Britains Most unreliable car survey

[R2D2]

My kids play a game when we are out and about which is to count which nationality of cars is broken down at the roadside the most. The breakdown doesn't count if it is obviously a puncture because anyone can get a puncture.

From our years of playing this game the answer is French cars seem to spend more time on the hard shoulder than any other.

But there are also special categories for Rover as old Rovers are stationary everywhere but the most unreliable car from our survey is the ubiquitous Vauxhall Zafira!

Start counting the following and update this thread with your results in our first national survey.

To made it easy just collect results in these categories:

1. French cars.
2. German cars excluding Mercedes
3. Mercedes Cars
4. Rovers
5. Vauxhall Zafiras

 

[MBManInKen]

How about broken down cars you don't see near the road as they are on the owner's driveway, or where they have stopped for other reasons?

What about statistical relevance of the data set?

Slightly more relevant data to be found here.

 

[jamesmc]

How about broken down cars you don't see near the road as they are on the owner's driveway, or where they have stopped for other reasons?

What about statistical relevance of the data set?

Slightly more relevant data to be found here.

I guess the poster doesn't have time to deviate from his intended route and check driveways etc.

Even so.. the sample being quoted is random, it probably covers types of roads and clearly shows which cars started at home but failed whilst under way for what ever reason.

Many thanks for imparting the fun your kids are having other than their heads buried in PlayStation Pro's or some such.

 

[MBManInKen]

Even so.. the sample being quoted is random

Any random sample does not constitute a statistically relevant sample.

 

[Dave Lewis]

How about broken down cars you don't see near the road as they are on the owner's driveway, or where they have stopped for other reasons?

What about statistical relevance of the data set?

Slightly more relevant data to be found here.

R2D2 did say it was an unreliable car survey

 

[MBManInKen]

R2D2 did say it was an unreliable car survey

 

[grober]

How about broken down cars you don't see near the road as they are on the owner's driveway, or where they have stopped for other reasons?

What about statistical relevance of the data set?

Slightly more relevant data to be found here.

Interesting set of figures -organised well. My only problem with these and other surveys is trying to relate them to everyday motoring. I'm never sure whether they refer to faults which effectively strand people at the roadside or include such things as trim falling off or rusty paintwork or the electric windows failing to work. While these faults are a reflection of the car's quality they are unlikely to leave you stranded on the hard shoulder.
Maybe the reason you don't see recent bmw, mercedes, lexus "stranded" by the roadside is the efficiency of their recovery services? Maybe the reason you see lots of French cars on the roadside is their popularity as economic comfortable family transport ?
I rather like the Reliability Index http://www.reliabilityindex.co.uk/default.html?apc=11913195781996932 although itsalways slightly behind the latest models like the J D Power survey ( which I feel can be quite misleading if you make the mistake of equating owner satisfaction to reliability). It gives the very useful insight of "time off the road to repair" and "average cost of repair" on each model which can be an eye opener. e.g. If you own a Porsche or Subaru they are better than average for reliability but be prepared to wait for an expensive repair if they go wrong.
Whatever their defects these surveys do help to build up a picture of car reliability but whether you can extrapolate to individual cars is difficult to say. Good game for the kids tho.

 

[imadoofus]

This is an unreliable car survey:

http://www.car-survey.org.uk/unreliable

 

[R2D2]

How about broken down cars you don't see near the road as they are on the owner's driveway, or where they have stopped for other reasons?

What about statistical relevance of the data set?

Slightly more relevant data to be found here.

No sorry completely irrevelent! If my kids haven't actually seen it broken down they it doesn't count at all we are not interested in fairness or accuracy, merely on pointing out that French cars are unreliable but not as unreliable as Zafiras. German cars breakdown less and we don't care about all the other makes! Our survey is fun!

 

[Spinal]

Can I add Fiat's (or Italian Cars in general) and Ladas to the list? I've never seen a lada broken-down (seen many broken ones, but they still keep going...)

As for Fiat's, I'm from Turin and I feel sorry for most of them...

 

[MBManInKen]

Interesting set of figures -organised well. My only problem with these and other surveys is trying to relate them to everyday motoring.

You make some very good points. I'd add another one, which is that motoring is not just a purely rational issue, there are other aspects as well. I've just come back from an hour long drive and while driving it occurred to me once more how good the driving in my s-class really is. You pass all these other cars on the motorway, many of which I have driven or sat in at some point, and you just remember how superior the s-class drive really is .

I'm never sure whether they refer to faults which effectively strand people at the roadside or include such things as trim falling off or rusty paintwork or the electric windows failing to work. While these faults are a reflection of the car's quality they are unlikely to leave you stranded on the hard shoulder.

Very true.

Maybe the reason you don't see recent bmw, mercedes, lexus "stranded" by the roadside is the efficiency of their recovery services?

And also a good point .

Maybe the reason you see lots of French cars on the roadside is their popularity as economic comfortable family transport ?

Well yes, and similarly there are a lot more astras/saxos/mondeos/etc on the roads, so chances of seeing one by the roadside would be bigger even for the same reliability level as other, quantitatively less represented cars.

I rather like the Reliability Index http://www.reliabilityindex.co.uk/default.html?apc=11913195781996932

Yes, I know that one too, and it's useful, but it is hard to interpret the numbers for several reasons, including that we have no information of the distribution of warranties across brand and model or age ranges, which means we cannot assess any bias this might give.

 

[grober]

Yes, I know that one too, and it's useful, but it is hard to interpret the numbers for several reasons, including that we have no information of the distribution of warranties across brand and model or age ranges, which means we cannot assess any bias this might give.

Very good point. Probably means cars with comprehensive manufacturer's warranties (3 year and extended) are not well represented.
My impression [and its only that really] is that Mercedes seems to hover in the upper half of average reliability with surprisingly economic repairs compared to some more mundane makes. Still can't beat the Japanese marques though for build quality and reliability. One up and coming manufacturing area seems to be the former Soviet block countries which with western investment and expertise are producing well assembled cars. The old bullet-proof Swedish makes of SAAB and Volvo seem to have lost the plot a bit since their takeover by the Americans but still figure well in the safety stakes. Sadly French and Italian cars do seem to be more prone to breakdowns than most. Don't know if this is a reflection of state industry intervention or something more fundamental such as adaptation to a colder/wetter northern climate.

 

[Dave Lewis]

No sorry completely irrevelent! If my kids haven't actually seen it broken down they it doesn't count at all we are not interested in fairness or accuracy, merely on pointing out that French cars are unreliable but not as unreliable as Zafiras. German cars breakdown less and we don't care about all the other makes! Our survey is fun!

As Jamesmc said, it's better than the kids being lost in their own screen-based world - it's something the whole family can have fun with on long journeys. Reminds me of playing I-Spy with my sisters in the back of Dad's mk 1 Zodiac. By the age of 5, I could identify most cars and lorries by their 'face'!