What Are The Most Reliable Van Brands?
Selecting your perfect van with the right engine, the right specification and the right price is no easy feat, but one thing that you can’t know about your vehicle before you get your hands on it is how reliable the van will be.
For the most part, vans are built primarily to rock-solid. Most vans go through a tough working life being used to haul cargo, travel long distances and tackle the rigours of everyday dramas on the road, so they need to last.
Things can and do go wrong though, so while there will always be an element of ‘what if’ when you take delivery of a new van, it’s worth considering how well your manufacturer of choice ranks when it comes to reliability.
After all, more time spent off the road can be costly for your business.
For this ranking we are referring to the trusted Fleet News ‘FN50’ reliability survey – published in November 2024 - which finds out which manufacturers perform best when it comes to durability.
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10. Maxus
Maxus are a relatively new brand in UK, though it was borne out of the now defunct British LDV marque.
Its Chinese-made range – topped by the strong-selling Maxus Deliver 9 – has won plaudits for offering vast amounts of space at a cost that undercuts most rivals.
While there was once a question mark over the reliability of Chinese-made models, Maxus’ appearance in the top ten here is a sure sign that brands are making progress.
9. Nissan
Nissan has some catching up to do considering its close commercial vehicle partners Renault and Mercedes-Benz finish much higher up the ranking.
On the plus side, while the Primastar is calling out for a replacement, the latest generation Interstar is a brand-new model that should see the marque performing better overall once it has been on sale longer.
8. Citroen
One of three Stellantis brands inside the top ten, Citroen – like Peugeot and Vauxhall – should benefit going forward having recently overhauled its entire commercial line-up.
The Citroen Berlingo is one of the UK’s most popular small vans, so a strong showing would be much desired.
7. Toyota
Toyota has only recently expanded its commercial range to include a three-strong Proace line-up of the Proace City, Proace (medium) and Proace Max.
While more time will need to pass to see how the City and Max will fare, the Toyota Proace at least cracked the top ten of most reliable vans on sale.
Better still, Toyota – despite not making the models itself as part of its collaboration with Stellantis – has still extended its industry-leading 10-year warranty over to its van range. While it won’t make the vehicles any more reliable per se, it is peace of mind that stretches far beyond the industry-standard 3 or 5-year warranties.
6. Renault
Like Nissan, Renault should see an uplift going forward once its new Master has been sale for longer given it succeeded one of the oldest vans on the market.
Better still, there are other new Renault vans on the horizon with the next-generation Renault Trafic – which will be offered initially in electric trim – set to arrive in 2026.
Moreover, despite its age, the current Renault Trafic is counted among the ten most reliable vans on sale.
5. Peugeot
Though it shares a boardroom with fellow PSA member Citroen, Peugeot ranks much better than its French cousin in terms of reliability overall.
This might be a determining factor if you are choosing between a Peugeot Partner and a Citroen Berlingo, or a Peugeot Boxer and a Citroen Relay...
4. Vauxhall
Of all the Stellantis-made vans available in the UK – that’s 15 in total – the most reliable of them is the Vauxhall Vivaro.
The mid-size van is one of the UK’s best-selling vans so its position as the sixth most reliable van on sale should be taken with encouragement.
3. Mercedes-Benz
The top-of-the-range Mercedes-Benz Sprinter maintains its reputation as one of the commercial vehicle industry’s hardiest workhorses by emerging as the second most reliable van on the road.
Though it’s actually a slip of one position compared with a year earlier having topped the 2023 rankings, the Sprinter once again proves it is a van that can run and run without succumbing to issues.
2. Ford
As the best-selling van brand in the UK by a country mile, Ford’s performances in any reliability ranking should be taken seriously.
Thankfully the Blue Oval is among the strongest across all categories of van with the Ford Transit (7th), Ford Transit Custom (5th) and Ford Transit Connect (4th) all featuring highly to earn the manufacturer status as the second most reliable commercial manufacturer.
1. Volkswagen
Ranking first and third for with the Transporter and the Caddy, Volkswagen earned Fleet News’ accolade as the most reliable van manufacturer.
The Transporter replaces the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter as the most reliable van on the road, though it should be noted that this refers to the Transporter 6.1 which has just been taken off sale in favour of the latest generation Transporter 7.
Nevertheless, given this model shares its underpinnings with the strong-performing Ford Transit Custom, there is a good chance the Transporter will have a shot at defending its title in 2025.
