Peugeot 207 is most reliable European car

As Europe’s leading motoring showcase, the Geneva Motor Show, comes to a close, Warranty Direct has revealed that the most reliable car to come out of our great continent is the Peugeot 207.

It might not be a show-stopper like the Lamborghini Aventador launched at Geneva, but the diminutive French hatchback is certainly dependable, with only one in 17 breaking down in an average year.

Warranty Direct analysed more than 20,000 live policies on European cars aged 3 to 7 years for its Reliability Index website (reliabilityindex.com).

At the other end of the scale, 47% of the Mercedes SL models covered by Warranty Direct recorded a fault, with 36% of those suspension-related.

Fiat’s Panda is the second most reliable, with only 14% of owners likely to have to pay for repairs, followed by another Peugeot, the 206 CC, which, as well as needing relatively little attention, is also cheap to repair when it does go wrong, costing on average £185 to put right.     

The Renault Clio is the cheapest to repair at £173 on average, while the most expensive single claim among the bottom five cars was £7,239 for a BMW 7-Series fault.

To measure a car’s overall reliability and running costs, Warranty Direct’s Reliability Index reviews rate of failure, average mileage, age and repair cost to calculate its rating, called Reliability Index.

Warranty Direct managing director, Duncan McClure Fisher, said: “Some people might be surprised to see Fiat and Peugeot claiming the top three positions, but the data doesn’t lie - these cars are very dependable - It’s perhaps less surprising to see a couple of VWs in the top 10.

“Running a car is a costly business, particularly when a car moves into its fourth and fifth year, when most cars leave the protection of a manufacturer warranty. Anything that gives a little extra peace of mind, like getting further warranty cover or simply doing research about the car you’re buying, is worthwhile.”  

More information can be found at any time at Warranty Direct’s reliabilityindex.co.uk website.