Automotive Business Magazine – Q3 2026 – Digital edition - Flipbook - Page 92
Warranty Hub
Steph Newbury, head of commercial
vehicle sales at Warranty Solutions
Group (WSG), talks wear, tear,
downtime and warranties
V
ehicle repair costs
are continuing to
rise across the UK
as labour rates,
parts inflation
and increasingly
complex vehicle
technology place
growing pressure on
motorists, dealers and fleets.
According to Warranty
Solutions Group (WSG) claims
analysis, average car warranty
repair costs have risen to
£679.24, while labour rates
have increased to £68.51 per
hour as increasingly complex
repairs continue to reshape the
aftersales market.
At the same time, WSG’s EV
claims data shows electric
vehicles are now generating
very different long-term
repair profiles compared with
traditional petrol and diesel
vehicles, particularly as software
integration, charging systems
and advanced electronics
become more sophisticated.
Against this backdrop, we
have analysed live warranty
claims data across ICE vehicles
and EVs to understand how
repair risks are evolving as
the UK vehicle parc becomes
increasingly diverse.
The findings reveal that
while EVs are often delivering
lower overall claim rates, both
ICE and EVs are now facing
rising ownership risks linked
to complexity, electronics and
repair severity.
ICE vehicles –
the reliability divide
Petrol and diesel vehicles
continue to dominate the UK
used car market, but WSG
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AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
Q3 2026
claims data shows major
differences are now emerging
between manufacturers
delivering dependable longterm ownership and those
generating significantly higher
repair exposure.
Recent WSG analysis of live
warranty claims data revealed
Suzuki as the UK’s most reliable
used vehicle manufacturer,
recording a claim rate of
just 6.29%. Toyota followed
closely behind at 7.09%, while
Smart, Dacia and Mazda also
performed strongly within the
reliability rankings.
By contrast, several premium
manufacturers recorded
substantially higher claim rates
and repair costs, reflecting the
growing impact of increasingly
complex vehicle systems and
repair requirements.
WSG’s most reliable make and
model analysis also highlighted
the Honda Jazz as the UK’s most
reliable used car, generating
a claim rate of just 3.72%. The
Toyota Yaris followed at 4.11%,
while the Volkswagen T-Roc also
ranked strongly at 6.35%.
At the opposite end of the
market, higher claim activity
is increasingly being driven
by complex electronics,
emissions systems, automatic
transmissions and advanced
drivetrain technology.
Across the wider ICE market,
common recurring faults
continue to include NOx sensors,
alternators, batteries, water
pumps and transmissionrelated failures.
Many of the recurring issues
now appearing within modern
ICE vehicles are linked to
increasingly sophisticated
emissions controls, electronic
systems and drivetrain
technology introduced over the
past decade.
Rising labour rates are also
amplifying the cost impact of
even relatively routine repairs,
particularly as technician
shortages continue across the
UK aftersales sector.
EVs – fewer moving parts,
different risks
Electric vehicles are often
viewed as simpler vehicles
due to having fewer
moving mechanical parts
than traditional petrol and
diesel cars.
WSG’s data suggests that in
many cases this is translating
into lower overall claim activity.
Across the EV market analysed
by WSG, the average claim
rate currently stands at 8.37%,
significantly lower than many
areas of the wider ICE market.
Several EVs delivered
particularly strong reliability
performance. The Nissan Leaf
recorded one of the lowest
claim rates at just 2.42%, while
the MG ZS achieved 2.33% and
the BMW i3 delivered 2.17%. The
Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq
and Mini Cooper EV all also
performed strongly.
Importantly, several of the
strongest-performing electric
vehicles also maintained
relatively controlled repair costs.
The MG5 recorded one of the
lowest average claim values at
just £208.33, while the BMW i3
averaged £261.32 per claim.
However, the data also
highlights that EV ownership
risk changes significantly as
vehicles become larger, more
