Porsche’s reputation and price have long represented that owners are driving the best in the business. But a new study belies that reputation with a searing report that based on warranty repairs the German manufacturer comes in last as the least reliable car company. This means that formerly notoriously unreliable performers like Jaguar and Alfa Romeo have better records. 

Why is Porsche the least reliable?

The findings are from the UK’s Warrantywise provider. It looked at the data for over 131,000 warranty plans to track both how much and how often warranty work was needed. The sampling age for the reliable car study was between three to 10-year-old cars. Applying its scoring system for 2021 and 2022, Porsche scored 35.1 out of 100 points. A score of 75 is considered average for reliable cars. 

Of course, Land Rover came in second with a 40.2 score, and Jaguar placed third with a 48.2. The good news is that the highest amount paid for warranty work on a Porsche was $13,129. That number was less than half of what it cost to repair a Land Rover, which came to $29,083. 

What is raising the prices of warranty work?

This was for electrical system problems. Yes, chasing down electrical problems can be time-consuming, but $29,000 worth of time? And then there was Jaguar. The highest amount of warranty work for a Jag product came to $20,684 for issues with a turbocharger. And Warrantywise cautions that repair costs will only continue rising in 2023. Great!

“Premium prices really do make for premium costs, as is evident from the data in the Reliability Index,” said Warrantywise CEO Lawrence Whittaker. “And, with more technology in high-end cars than ever before, we suppose it’s only natural that they require a bit more TLC than normal.”

Which automaker makes the most reliable car?

So this is a cautionary tale as we continue to see ever-more safety and driver-assist technology. It also could be an indication of why the autonomous future is taking a lot longer to come to fruition. 

Finishing out the top 10 are Alfa Romeo with a 52.4 score, Audi getting 58.6, BMW scoring 59.8, Mercedes-Benz with 60.4, Vauxhall got 68.0, Volvo with a score of 68.9, and lastly, Mitsubishi was tenth with a 69.4 score. As this was a UK study there are no American-built vehicles in the results.

Asian brands scored far better, squashing the myth that a cheaper brand means less well-made products. Honda, then Toyota, and Lexus proved to be the most reliable automakers in the study. In fact, six of the top eight most reliable were Asian car manufacturers.