The results of What Car?’s fifth annual used car reliability survey, compiled in association with Warranty Direct, sees Japanese and Korean brands dominate the top 10, with Skoda the highest placed European carmaker at number nine.

The survey compares actual warranty claim rates for more than 31,000 used cars covered by Warranty Direct. Average car age across the 30 manufacturers assessed was 4.6 years.

Honda comes out as the most reliable brand, narrowly edging Mazda from top spot – a position it has occupied for the last four years.

A Honda spokesman says: “Getting from A to B with minimum fuss is the most important thing and reliability builds customer loyalty. As we aim to have zero faults we can still improve, but it’s a big thumbs up for our Swindon plant.”

In third place is Toyota, followed by Nissan, Lexus, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and Daewoo (pre-Chevrolet ownership). Skoda and Mercedes-Benz complete the top 10.

Trailing in last position is Land Rover, scoring the highest ‘repair claims per 100 cars’, with a figure of 45.4%. This compares with just 9.9% for Honda.

In an official response to the findings, Land Rover says: “The Land Rover vehicles featured in this survey averaged 4.7 years old, and in some cases were up to eight years old – pre-dating the acquisition of Land Rover by Ford Motor Company and an investment of in excess of £450m in new tooling, equipment and training at the Solihull manufacturing plant.

“Land Rover is committed to improving quality and has gained ground in recent influential surveys.”