11:26 am, May 7, 2026
The Land Rover Discovery is the UK’s most unreliable used car, according to fresh data from Warrantywise.
The warranty provider has released the results of its annual Reliability Index, which sees the firm ranking used cars in several key areas.
More than 250 models were judged on request frequency, average vehicle age at time of fault, average mileage and average labour time to give a comprehensive overview of which cars can be trusted best.
Each car was then given an overall score out of 100 with the Discovery coming bottom of the pile with a meagre score of just 17.2.
The data, which covers the period between January 2023 and January 2026, also found that the average repair price for an issue with a used Discovery was £2,050.24, with the most expensive repair costing a whopping £25,694.93
The list of unreliable models was large SUVs and executive saloons, with the BMW 7 Series (18.7) also performing terribly, along with the Mercedes S-Class (and Audi A7 (both 19.2).
Overall, Land Rover products made up half of the top ten most unreliable cars, with the Range Rover Velar and Sport both featuring alongside the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Defender 110.
The most expensive repair request on the list was £30,675.02 to fix a BMW X5, while the 7 Series had the highest average repair cost at £2,467.37.
The most unreliable used cars
- Land Rover Discovery: 17.2
- BMW 7 Series: 18.7
- Mercedes-Benz S-Class: 19.2
- Audi A7: 19.2
- Range Rover Velar: 19.7
- Range Rover Sport: 21.1
- BMW X5: 23.6
- Land Rover Discovery Sport: 24.1
- BMW X7: 26.5
- Land Rover Defender 110: 28.0
Source: Warrantywise
Reacting to the findings, Antony Diggins, managing director of Warrantywise, said: ‘As the UK car parc continues to age, more vehicles – particularly SUVs and premium models – are moving into a stage of ownership where repair requests become more likely.
‘That doesn’t make them the wrong used cars to retail, but it does mean they need to be approached differently.
For [used car] dealers, the opportunity lies in understanding the full ownership picture.
Access to real-world repair data provides valuable insight beyond a [dealer’s] typical stock profile, helping to inform buying decisions, highlight areas for inspection and better anticipate preparation costs before a vehicle reaches the forecourt.’
At the other end of the scale, the Toyota Yaris came out as the most reliable used car, with an overall score of 89.2.
That was enough to see off stiff competition from the Kia Picanto (86.8) and Toyota Aygo (83.8) in a list dominated by affordable Japanese models.
Of the ten most reliable used cars, eight come from Japan, with the only European entries being the Peugoet 108 (78.9) and Citroen C1 (78.0).
The most reliable used cars
- Toyota Yaris: 89.2
- Kia Picanto: 86.8
- Toyota Aygo: 83.8
- Toyota Rav-4: 79.9
- Peugeot 108: 78.9
- Toyota Hilux: 78.4
- Citroen C1: 78.0
- Suzuki Vitara: 78.0
- Kia Ceed: 77.5
- Suzuki Swift: 77.5
Source: Warrantywise
Offering advice on what the findings mean for dealers, Diggins added: ‘It’s about buying with clear visibility on cost exposure, preparing vehicles thoroughly and helping customers plan for the realities of longer-term ownership.
‘Our data is designed to support exactly that – giving dealers the insight they need to protect margin, manage risk and build confidence with their customers.’
