Warranty Direct has just released a survey which could put a spanner in the works for new car buyers. Their research shows that some older models of popular cars are much more reliable than their new counterparts. In order to come up with the figures automotive specialist, Warranty Direct analysed 50,000 live policies over a 12 month period. On average among the 10 models with the greatest disparity in failure rates, newer variants are almost 10% more likely to break down than older cars.
The Jaguar XJ manufactured from 2003 had the greatest difference in failure rates. It is 21% less likely to break down than the new version according to this report although the chance of failure is still a high 56 per cent. The Renault Espace produced from 2002 was 11% less likely to fail as was the Vauxhall Zafira produced from 2005. The Porsche Boxster produced onwards of 2004 had a 10% less failure rate than its current equivalent and the 2005 Audi A4 was 8% less liable to fail than the newer model. The Ford Fiesta produced between 2002 and 2008 had a 6% disparity as did the Volkswagen Golf of 2004 to 2009. Both the Jeep Cherokee of 2005 onwards and the Mercedes CLK of 2002 onwards had a 5% difference and the previous BMW 3-Series (2005 - 2011) had a 3% disparity. Warranty Direct managing director, Duncan McClure Fisher, said: “Buying new may be the most desirable option when it comes to purchasing a car but it isn’t always the most cost-effective route. “Our analysis shows that new doesn’t necessarily mean more reliable. We also found that repair costs are often higher for new models so, as well as paying over the odds for a new car, you may also be opening yourself up to additional, unwanted costs.” The average repair cost for a Ford Fiesta built between 2002 and ’08 is almost double that paid by owners of a ’95-’02 model, while the largest claim seen by Warranty Direct for the newer car, an eye-watering £2,076.40, dwarfs the largest bill for its older counterpart. Newer Vauxhall Zafiras are around twice as likely as older models to suffer an electrical fault, with 45% breaking on average each year, while one in three ’05-’09 Audi A4s will have engine woes, as opposed to only one in 10 ’00-’05 cars. Meanwhile, more recent BMW 3 Series models are three times more prone to picking up brake system problems, with almost one in seven ’05-’11 models requiring workshop visits.
