What Car? Reliability Survey: Most and least reliable hybrid cars

Hybrid cars have come a long way since the arrival of the Toyota Prius in 2000. There are now hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of many new car models that have the potential to save money on fuel, particularly if you do mostly urban or short driving. 

The other plus point about hybrids is that they’re proving impressively robust in spite of the added complexity of their dual power systems. In the latest What Car? Reliability Survey only 19% of the plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and regular hybrid cars reported on had any issues. In contrast, 22% of petrol models went wrong, 27% of EVs had a glitch and diesels were worst of all, with a fault rate of 31%.

In fact, they were the highest scoring car class in the latest survey, achieving a rating of 95.9% compared with 87.7% for EVs. 

Hybrid cars are also fixed for free far more often than other fuel types, especially diesel cars: 91% of hybrids were repaired at no cost to owners, while only 67% of diesels were fixed gratis. And the hybrid car owners who did have to contribute to the cost of remedial work paid by far the least: olny 2% of them had to find more than £1500 to cover fixes, while 6% of diesel owners paid out more than £1500 in repair bills.  

Like other cars, the most common issues with hybrids are electrical glitches, most of which are quick to sort out. 

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Most reliable hybrid cars 

1. Lexus NX (2014-2021)

Reliability rating 100%

• Most common faults: none

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: none

The previous-generation Lexus NX is not the best used large SUV to drive because it has uninspiring handling and a sluggish six-speed automatic gearbox. However, it is your best bet if you want a fault-free hybrid large SUV.

Not only is it the top scorer in this class, but it also outperforms the latest NX, which scores 97.6% and lies in seventh place in the hybrid chart in this year's survey.

No NX owners reported any issues with their cars, and that meant no cars spent any time off the road getting repaired and no owners were faced with any unexpected repair bills.

Owner’s view: “My car has been faultless in the two years I’ve owned it.”

Used Lexus NX review

2. Lexus ES (2018-present) 

Reliability rating 99.3%

• Most common faults: sat-nav/infotainment system 4%

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: up to a week

The Lexus ES is an executive car that comes with the road tax, company car tax advantages and efficiency of a hybrid, but without the hassle of plugging it in to charge it up. Like most models in the current Lexus car range, it has a petrol engine that's helped along by electric motors. This means cit an travel short distances on electricity alone, lowering this big luxurious saloon’s CO2 emissions to those of a small hatchback.  

The other big advantage the ES has over many other luxury cars is that it is pretty much bulletproof when it comes to reliability. It's the highest scoring executive car in our survey, and the second highest rated model in the range after the NX. 

A mere 4% of the ES saloons reported on had any issues and the only problematic area was the sat-nav/infotainment system. All issues were dealt with in less than a week, and Lexus covered the cost of all remedial work. 

Lexus ES review

3. Hyundai Kona hybrid (2019-present)  

Reliability rating 99.0%

• Most common faults: non-engine electrics 4%, sat-nav/infotainment system 4%

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: 50% one day or less, 50% up to a week

Although the Hyundai Kona is available as a petrol, hybrid or electric model, the hybrid is the best choice for a number of reasons. It has better fuel economy than the petrol version, and it's cheaper for both road tax and company car tax. The other big factor is dependability: only 7% of hybrid Kona models had any faults, compared with 23% of electric ones. 

The only headache-inducing areas on the Kona hybrid were some electrical systems, including the sat-nav/infotainment system. That meant all faulty cars could still be driven; half of issues were resolved in a day or less and the rest were sorted out in less than a week. 

Demonstrating the value of the five-year warranty, all remedial work was carried out free of charge. 

Hyundai Kona review

4. Toyota RAV4 (2019-present)  

Reliability rating 98.8%

• Most common faults: 12-volt battery 2%, hybrid battery pack 1%

• Average repair cost: 83% cost £0

• Typical time off road: 66% up to a week

The RAV4 is a highly practical family SUV with a roomy interior and low CO2 emissions thanks to its hybrid technology. It's only available as a conventional hybrid or a plug-in hybrid that will do up to 46 miles on pure electric power. A familiar site in our reliability league tables, the RAV4 is the second highest scoring family SUV.

Just 3% of the RAV4s reported on in our survey had any issues and these were restricted to problems with the 12-volt battery and hybrid battery pack. While Toyota covered the cost of 83% of repairs, that left 17% of owners having to fork out £100 to £200 to get their cars put right. 

Most faulty cars remained driveable, and a third were back on the road in a day or less, but the rest were out of action for up to a week. 

Toyota RAV4 review

5. Lexus RX (2016-2022) 

Reliability rating 98.8%

• Most common faults: air-con 3%, bodywork 3%, non-engine electrics 3%

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: one day or less

A true luxury SUV, the Lexus RX has a refined, well-appointed interior, incredibly comfortable seats and punchy performance. However, unlike its German rivals, it's not offered in conventional petrol or diesel form, it can only be had as a hybrid with a petrol engine assisted by a motor.  

As well as the top luxury SUV for reliability, it's also the highest scoring luxury car in the latest survey, beating the likes of the BMW X5 and Range Rover Sport. 

Just 3% of the RXs we were told about had any problems, and these were restricted to the electrical systems, including the air-con, and the bodywork. All issues were resolved in a day or less and at no cost to owners. 

Used Lexus RX review 

6. Mercedes A-Class hybrid (2018-present)  

Reliability rating 98.7%

• Most common faults: interior trim 11%

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: 42% more than a week

The A-Class is comfortable, good to drive and packed with equipment. In hybrid form it's a more dependable prospect than its main rival the BMW 330e. It also has far fewer problems than the petrol A-Class, according to owners, who told us 11% of their hybrid A-Classes went wrong compared with 21% of petrols. 

The only cause for concern was the interior trim, and all of these issues were sorted out free of charge. However, owners did have to be patient while getting their cars fixed because repair work could be slow. Only 26% of issues were sorted out in a day or less, and 42% of cars were in the workshop for more than seven days getting fixed.  

Mercedes A-Class review

7. Lexus NX (2021-present)  

Reliability rating 97.6%

• Most common faults: bodywork 9%

• Average repair cost: 89% £0

• Typical time off road: 78% a day or less

The latest NX is far more appealing to drive than the previous model. It has punchy performance, especially if you go for the 450h plug-in hybrid, and the steering is precise and its cornering abilities are more than good enough. Added to that it has a plush interior, impressive refinement and low emissions. 

It's not quite as good as the older NX when it comes to reliability, though. Owners told us that 13% of their cars had some sort of problem, although most were minor issues with the bodywork. Not all issues were sorted out for free: Lexus covered the cost of 89% of remedial work, but that left 11% of owners with bills ranging from £301 to £500. Most cars were back on the road swiftly though: 78% were fixed in a day or less and the rest were put right in less than a week. 

Lexus NX review

8. Volvo XC40 PHEV (2017-present)  

Reliability rating 97.0%

• Most common faults: air-con 3%, 12-volt battery 3%, PHEV battery pack 3%, electrics 3%

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: 60% up to a week

The XC40 is a classy, comfortable and practical family SUV with a top-notch interior. As well as diesel, petrol and pure electric versions, there's also a plug-in hybrid, and this is the best bet if you want a hassle free ownership experience. That's because only 10% of PHEV XC40s had any glitches, while the other engine types had around twice as many issues. 

A range of faults were reported by owners, including issues with the air-con, 12-volt battery, hybrid battery pack, electrics and interior trim. Although all of these were rectified at no charge, some work was fairly slow to complete. Only 20% of cars were fixed in a day or less, 60% took up to a week and the rest took longer than this. Two thirds of faulty cars could still be driven, though.  

Volvo XC40 review

9. Toyota C-HR (2016-2023)  

Reliability rating 96.8%

• Most common faults: 12-volt battery 8%

• Average repair cost: 73% cost £0

• Typical time off road: 83% a day or less

The C-HR is a boldly styled family SUV that comes with plenty of equipment. Now only available used, it's good value for money with prices starting at just £10,000 for an early model. 

It's also a sound bet if you're after a dependable car. Owners told us that 14% of their C-HRs had hiccups, most were with the 12-volt battery, although there were also some reports of other electrical issues, too. Remedial work was swift, with 83% of cars in and out of the garage in a day or less, and the rest sorted out in less than a week. 

There were some bills to pay, though. Toyota covered the cost of 73% of repair work, and most repair bills were less than £100, but some owners paid out up to £500. 

Used Toyota C-HR review

10. Volvo XC60 PHEV (2016-present)  

Reliability rating 96.5%

• Most common faults: bodywork 5%, non-engine electrics 5%, sat-nav/infotainment system 5%

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: 50% a day or less

The XC60 is one of the older family SUV options, but it's still a good choice because it has a roomy, upmarket interior and a well-judged ride and handling balance. As well as used-only diesel power, engine choices include a petrol-engined mild hybrid and two PHEV versions. It's the latter that we're reporting on here. 

We were told that 16% of PHEV XC60s had a problem, with most issues relating to the bodywork and various electrical systems including the infotainment. The good news for owners is that all cars were fixed for free. The not so good news is that some remedial work was slow. While 50% of issues were put right in a day or less, 33% of cars were out of action for more than a week. One in five cars were rendered undriveable by a fault.

Volvo XC60 review

Least reliable hybrid cars

1. Ford Kuga hybrid/PHEV (2021-present) 

Reliability rating 89.6%

• Most common faults: 12-volt battery 19%, bodywork 6%, interior trim 4%, non-engine electrics 4%

• Average repair cost: 94% cost £0

• Typical time off road: 44% more than a week

The Kuga is a roomy, versatile family SUV that can be had with petrol, hybrid or plug-in hybrid power. The hybrid can run for short distances on pure electric power, but if you want to complete longer drives without resorting to the petrol engine the PHEV is the best option because it will do up to 43 miles on electricity. 

The Kuga is the lowest scoring hybrid in our survey because it had high percentage of problems with its 12-volt battery and they were slow to get fixed. Overall 33% of cars had a problem and 19% of them were with the battery. 

Half or faulty cars were rendered undriveable by their problems, and 44% of them spent more than a week in the workshop. At least Ford did cover most repair costs, but 3% of owners had to pay £201 to £300 to get their cars sorted. 

Ford Kuga review

2. BMW 330e (2016-present)

Reliability rating 92.0%

• Most common faults: engine/motor electrics 5%, hybrid battery pack 3%

• Average repair cost: £0

• Typical time off road: none

The plug-in hybrid version of the BMW 3 Series is the best choice as a company car because it has all the qualities of its petrol and diesel siblings and it's cheaper for road tax and company car tax. It's economical too, because it's able to do up to 62 miles on pure electric power. 

Overall the 330e is a pretty dependable car; its in the bottom three for reliability because hybrid cars tend to score very highly. However, when things do go wrong they can be slow and costly to put right. Owners told us that 16% of their 330es had an issue, mostly with the engine/motor electrics and the hybrid battery pack. 

Just over half (53%) of faulty cars were off the road for more than a week and, although BMW footed the bill in 69% of cases, that left 23% of owners having to find more than £1500 to fix faults.   

BMW 3 Series review

3. Toyota Yaris Cross (2021-present)

Reliability rating 93.1%

• Most common faults: 12-volt battery 15%, bodywork 3%

• Average repair cost: 77% cost £0, 8% cost £301-£500

• Typical time off road: 64% one day or less

The Yaris Cross is is a super-efficient and enjoyable to drive small SUV. It's only available only as a regular hybrid, with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor. Like the BMW 330e, it's only in the bottom three of our league because there are so many extremely high-scoring cars in the hybrid class. 

Overall 24% of the Yaris Crosses reported on went wrong, with the 12-volt battery the main cuplrit. While Toyota paid for 77% of remedial work, some owners had to pay £100 to £200, and 8% told us they'd had to shell out £301 to £500 to get their cars fixed. Repairs were done swiftly though: 64% of cars were back on the road in a day or less, and only 15% were out of action for more than a week. 

Toyota Yaris Cross review

Reliability of hybrid cars aged up to five years old

To read the reliability data for other car classes follow these links:

Most and least reliable cars overall (2024)
Most reliable car brands (2024)
Most reliable small cars (2024)
Most reliable family cars (2024)
Most reliable executive cars (2024)
Most reliable luxury cars (2024)
Most reliable small SUVs (2024)
Most reliable family SUVs (2024)
Most reliable large SUVs (2024)
Most reliable seven-seaters (2024)
Most reliable electric cars (2024)
Most reliable electric SUVs (2023)
Most reliable sports cars (2024)
Most reliable diesel cars (2023)
Most reliable petrol cars (2024)
Most reliable hybrid cars (2024)

How the research was carried out

To compile the What Car? Reliability Survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy, we asked thousands of car owners to give us the lowdown on how reliable their car had been over the previous 24 months.

First we asked them to tell us if the car had suffered a fault, and, if so, how much each problem had cost to put right and how long it had kept the car off the road. The responses for these two factors were weighted and added up for each make and model, enabling us to create a unique reliability rating for each. 

The latest What Car? Reliability Survey contains responses from 29,967 people, giving us enough data to report on 199 models aged up to five years old from 31 different car brands.

About the report author

Claire Evans has been a motoring journalist for more than 30 years, working on consumer issues for a great deal of that time. After a stint as the advice columnist for Carweek magazine in the 1990s, she also spent six years working on motoring content for Which?. It is here she oversaw the running of the charity's annual used car reliability survey.

Claire launched the What Car? Reliability Survey in 2017, and since then has helped thousands of buyers choose the most reliable new cars and SUVs, as well as the most dependable used cars.

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