with an average repair bill of £433.18, still the most popular choice of 4x4's for families.
• In eighth place is the Lexus RX with an average repair bill of £571.60, still a rival to Toyota but with a steeper repair bill.
• In seventh place is the Land Rover Freelander with an average repair bill of £370.23, it's a much improved model of the previous.
• In sixth place is the Nissan Terrano with an average repair bill of £277.25, with good reliability and cheap repair bills. The low price tag makes up for the old fashioned design and well suited to outdoor families.
• In fifth place is the Kia Sorento with an average repair bill of £332.34, it's cheaper to fix and also much more reliable than a Landcruiser but won't win awards for lack of design and imagination.
• In fourth place is the Mitsubishi Shogun with an average repair bill of £595.58, expensive to fix with even worse reliability.
• In third place is the Toyota Rav4 with the average repair bill of £330.58, the most simple and sensible 4x4 available.
• In second place is the Suzuki Grand Vitara with an average repair bill of £219.63, a good sized 4x4 perfect for urban driving, reliable and reasonable repair bill.
• In first place is the Honda CR-V with a repair bill of £239.63, no surprise that the Japanese Honda maker is among the top 5 most reliable vehicles.

The results for this survey were compiled over a period of time and ranging in age of vehicles. It was found that vehicles over the age of 3 were more likely to be less reliable than those that were under. As most vehicles come with the standard 3 year warranty if anything were to go wrong during this time, you can be assured that the manufacturer would repair this free of charge. If you are thinking of buying a 4x4, it's worth speaking to a mechanic who could recommend which ones are more reliable and cheaper to repair as well what re-sale value you will get afterwards.