Most unreliable supercars 2023

When it comes to supercars the general rule is speed, handling, and looks take precedence over practicality and usability, with some exceptions, but for all those sacrifices you would also expect a top-quality car you can rely on. Uswitch car insurance experts have found which supercars are not only the most unreliable but also which cost the most to insure.

What are the most unreliable supercars? 

1. Maserati GranTurismo

• Initial MOT failure rate (%) - 16.83%

• Number of recalls - 8

• Average number of recalls per year of production - 0.5

• Review score 3.4

There is no doubt that the Maserati GranTurismo is an impressive car. Combining look-at-me features with speed makes it a highly revered supercar, but unfortunately, when it comes to unreliability, it tops the list. Despite having 83.17% pass their MOT first time, it has the lowest review score coming in at 3.4, the most recalls, and the highest number of recalls per year of production.

2. Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

• Initial MOT failure rate (%) - 14.61%

• Number of recalls - 1

• Average number of recalls per year of production - 0.1

• Review score 4

Ferrari is one of the world's most iconic brands and with 540 bhp under the hood combined with the ability to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds, it is no wonder why the 612 Scaglietti is so popular among enthusiasts. However, due to a relatively poor MOT pass rate, with 14.61% failing to pass first-time, the Ferrari is ranked as the second least reliable supercar on our list.

3.  Toyota GT86

• Initial MOT failure rate (%) - 12.94%

• Number of recalls - 3

• Average number of recalls per year of production - 0.3

• Review score 4.2

Considering Toyota is known for making fun, affordable, and reliable performance cars, it was a surprise to see the Toyota GT86 ranked as the third least reliable supercar. It averages an overall score of 2.9/10 despite an industry review score of 4.2 out of 5 and an MOT pass rate of 87.06%

The most expensive supercars to insure

As you can see the price of the annual premium varies, from the most expensive (Lamborghini Urus) coming in at £3788.31 and the lowest (Aston Martin DBS) being a respectable £917.55. It is important to consider a variety of factors before buying a supercar, including the car's age, its price, its replacement costs and parts, its likelihood of being stolen, and more. Obviously, these factors all have a direct impact on the amount of premium you will have to pay for your car insurance. 

Supercars are considered non-standard for most insurers. It is not uncommon for insurance companies to charge higher premiums for high-performance sports cars due to the higher risk they represent.

The most unreliable hybrid and full electric supercars

1. Jaguar I-Pace

• Initial MOT failure rate (%) - 8.45%

• Number of recalls - 2

• Average number of recalls per year of production - 0.4

• Review score 3.3

As Jaguar's first all-electric supercar, the I-PACE offers you the looks of a concept car and the practicality of an SUV. Capable of 0-60mph in 4.5 secs. Unfortunately, with the lowest overall review score out of petrol, hybrid and electric, this all-electric supercar finds itself as the least reliable.

2. Ferrari LaFerrari

• Initial MOT failure rate (%) - 3.13%

• Number of recalls - 6

• Average number of recalls per year of production - 0.7

• Review score 4.8

Ferrari's LaFerrari is the first ever production car to be equipped with a hybrid system, combining an electric motor and Ferrari's classic V12. This supercar reaches staggering speeds of 217mph and goes from 0-60mph in under 3 seconds, but due to a high number of recalls and an overall average score of 4/10, the LaFerrari is the second least reliable EV/hybrid supercar.

3. BMW i8

• Initial MOT failure rate (%) - 10.88%

• Number of recalls - 6

• Average number of recalls per year of production - 0.7

• Review score 4.4

The third least reliable car on our list is the BWM i8, even though it is the highest-selling plug-in hybrid electric sports car in history with over 20,000 sales. Unfortunately, the supercar had a large number of recalls which affected it’s reliability and ultimately position in our list. The i8 was discontinued in June 2020. 

The most expensive EV supercars to insure

Everyone dreams of owning a luxurious, powerful supercar. For some, dreams come true. However, an investment like a supercar requires study and research. Electric car insurance is more expensive than conventional insurance, due to the need for specialist parts and servicing. There are specialist electric car insurance companies that offer tailored policies for low emissions vehicles.

As you can see from the table above the most expensive EV/Hybrid supercar to insure by a country mile is the Ferrari LaFerrari, the sheer cost of the car almost guarantees high premiums when it comes to insuring it. The BMW i8 comes in with a respectable £1282.76 then the Lexus LS600H in third place as the most expensive super to insure.

How to save on your car insurance:

Compare different car insurance quotes

It's easy to assume that third-party car insurance is the cheapest option since it offers the most basic level of coverage. There is no guarantee that this will always be the case since car insurance prices are determined by the circumstances of each individual. Check out our site and compare car insurance quotes for third-party, comprehensive, and third-party fire & theft prices.

Usually, the cost of a car correlates with the amount it costs to repair it. Generally, cars with high parts costs are more expensive to repair and, therefore, placed in higher car insurance groups.

Pay annually for your insurance

A good way to reduce the cost of your car insurance is by paying annually rather than monthly. Paying your car insurance monthly may seem more convenient, but it will increase your monthly payment as insurers will charge you interest to split the payments over the year.

Consider your mileage

By reducing your mileage on your insurance policy, you might expect to see a reduction in your premium. Sadly it's not quite that simple. People with lower mileage tend to drive on different roads at different times than people who drive more. That means it’s important to put in an honest estimate of your mileage to get the most appropriate cover for you.

Research the type of car

Keep in mind that the model of the car you drive can significantly impact your insurance premiums, with some models offering lower rates, on average than others. Always check which insurance group a car is in before you consider buying it.

Smaller engines are more likely to fall into a low insurance band, which leads to cheaper costs for these cars. A 1.1-litre hatchback, for instance, would be less expensive than an SUV with a powerful engine. smaller-engine cars should also have lower road tax.

Unreliable supercars 2022

Supercars are some of the most beautiful cars on the planet and are seen as the peak of car ownership, but they’re also the most expensive, and that’s before you even consider the cost of car insurance.

Even non-petrolheads can admire the beauty of a passing Ferrari or Lamborghini, but for all of that money, you’d also surely be expecting a top-quality vehicle that you can rely on.

However, a supercar can break down just like any other car, or even worse, be recalled by the manufacturer.

So, which supercars are the most unreliable? To find out, we’ve ranked some popular models on the number that pass their MOT first time, the number that have been recalled, and reviews in the motoring press.

The least reliable supercars

1. Mercedes-AMG GT

• Initial MOT pass rate: 92.8%

• Number of recalls: 18

• Average recalls per year of production: 2.6

• Review score: 4.1

The Mercedes-AMG GT is an impressive car, but it came at the bottom of our rankings, largely due to the number of times it has been recalled, with 18 instances (2.6 for each of the seven years it has been in production). However, the GT also performed relatively poorly on its industry review score, with 4.1 (with most supercars scoring 4.5 or over).

2. Porsche 911

• Initial MOT pass rate: 87%

• Number of recalls: 17

• Average recalls per year of production: 0.6

• Review score: 4.8

Probably the most recognisable Porsche of all time, the 911 has been in continuous production since 1964 and despite a very impressive review score of 4.8 out of 5, ranked as the second-least reliable car on our list due to a high number of recalls and relatively poor MOT pass rate, with just 87% passing first-time.

3. Maserati GranTurismo

• Initial MOT pass rate: 82.2% #

• Number of recalls: 0.7

• Average recalls per year of production: 0.6

• Review score: 3.4

The third-least reliable supercar on our list was the Maserati GranTurismo, which had the lowest industry review score, at 3.4 out of 5, as well as a relatively low MOT first time pass rate of 82.2%. The GranTurismo is a grand tourer that set a record for being the most quickly developed car in the industry, going from design to production in just nine months.

The worst supercar for…

MOT pass rate: Maserati GranTurismo (82.2%)

The MOT test is a vital way of testing the roadworthiness and safety of a vehicle and of the supercars that we looked at, it was the Maserati GranTurismo that had the lowest rate of first-time passes, with just 82.2% passing their initial test.

Recalls: Mercedes-AMG GT (18)

Cars can be recalled when there’s a serious safety problem and you wouldn’t necessarily expect them to happen to supercars. As well as being the most unreliable car on our list overall, the Mercedes-AMG GT had the most recalls, with 18. Even when we take into account the number of years the car has been in production (7) then the GT still has 2.6 recalls per year.

Reviews: Maserati GranTurismo (3.4 out of 5)

While you would expect supercars to all have near-perfect reviews, that’s not always the case, as shown by the Maserati GranTurismo, which holds a score out of 3.4 out of 5 on Parkers. While by no means an awful score, it’s the lowest on our list.

Uswitch.com car insurance expert, Florence Codjoe comments:

“For petrol heads around the world, the peak in their life and career is when they can afford a supercar. However, after years of saving for their dream car, the last thing they want is it to be unreliable.

“Three different manufacturers appear in the top 3 most unreliable supercars, the Mercedes-AMG GT ranks as the least reliable, followed by the Porsche 911 and the Maserati GranTurismo respectively.

“The Maserati GranTurismo also had the lowest rate of first-time MOT passes, with just 82.2% passing their initial test, meaning the car can start costing a lot of money just three years in!

“The Mercedes-AMG GT was the most unreliable car on our list and also had the most recalls, with 18 recalls. Porsche followed closely behind with 2 models having the second, and third highest number of recalls, with the Porsche 911 (17 recalls) and Porsche Panamera (15 recalls).

Methodology

We rated each supercar on the following three factors, giving each vehicle a normalised score out of ten for each factor, before taking an average across all three scores.

Initial MOT pass rate

The percentage of vehicles that passed their MOT first time in 2020, according to data acquired via a Freedom of Information request made to the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency.

Number of recalls

The number of times each model has been recalled since 1992 according to GOV.UK’s check vehicle recalls service. Note that this refers to the number of recall notices that have been put out for a model, rather than the specific number of vehicles that have been recalled.

We also looked at the number of years that each car has been in production (since 1992) to calculate the average number of recalls per year.

Review score

The review score out of five given to the most recent version of the vehicle on Parkers.