Used cars from Asia 'most reliable'

The most reliable second-hand cars are those made in Japan and Korea, according to a new survey.

Although European cars are more prone to faults, the cost of repairing them is cheaper, the survey by What Car? magazine and Warranty Direct found.

Honda topped the most reliable used-car table, based on the number of faults occurring in cars between three and eight years of age. According to the survey, there was only a 9 per cent chance of a Honda having a fault in 12 months.

In contrast, there was a 55 per cent chance of a fault in a Land Rover, which was at the bottom of the table. At the foot of the table were Saab, (in 32nd place), Renault (33rd) and Alfa Romeo (34th). But Renault was one of the cheapest cars to repair.