Jaecoo 7 reliability: faults and slow repairs hit rating

The Jaecoo 7 has finished among the lowest-rated cars in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, with owners reporting electrical faults, lengthy repair delays and bills for a model still within its new-car warranty period.

The SUV achieved a reliability rating of 71.9%, placing it sixth from bottom among 225 eligible models. Its performance contrasts with its sales success: according to the survey release, SMMT figures put it third among Britain’s best-selling new cars between January and August 2026.

For Jaecoo dealerships, the findings highlight an aftersales challenge as the brand builds its UK customer base. Among Jaecoo 7 owners who responded, 30% said their car had developed a fault.

The survey’s repair-time breakdown shows 65% took more than a week to complete, while a further 25% took between one day and a week.

^{Electrical problems lead Jaecoo 7 complaints}

Non-engine electrics were the most commonly reported trouble spot, at 17%. Bodywork, engine electrics and sat-nav or infotainment systems each registered 13%.

Electric motor problems were reported at 9%, while air-conditioning, the 12-volt battery, battery pack and gearbox each featured at 4%.

The breadth of complaints suggests the poor result reflects problems across several areas of the car, rather than one isolated issue. However, the findings do not identify specific component failures or explain what caused the repair delays.

They also do not separate the results by powertrain, limiting the conclusions buyers and dealers can draw about individual versions.

^{Repair bills raise warranty questions}

Although 75% of reported repairs were completed free of charge, a quarter attracted a bill. The survey breakdown shows 20% cost between £51 and £500, with another 5% costing between £751 and £1,000.

What Car? questioned why owners had incurred costs when the model was new enough for all surveyed examples still to be within their warranty period.

The findings do not establish why those charges arose or whether the reported work fell within warranty coverage. 

What Car? consumer editor Claire Evans said: “The study shows that popularity does not always equate to reliability. The biggest concern is the number of faults that weren’t fixed for free. It highlights the need to choose a reliable model from a brand that offers comprehensive warranty coverage and swift repairs if anything should go wrong.”

^{Omoda and Jaecoo extended warranty cover in August}

The findings follow Omoda and Jaecoo’s announcement in August that they were extending their existing seven-year UK warranty to cover more components, with the improvements applied retrospectively to every vehicle sold in the UK.

Parts including the infotainment unit, air-conditioning compressor, alternator, window regulators and several fuel and cooling system components gained the full seven-year/100,000-mile cover, up from three years/40,000 miles.

Cover for bushes, other rubber components and ball joints increased to seven years/60,000 miles. The changes took effect immediately and required no action from customers.

The brands said the decision followed a review of customer feedback and real-world ownership information.

Victor Zhang, managing director of Omoda and Jaecoo UK, said at the time: “By extending cover on a wider range of components – and applying those changes to every Omoda and Jaecoo we’ve sold in the UK – we’re demonstrating our long-term commitment to our customers while reinforcing our confidence in the quality, engineering and reliability of our vehicles.”

The survey nevertheless raises a separate question about how quickly faults are resolved and why some owners reported paying for repairs. The supplied findings do not establish whether those repairs predated the August changes or involved work covered by the warranty.

^{Volkswagen Tiguan finishes bottom}

Jaecoo was not alone in disappointing owners. The latest Volkswagen Tiguan finished bottom with a score of 55.3%, while the Renault Arkana, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Volkswagen ID 4 and Land Rover Discovery Sport also ranked below the Jaecoo 7.

The Mini Countryman and Suzuki Swift topped the survey with scores of 100%, with no faults reported by participating owners.

Conducted in association with MotorEasy, the What Car? Reliability Survey gathered responses from 39,332 owners and covered cars up to five years old across 30 brands.

Models required at least 15 responses to qualify, although the survey did not disclose the Jaecoo 7 sample size.