The Washington-built Nissan Qashqai has been voted the most reliable car in an annual poll of vehicle owners, based on feedback on 50,000 Uk drivers.
Consumer group Which?'s annual survey of vehicle dependability awarded the SUV a five-star rating, with testers and owners praising the car’s practicality, family appeal and dependability. The latest accolade comes just days after the Qashqai was confirmed as the best-selling new car in the UK in 2022 - the first time a British-made motor has topped the sales chart in almost a quarter of a century.
Which? said there wasn't another car dating back to 2021 that could match the Qashqai's five-star reliability. "Our data shows that 2023 is set to be the year of the Qashqai," said a Which? spokesperson. "Nissan’s efforts with the all-new version have seen it crowned our most reliable car for 2023 – a fantastic achievement for what is one of the more affordable cars in the sector. It’s easy to be dismissive given this is such a new car – after all, newer models tend to be more reliable. But looking at similar aged cars in our survey, not one was reliable enough to get five stars out of five in this category, let alone come anywhere near those at the top."
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Andrew Humberstone, managing director of Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, said the award from Which? was a 'welcome pat on the back' for its workforce in the North East. The Qashqai has been produced since 2006, with 3.8 million cars coming off the assembly line in the last 17 years.
Earlier this month, the Qashqai topped the UK registrations table last year, with 42,704 sold in Britain, the first UK-built model to top new car sales charts for 24 years. The last time a UK-built car hit the number one spot was the Mk4 Ford Fiesta back in 1998, which was the final year before assembly shifted from Dagenham, East London, to Germany and Spain.
The Qashqai is a UK success story for Nissan – designed in Paddington, engineered in Cranfield and is built in Sunderland.
The Nissan plant, which opened in 1984, employs 6,000 people and supports a further 27,000 UK automotive supply chain jobs, 75% of which are here in North East England.
Alan Johnson, vice president of manufacturing at Nissan Sunderland Plant, said: "We are proud to build the Qashqai and absolutely delighted to see its continuing success with customers. It’s hugely satisfying to know that we manufacture not just the UK’s favourite car, but also its most reliable. This award is a true testament to the hard work, dedication and expertise of our 6,000-strong team here in Sunderland, as well as our excellent supply chain partners."
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