Which? poll condemns Mercedes as ‘unreliable’

Mercedes-Benz’s faltering reputation has been dealt a new blow with the news that its cars are some of the least reliable on the road, according to a survey conducted by consumer group Which?.

Rated as “excellent” for reliability three years ago, Mercedes is now in the “poor” category, with its new cars faring particularly badly.

But Mercedes is not alone. Other prestige brands, including BMW, Alfa Romeo and Audi, have also been rated as poor for reliability. Marques rated as excellent this year include Ford, Honda, Lexus and Toyota.

As well as analysing the reliability of car marques, Which? – formerly the Consumers Association – has also looked at the breakdown rate of individual newer models. The Renault Espace was rated the least reliable new car, with more than a quarter of owners experiencing problems during the past year.

The news comes less than a week after Jürgen Schrempp, chief executive of Mercedes’ parent company DaimlerChrysler, announced his resignation.

He will leave the company at the end of the year and will be replaced by Dieter Zetsche, head of the Chrysler division.