Banger Watch

Which used cars fail their MOT most often, and on what, from the official records. What to look out for, and how to check the car you're looking at isn't a banger before you pay.

The exhaust pipe of a dark car below its wet rear bumper, over rough, wet ground

Banger Watch7 min read

Which diesel cars have DPF problems?

Every modern diesel has a particulate filter, and short trips can clog it. Here's what reviewers and DVSA's recalls say, and what to check before you buy.

Natalie Pilling· Updated 30 Oct 2026

The top of a petrol engine with its cover off, showing oily valve gear beside an orange dipstick handle

Banger Watch8 min read

Petrol engines with known problems in used cars

Some popular petrol engines have recalls or buying-guide warnings, from cylinder head cracks to timing chain wear. Here's which engines, which cars, and what to check.

Michał Żelazko· Updated 30 Oct 2026

Close-up of the front of an engine, with a ribbed drive belt running round its pulleys

Banger Watch6 min read

Which engines have wet timing belt problems?

Some common petrol and diesel engines run their timing belt in the engine oil, and it can wear early. Here's which ones, what their makers have done, and what to check.

Natalie Pilling· Updated 30 Oct 2026

A white learner driver L plate with a red L, lying on dark asphalt

Banger Watch6 min read

First cars to avoid: the versions with known faults

Some popular small cars have engines or years with known faults. Here's which versions, what their makers did, and what to check.

Hubert Rachwalski· Updated 29 Oct 2026

White SUV with a roof box and four bikes on a rear rack, parked by a road below red cliffs

Banger Watch7 min read

Family cars to avoid buying used

Avoid the version, not the whole model. These family hatchbacks, SUVs and MPVs have a recall or a fault their maker describes, and here's what to check on each.

Michał Żelazko· Updated 29 Oct 2026

Black-and-white close-up of a five-speed manual gear knob, with the gear pattern on top

Banger Watch8 min read

Which used cars have known gearbox problems?

Some common used cars have gearboxes that Parkers or DVSA flag, from Ford's Powershift to automated manuals. Here's which cars, which years, and what to check.

Michał Żelazko· Updated 28 Oct 2026

A charging cable with a blue-lit plug connected to the charging port of a grey car, next to its alloy wheel

Banger Watch7 min read

Used electric car battery problems to check for

Every electric car's battery fades with age, and a few models have had battery recalls. Here's which ones, how to check a battery's health and what the warranty covers.

Maciej Kalka· Updated 28 Oct 2026

A row of parked hatchbacks seen from the front, with a dark blue one in focus

Banger Watch7 min read

Used cars to avoid under £5,000

Popular older cars whose particular engines, gearboxes or years have known faults, recorded by recalls, makers and used-car reviews, and what to check on each before you buy.

Michał Żelazko· Updated 28 Oct 2026

A hand plugging a coiled charging cable into the charging socket of a white car

Banger Watch7 min read

Used hybrid car problems to look out for

Some known faults on common used hybrids and plug-in hybrids, mostly from the DVSA's recall records, with the years they affect and what to check before you buy one.

Maciej Kalka· Updated 27 Oct 2026

A mechanic in grey work clothes leaning over the open engine bay of a dark car

Banger Watch7 min read

Used cars with expensive repairs to watch out for

Some used cars have known faults that cost hundreds or thousands of pounds to put right. Here's which models and engines, what the repairs can cost, and what to check.

Hubert Rachwalski· Updated 27 Oct 2026

Three cars parked in a dark car park under a single streetlight at night

Banger Watch6 min read

The most stolen cars in the UK

DVLA figures What Car? obtained show which models had the most thefts in 2025. Here's the top 10, how those thefts split by generation, and how to check a car you're buying isn't stolen.

Michał Żelazko· Updated 27 Oct 2026

A person holding a socket wrench over the open bonnet of a blue car

Banger Watch6 min read

The most unreliable used cars in the UK

The 10 used cars with the lowest scores in Warrantywise's 2026 Reliability Index, how the index is worked out, and why it can't tell you about the car in front of you.

Hubert Rachwalski· Updated 26 Oct 2026

The rev counter and speedometer of an older car, seen past the steering wheel

Banger Watch6 min read

Which used cars show the most signs of clocking?

The models that most often showed signs of a wound-back mileage in carVertical's UK checks in 2026, what those figures can and can't tell you, and how to check the car you're looking at.

Maciej Kalka· Updated 26 Oct 2026

A car with its bonnet open, raised on a lift in a cluttered garage

Banger Watch7 min read

Most popular used cars and their MOT failures

We counted every MOT taken by the UK's ten best-selling used cars in 2024 and 2025. Here's which failed more often than cars their age, and on what.

Michał Żelazko· Updated 26 Oct 2026

Check the car before you buy it.

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