And the most reliable used car is...

If you're in the market for a used car and crave reliability above all else then seek out a model from Honda, Toyota or Lexus.

That's the advice of an annual survey carried out by What Car? and Warranty Direct, which carried out research based on 50,000 Warranty Direct policies on cars between three and 10 years old.

Honda took the top spot for the seventh year running and was one of eight Japanese manufacturers in the top 10, while premium car makers including Audi, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz finished much further down the list, in 26th, 27th and 29th places respectively. The worst performing manufacturer was Land Rover, with 71 per cent of the vehicles whose owners have taken out a Warranty Direct policy breaking down at least once a year.

In total, the top 10 is made up of Honda, Toyota, Lexus, Suzuki, Subaru, Hyundai, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Chevrolet and Nissan.

Chas Hallett, editor in chief of What Car?, said: "Reliability is so important to motorists, especially when times are tough. Japanese car makers really do deliver on reliability and Honda is exceptionally good at this.

"What will be surprising to many is the fact that several of the more desirable brands did not fare so well regarding reliability, and the cost of their repairs are high. They need to do better."

Of the breakdowns reported, axle and suspension damage were the most common cause, accounting for 28 per cent of claims, followed by electrical faults at 24 per cent.

The most reliable used car brands according to What Car? and Warranty Direct

1 Honda

2 Toyota

3 Lexus

4 Suzuki

5 Subaru

6= Hyundai

6= Mazda

6= Mitsubishi

9 Chevrolet

10 Nissan

11 Kia

12= Ford

12= Skoda

14 Citroën

15= Peugeot

15= Daewoo

15= Smart

18 Mini

19 Fiat

20= Seat

20= Volkswagen

20= Volvo

20= Porsche

24 Vauxhall

25 BMW

26 Audi

27= Rover

27= Jaguar

29 Mercedes-Benz

30 MG

31= Saab

31= Chrysler

33= Renault

33= Jeep

35 Alfa Romeo

36 Land Rover