Experts Reveal: These Are the Cars With the Fewest Defects and Those With the Most Problems

Experts Reveal: These Are the Cars With the Fewest Defects and Those With the Most Problems

After analyzing hundreds of car models, this public transportation agency has released its list of the best and worst passenger cars.

An extensive study by the Finnish Transport Agency, Traficom, analyzed various makes and models of cars aged 4 to 20 years to identify the most and least defective cars. These cars, manufactured between 2003 and 2019, included at least 100 cars from each age group inspected in 2023.

Based on this analysis, Traficom published a list highlighting cars with the fewest defects and those with the most technical problems. As expected, newer cars had fewer issues, while problems increased after five years of age.

In the list of the best performing cars, several Japanese models stood out, including Mazda, Toyota, Honda, and Suzuki. The German brand Volkswagen also ranked as the best among European brands.

Here are the 10 car models with the fewest defects, according to model, year of introduction, mileage, and average failure percentage. It's notable that none of them are older than 6 years old.

  • Mazda CX-3 (2018) (66,000 km) (0.0%)
  • Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan (2018) (65,000 km) (0.42%)
  • Mazda CX-5 (2019) (63,000 km) (0.71%)
  • Honda CR-V (2019) (64,000 km) (0.87%)
  • Audi Q2 (2018) (75,000 km) (0.93%)
  • Volkswagen Up! (2018) (49,000 km) (1.00%)
  • Toyota Avensis (2018) (88,000 km) (1.12%)
  • Toyota RAV4 (2019) (73,000 km) (1.12%)
  • Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan (2019) (51,000 km) (1.16%)
  • Suzuki Vitara (2018) (74,000 km) (1.22%)

On the other hand, the car models with the most defects are generally between 14 and 19 years old. This list includes several Chrysler models, including Dodge, and various Korean models manufactured by GM Daewoo/Chevrolet. These were the 10 most defective models:

  • Dodge Caliber (2009) (204,000 km) (70.59%) (Rear axle)
  • Dodge Caliber (2008) (199,000 km) (66.25%) (Rear axle)
  • Dodge Caliber (2007) (213,000 km) (64.94%) (Rear axle)
  • Nissan Pathfinder (2006) (368,000 km) (63.28%) (Rear axle)
  • Mitsubishi Grandis (2005) (319,000 km) (62.25%) (Front axle)
  • Chevrolet Aveo (2007) (165,000 km) (61.11%) (Front axle)
  • Mazda 5 (2006) (256,000 km) (60.47%) (Front axle list)
  • GM Daewoo Evanda (2004) (193,000 km) (59.43%) (Service brake dynamometer test)
  • Jeep Compass (2007) (239,000 km) (58.99%) (Rear axle)
  • Chevrolet Nubira (2007) (197,000 km) (58.52%) (Chassis and base plate housings)

According to the study, the average age of the passenger car fleet in 2023 was approximately 13.2 years. One of the causes of progressive deterioration may be that, in times of economic crisis, motorists invest only in the most urgent maintenance, such as oil and filter changes, neglecting other parts like the chassis, wheels, and exhaust.