What cars should not be bought for a family: the most unreliable models

The first thing people expect from family cars is reliability. Family hatchbacks remain popular in the market, despite the growing demand for SUVs.

In the annual study, What Car experts together with MotorEasy asked users to rate the reliability of cars and determined which models should not be chosen. Not all family cars will provide trouble-free driving.

"We gathered information from 21,732 drivers, asking them to tell us about any malfunctions of their cars in the previous 24 months," the report says.

To add more detail for each model and to alert potential buyers to common problems, the experts also noted where the malfunctions occurred, asking owners to choose from 14 different components.

Volkswagen Golf (from 2020 to the present)

Malfunction statistics:

• Transmission/clutch - 11% of respondents;

• satellite navigation/infotainment system - 11%;,
• Electrics outside the engine - 11%;
• air conditioning - 8%;
• body - 8%;
• brakes - 5%;
• engine - 5%;
• 12-volt battery - 3%;
• engine electrical system - 3%;
• fuel system - 3%.

The current Golf suffers from problems with the infotainment system and other electrical systems. Transmission failures are common. Many of the electrical technologies were very unreliable, so several updates were required to work properly.

Seat Leon (2020-present)

Malfunction statistics:

• Satellite navigation/infotainment system - 44%;
• Electrics without engine - 22%;
• body and interior trim - 11%;
• engine electrics - 7%;

• transmission/clutch - 7%;
• battery - 4%.

The high percentage of malfunctions puts Leon in the top three outsiders: 58% of the reported vehicles failed, with most problems involving the satellite navigation or infotainment system. These malfunctions were resolved slowly: 62% of the cars were in the workshops for more than a week. However, Seat covered the costs of 97% of the fixes, which made the situation a little easier.

Skoda Octavia (2020-present)

Problems with non-engine-related electrical systems, such as the satellite navigation/infotainment system, plagued the newest Octavia, accounting for 52% of all reported faults. In general, 35% of cars had problems, although Skoda withstood 97% of repairs.

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