The study reveals that the Peugeot Bipper, SEAT Toledo and Citroën Nemo are the least reliable vehicles on UK roads.
Interestingly, the majority of the vehicles in the top 10 list are compact or full-size vans typically used for commercial use.
Taking the top spot is the Peugeot Bipper, where 366 of the 3,279 new registrations in 2024 were scrapped in the past decade. This created a reliability score of 88.84%.
In the years prior to 2014, the van was subject to a number of recalls such as risks of engine failure and cracks to the rear crossmember if the suspension was repeatedly extended to maximum travel.
In second position is the SEAT Toledo. Between 2014-2023, 140 vehicles were scrapped compared to the 1,492 that were registered – creating a reliability score of 90.62%. Followed closely behind is the Citroën Nemo, which has a reliability score of 92.77%. Out of the 2,267 new registrations, the study highlighted that 164 were scrapped.
When it comes to the lifespan of a vehicle, there are numerous factors that contribute to this. Anything from general wear and tear, to failure and severe accidents can affect how long your car will remain reliable for. If you’re regularly using your vehicle or making long trips in harsh weather conditions, you may notice that wear and tear appears quicker, leading to a shorter lifespan.
Dorry Potter, vehicle expert at National Scrap Car said, “Typically drivers hold on to their vehicles for 8 years, while you can expect a standard car to last around 12 years or about 200,000 miles. Looking at the volume of manufacturers within the data we can see some appear again and again for their different models. The manufacturers with the highest number of occurrences are Audi, Volkswagen, Peugeot, BMW and Toyota.”
Top 10 least reliable models
