When you are looking to buy a car you'll want to know how reliable it's likely to be and whether you'll end up paying a fortune in repair bills. You will probably ask friends, or do some online research, but all the information you obtain will be subjective opinions based on peoples' experiences. So how can you obtain a more objective opinion on the reliability of a make and model in which you are interested. Well the answer may be found at www.reliabilityindex.com where you can find the reliability of some 250 models in the form of an index.
What is Reliability Index?
The reliability index gives a score to around 250 models of cars based on their reliability. The average index is 100, while models with a low index score are more reliable than average and higher scoring models are less reliable.
How is the Reliability Index calculated?
The Reliability Index figure is calculated as a combination of:
- the number of time a car fails
- the cost of repairs
- the amount of time it spends off the road due to repairs
- average age and mileage
The information is constantly updated to give as accurate indication as possible.
Are all vehicles listed on the Reliability Index?
Not all models are given an index as data must be able available for a minimum of 50 vehicles, of any given model, to make sure the figures are reliable. The number of vehicles on the database is rapidly growing as new data becomes available.
Who provides the data for the Reliability Index?
Warranty Direct provide all the data for the Reliability Index from the thousands of cars they repair every year. The data is provided by manufacturer and model/type so no individual model can influence a manufacturers overall score.
What other information is provided by the Reliability Index?
As well as finding out the overall reliability of a car the Index also offers information on which parts of a car fail most often. From a personal perspective I checked out my own car make and model (Renault Megane) and low and behold all of the problems (particularly the faulty electrics) that I've experienced are listed as the most common. Warranty Direct also collect Users Reviews which give first hand accounts from owners of what they like and dislike about the cars they own, as well as expert reviews of certain makes and models. A Top 100 Cars and a News section completes the impressive offering.
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