Back
The Question of Unreliable Cars
10 August 2018
Hyundai has been named the most reliable car brand according to the JD Power Survey 2018. With this subject trending in the industry, we thought we would question the conundrum of unreliable cars.
Multiple surveys are undertaken every year to attempt to deduce which cars are considered the most unreliable, with data collection methods including asking car owners to rate their cars, recording how many faults are reported for the cars each year and examining the number of annual breakdowns. Such surveys include; the JD Power Survey, the Driver Power Survey and studies done by Warranty Direct.
The JD Power Survey collected its information by examining faults per 100 vehicles and surprisingly found that cars such as Audi and BMW experienced more faults than less expensive brands such as Hyundai, Suzuki, Kia and Skoda. The results are not unheard of, and continue a trend that extends, at least as far back, as 2016. The Driver Power Survey and studies done by Warranty Direct, show the same results with the former showing Lexus, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Suzuki as the most reliable and the latter showing Honda, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota as the least likely to break down.
These two studies appear to have identified the correlation between simplicity and reliability. This correlation could be a result of big name brands in the car industry aiming too high on the technology front. For example, the initial and most recent JD Power survey recorded that it was the Bluetooth connections and other “driver assist” services that were most likely to fail.
These studies are interesting as it shows that there is still merit to having a car that is simply a machine, and functions in the most simple way. It isn’t just that flashy cars are more likely to breakdown or experience faults, but with increased likelihood of fault comes increased cost. If a car is experiencing more faults, it could end up costing you, long after you drive it home from the dealership. This should cause you to question whether the extra cost is even worth it, if the car that your money buys can’t even be guaranteed to get you from A to B.
This is where, as a Fleet Leasing organisation, we can input our two cents on the matter. If you are a person who wants an updated fleet or to offer your employees the best perks for joining your company it may be better to lease these cars. With leased cars, such as those you can obtain from Marshall Leasing, you can be confident they have maintenance and breakdown cover. This is preferable to buying them outright where any incidents over their lifetime will be a large financial drain.
The consultancy services that we offer at Marshall Leasing could also be useful in ensuring that you are running the most cost-effective fleets. For example, monitoring driver score with MarshallMatics and relaying the results to your driver could encourage conscious driving behaviour on their part leading to less wear and tear on the vehicle, perhaps further reducing servicing or repair cost.
The most important thing that leasing from Marshall provides is peace of mind with our breakdown recovery services. If any of the cars in your fleet do end up breaking down, Marshall Leasing can arrange to have a relief vehicle dispatched to any location within two hours of the incident (traffic and road conditions permitting).
ENDS
Links
AutoExpress:
CarBuyer:
Daily Express:
Fleet News:
Marshall Matics:
The Independent:
Back