Are Chinese cars reliable?

Reliability is the question we hear most about Chinese cars. The honest answer is that we only have real evidence for the two brands that have been on sale in Britain for several years: MG and BYD. For the rest, the cars are simply too new.

What the surveys say

MG. In the 2026 Driver Power owner survey, MG scored 83.94% for reliability, second-lowest of the brands in the least-reliable table, and ranked 29th of 30 overall. Which? found MG cars are more likely to have faults than average, with 24% of owners of cars up to four years old reporting minor electronic problems, most often connectivity and in-car software. On the positive side, Which? found MGs are repaired relatively quickly.

BYD. BYD scored 85.14% for reliability in Driver Power 2026, sixth-lowest in that table, and ranked 16th of 30 overall, with good scores for how smoothly its cars drive and how cheap they are to run. Which? found BYD cars have faults less often than average, but owners can spend a long time off the road waiting for repairs.

Omoda, Jaecoo, Leapmotor and the newer brands. There isn’t enough UK ownership data yet. Which? says most Chinese brands are too new for comparable figures. That doesn’t mean they are unreliable, only that nobody can yet say either way.

What usually goes wrong

The pattern in the surveys is clear: the most common complaints are about software and electronics, such as infotainment, connectivity and apps, rather than engines, motors or batteries. Many of these can be fixed with over-the-air updates. Waiting times for parts and repairs are the other recurring issue, especially for brands still building their dealer networks.

Warranties: your safety net

Chinese brands compete hard on warranty length, which takes much of the risk out of buying new:

Read the small print. In August 2026, Omoda and Jaecoo extended the full seven years to many more components after criticism that some parts, such as bushes and ball joints, were covered for only three years. Wear items like these now have seven years or 60,000 miles. Most warranties also require servicing on schedule, usually at an approved dealer.

Our advice

• Buy new or nearly new if reliability worries you. A long warranty covers most of what the surveys flag.
• Check the dealer network. How far is your nearest approved workshop, and how quickly can it book you in?
• Ask about software updates. Do they arrive over the air, or need a dealer visit?
• Keep the service history on schedule to protect the warranty.
• Look at the model, not just the badge. Within one brand, a simple petrol model and a complex plug-in hybrid can behave very differently.

We will update this guide as new survey results include more Chinese brands.