The annual Which? car survey is one of the largest motorist surveys assessing car reliability in the UK, collecting detailed feedback from over 48,000 vehicle owners. The survey asked owners if there had been any faults with their cars in the 12 months prior to answering.
Overall, the consumer group found that of cars up to four years old, nearly one in three electric vehicle (EV) owners reported one fault or more, compared to less than one in five petrol cars. They also went an average of just over five days without the use of their car while it was being fixed – compared to just three days for petrol cars.
It found that Tesla is the least reliable EV brand with two fifths (39 per cent) of Tesla owners reporting at least one fault in the prior four years and one in 20 (5 per cent) had a breakdown or failed to start.
Among cars four years old or less, the Kia e-Niro, which starts from £32,895, was found to be the most reliable EV and also the most reliable...