The most reliable second-hand family large SUVs

The SUV market has boomed in recent years with more and more drivers wanting high-riding cars that given them a better sensation of safety.

But while demand is high, so are prices for new models – which explains why so many are turning to the second-hand market to purchase large family-friendly SUVs at affordable fees.

However, they’re often loaded with equipment and electronic systems that can go wrong – resulting in high repair bills if you need to get issues fixed. 

According to What Car?’s latest survey, these are the most reliable large SUV models drivers looking for this type of motor should be searching for, 

They are the top 10 most dependable SUVs aged between six and 15 years old according to their owners – and we’ve also included the three least reliable in case you wanted to know which models that are best avoided.

Reliability ratings are determined by the number of faults – if any – suffered in the previous 12 months, and the severity of the issue.

Also factored into the score is much the repairs cost and how long the car took to be fixed. 

Here are the 10 most reliable older cars in the large SUV category… 

10. Ford Kuga (2013-2019)

While Ford’s popular Kuga has sneaked into the top 10, it isn’t without issue.

A third of owners with this model – introduced in 2013 – said their car had a problem in the previous 12 months, with exhaust and gearbox problems most prevalent.

A third of these faulty models couldn’t be driven because of the issue, especially those with transmission breakdowns.  Maximum repair costs were £500.  

9. Volvo XC70 (2007-2016)

The XC70 toes the line between estate car and SUV – though with four-wheel-drive is a worthy entry in this list.

Like the Ford Kuga, a third had faults in the last year, with the most common complaint – worryingly – being with the engine. Other faults reported were with the batter, gearbox, non-engine electrics and the suspension. 

While this might sound like a lot of headaches, more than half were repaired within 24 hours and only a small percentage of repair bills exceeded £1,000.

8. Honda CR-V (2002-2006)

One of the safest reliability bets is to look at the Japanese manufacturers – especially Honda, which has traditionally always built robust vehicles. 

The CR-V is a prime example, with just under a third of owners of this variant reporting a fault during the previous 12 months. Brake issues were the most commonly cited, followed by problems with the steering. 

Almost all examples with issues could still be driven with the problems they had, and the majority were back on the road again on the same day with more than half costing less than £100 to put right – though some between £500 and £1,000.

7. BMW X3 (2010-2018)

If you want a bit of badge appeal from an affordable second-hand SUV, the BMW X3 is a decent choice, 

Fewer than a third of drivers suffered a fault in the previous 12 months, though engine and non-engine electric problems were most common

Almost every example could still be driven, repaired in a day and saw owners billed less than £500 – and some fixed for free under warranty.

6. Honda CR-V (2007-2012)

Just a quarter of this generation Honda CR-V – newer than the previously-mentioned model –  went wrong, proving yet again how solid the family wagon is.

Battery and suspension faults were the most frequent being the main culprits.

Around half of owners with problematic CR-Vs said they could still drive them, The same amount were fixed that day, with out-of-warranty cars costing a maximum of £500 to sort.

5. Nissan X-Trail (2007-2014)

If you want a really large and practical second-hand SUV robust enough to tackle routes away from the tarmac, the Nissan X-Trail should be high on your shopping list.

It’s so durable that only 16 per cent of owners reported a fault, issues being split evenly between the air conditioning, brakes, engine electrics, exhaust and non-engine electrics – so nothing too major. 

Most of the faulty X-Trails could be driven despite their issues and back to full operation in less than a week at the garage. No repair bills topped £500. 

4. Audi Q5 (2008-2017)

You shouldn’t expect to see too many models from premium makers getting into this list, but the Audi Q5 is an exception – with an exceptional reliability rating of almost 90 per cent. 

Fewer than a third of owners reported a fault with their car, and areas of concern were split evenly between the exhaust, interior trim and suspension. 

Repairs on these issues were commonly completed within a day, and repair bills ranged from less than £50 up to £750 for the most problematic.

3. Toyota RAV4 (2006-2012)

Turning attention back to Japanese makers, the Toyota RAV4 has earned itself third spot in this list.

Only 17 per cent of this generation of RAV4 suffered a problem during the previous 12 months, with only exhaust and suspension issues being reported by drivers. 

Ever faulty example could still be driven with most returning to the road the same day after a trip to the mechanic – and a repair bill in the region of £101 to £500. 

2. Honda CR-V (2012-2018)

It’s an hat-trick in this top 10 for the Honda CR-V, with this recent model scoring incredibly well and only just missing out on top spot. 

Only 12 per cent of them reported to What Car? suffered a fault with the only eye-catching issue being with the gearbox. 

Every example with a fault was fixed in less than a week, and while most were repaired under warranty the ones that weren’t cost less than £500 in garage bills.

1. Toyota RAV4 (2013-2019)

We had said earlier than Toyota is synonymous with reliability – and this proves it, 

The RAV4 has been named by readers of What Car? as the most dependable large SUV,.

A meagre 7 per cent of cars had a fault. In every instance, this was a problem with the brakes. All could still be driven, were fixed the same day and cost between £101 and £200, though only those out of warranty,

The three least reliable large SUVs to avoid…

3. Mazda CX-5 (2012-2017)

While the CX-5 is the third least reliable large SUV, the rating from owners isn’t far short of the Ford Kuga in 10th spot in the most dependable list – so take this entry with a pinch of salt. 

Three in 10 CX-5 owners reported a problem. Worryingly, the engine was the area most commonly of concern

Around half of cars were in the garage for more than a week, and while a few were fixed under warranty, some cost £1,500 to put right.

 2. Volvo XC60 (2008-2017)

Again, a 72 per cent reliability rating isn’t too bad  – though you might be expecting more from Volvo, a brand best recognised for its safety credentials.

A worrying 44 per cent of XC60s had a fault, the most common being suspension issues, which can be costly in big SUVs like this. 

Still, most faulty cars could still be driven and many were out of the garage on the same day they went in. A quarter were fixed under warranty, but those that weren’t were pricey to repair – owners stung to the value of £570 to £1,500.

 1. Hyundai Santa Fe (2006-2012)

Feedback from owners had named the Hyundai Santa Fe as the least dependable second-hand SUV – and with a reliability rating of 62 per cent, one to potentially avoid, 

Two in five of these went wrong in the last year, say owners, with engine electrics being the biggest cause for concern, followed by the engine, exhaust and fuel systems. All pricey repairs, 

Around half of the faulty cars were rendered undrivable and spent more than a week in a garage to be fixed. And whiile some repairs were done for free, other cost more than £1,500.

*Used prices taken from Auto Trader, dated 10/04/2020, for cars with a mileage of 60,000 miles or less