We all know that as cars get older they tend to develop problems and become less reliable.
But new data shows that even as cars reach an age where third-party warranty companies don’t want to know, some remain more dependable than others.
What Car?, which regularly rates cars up to five years old, has extended its research to find out which older models - those between five and 20 years old - have stood the test of time and which are storing up a history lesson’s worth of worries for owners.
Polling more than 12,000 owners to find out the frequency, severity and cost of breakdowns, the research revealed that Lexus remains the most reliable brand overall, but also looked at individual models across a range of vehicle segments.
Here we’ve broken down the best and worst performers in each category, each given a reliability rating out of 100.

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Some of the best-in-segment models for reliability Photo: Toyota/Honda/Porsche/Seat

. Small cars - top 3
Korea and Japan lead the way in the supermini segment, joined by the British-built Mini. Kia Picanto (2011 - 2017) 98.5%; Honda Jazz (2008 - 2014) 98.0%; Mini hatchback petrol (2014-) 97.3% Photo: Kia/Honda/Mini

. Small cars - bottom 3
Bad news for a couple of best-sellers, with Vauxall and Ford among the least dependable small cars. Vauxhall Corsa (2005-2014) 73%; Seat Ibiza (2008-2017) 82%; Ford Fiesta diesel (2008-2017) 82.3% Photo: Vauxhall/Seat/Ford

. Family cars - top 3
The best family cars have an international flavour, with Spain, Sweden and Japan represented. Seat Leon diesel (2013 - 2020) 98.7%; Volvo V40 (2012-2019) 95.6%; Honda Civic (2012-2017) 95.6% Photo: Seat/Volvo/Honda

. Family cars - bottom 3
Two members of the VW Group didn't fare as well as Seat, with some serious problems arising in old models. Skoda Octavia (2004 - 2013) 54.4%; Mercedes-Benz A Class (2005 - 2012) 56.3% Volkswagen Golf diesel (2009 - 2013) 74.9% Photo: Skoda/Mercedes/Benz/Volkswagen

. Small SUVs - top 3
Strong performances for Audi and Vauxhall show there's plenty of mileage in this constantly-growing segment. Audi Q3 (2011 - 2018) 96.5%; Vauxhall Mokka petrol (2012 - 2019) 95.2%; Mini Countryman (2010 - 2017) 87.1% Photo: Audi/Vauxhall/Mini

. Small SUVs - bottom 3
The Nissan Qashqai is Britain's most popular SUV but owners of older models report that it hasn't aged well. Nissan Qashqai (2007 - 2014) 45.6%; Nissan Qashqai (2014 - present) 46.3%; Volkswagen Tiguan (2007 - 2016) 61.0% Photo: Nissan/Volkswagen

13. Luxury cars - top 3
Two titans of the segment prove their worth with dependable performance, joined by a slice of old-school British luxury. Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2009 - 2016) 94.0%; BMW 5 Series (2010 - 2017) 82.6%; Jaguar XJ (2003 - 2009) 82.0% Photo: Mercedes-Benz/BMW/Jaguar

14. Luxury cars - bottom 3
The E-Class manages to be top and bottom of the table, with the earlier 2002-09 version proving less dependable, ahead of Jaguar's XF and the relatively new Audi A6. Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2002 - 2009) 74.9%; Jaguar XF (2007 - 2009) 76.5%; Audi A6 (2011 - 2018) 76.7% Photo: Mercedes-Benz/Jaguar XF/Audi

15. EVs and hybrids - top 3
The Toyota/Lexus family has this class locked out with a variety of hybrids models upholding its reputation for reliability. Toyota Yaris Hybrid (2011 - 2020) 100.0%; Lexus CT (2011 - present) 98.0%; Lexus IS (2013 - present) 97.6% Photo: Toyota/Lexus

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Even the lowest performing hybrids and EVs proved to be pretty reliable but these three propped up the bottom of a largely dependable segment. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (2014 - present) 87.3%; Nissan Leaf (2011 - 2017) 88.4%; Lexus RX (2009 - 2016) 96.8% Photo: Mitsubishi/Nissan/Lexus