The most reliable vans in 2011

The most reliable van manufacturer in the UK is Volkswagen, while the most reliable van is a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

According to the recent FN50 survey from sister publication Fleet News, the German firms claim top spot in the reliability stakes and in both cases Ford takes second spot. The Transit Connect and VW’s Caddy round off the top three most reliable vans, which paves the way for Ford and Mercedes-Benz to take second and third places respectively in the manufacturer battle.

Matthew Bowden, head of operations, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles said: “We all know that reliability is even more significant for van drivers and fleet operators as their business depends on them, so this award is very important and explains one reason why we are on track to sell more Volkswagen vans in the UK this year than ever before.

“Superior reliability delivers better business, stronger demand for used Volkswagen van and stronger residual values reduce whole life costs, which makes every Volkswagen van owner a winner.”

In terms of individual vans, the most reliable is the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, which comes in above the Ford Transit Connect in second place and the Volkswagen Caddy in third.

Steve Bridge, van sales and marketing director at Mercedes-Benz UK, said: “We are delighted with the results of the FN50 reliability survey.

“Sprinter is a firm fleet favourite with many managers, and these results demonstrate exactly why. We understand the need of businesses to keep our vans on the road as much as possible and avoid any downtime which could leave to lost revenue for a company.”

Editor of Fleet News, Stephen Briers, explains that the findings in this year’s FN50 van survey are very significant: “Van reliability is arguably more important than car reliability as vital supply chains can be disrupted through unnecessary vehicle downtime. Volkswagen has demonstrated with its leading position as a van manufacturer, and high placing for its models, that fleet operators can choose its vehicles in confidence.

“As the quality of vehicles continually improves, competition becomes increasingly tough to single out the best performers. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has always had a reputation for strength and durability and its top placing in the FN50 van reliability survey shows this impression is well deserved.”

Top five most reliable vans

1 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

2 Ford Transit

3 Volkswagen Caddy

4 Ford Transit Connect

5 Volkswagen Transporter

Top five most reliable van manufacturers

1 Volkswagen

2 Ford

3 Mercedes-Benz

4 Fiat

5 Renault

The FN50 study is the largest analysis of the UK contract hire and leasing industry, providing an independent insight into the reliability of fleet vehicles.

Cars were also covered in the survey. The results are available in a separate story, which you can read here.