Newer Diesels...

[DarkInferno]

Here's my take on it.

These are the cars I've worked on an the faults they have had (that I remember clearly, and ages are, in some cases very, approximate).

BMW 320: Starter Motor, Welding.
Ford Fiesta 1.6 (W): HCV.
Ford Focus 1.8D(W): Fuel Pump.
Ford Focus 1.9/2.0?D(10): Clutch (36k), Pissing Oil.
Ford Mondeo 1.8(X): All 4 springs, Rear Callipers, (currently burning oil).
Ford Mondeo ST200 2.5(W): Oil Cooler, Front Springs, Secondarys Motor (Cleaned) Air Con Pump.
Ford Mondeo ST200 2.5(X): Secondarys Motor (Replaced), Air Hoses, MAF.
Ford Puma 1.7(X): ABS Pump, Brake Hoses, Front Brake Calipers, Bushes, Clock.
Honda Jazz 1.6(06): Gearbox, EGR.
Mazda Xedos 6 2.0®: Cam Belt Tensioner, Rear Brake Hoses, Split Intake Hose.
Mazda Demios 1.4(S): Clutch(75k), Radiator.
MG ZT (04): Head Gasket.
Mitzubishi Shogun 2.8D(W): Head Gasket, Wheel Bearings.
Peugeot Partner 1.9(XUD) (P): Fuel Pump (lucas), Broken spring
Peugeot Partner 1.9(DW8) (W?): Indicator Stalk. Glow Plug relay ECU type thing.
Peugeot Expert 1.9DT(XUD) (P?): Clutch (120k).
Peugeot 306 1.9DT(P): Fuel Pump (lucas), Rear Beam, Door Loom, Power Steering Pump, Radiator, Rear Lights Earth, Indicator stalk, Clutch (170k), Main Earth.
Peugeot 306 1.9DT(M): Rear Beam, Door Loom,
Peugeot 106 1.1(N): Door Handles. Rear Lights,
Seat Ibiza: Gear Linkages.
Vauxhall Astra 1.6: Oil Pump.
Vauxhall Vectra 1.8: Head Gasket.
VW Golf GTi PD150: Starter Motor.

That just looks horrific, and (my) 306 has the longest list by far! EEP!
But if you factor in the number of miles/years and costs (rough):

BMW 320: 3Years, £80 (£26/y)
Ford Fiesta 1.6 (W): 3 Years £40 (£13/y)
Ford Focus 1.8D(W): 15 Years, £180 (£12/y)
Ford Focus 1.9?D(10): 2 Years, £220 (£110/y)
Ford Mondeo 1.8(X): 2 Years, £150 (£75/y)
Ford Mondeo ST200 2.5(W): 7 Years, £80 (£11/y)
Ford Mondeo ST200 2.5(X): 2 Years, £200 (£100/y)
Ford Puma 1.7(X): 6 Years, £100 (£16/y)
Honda Jazz 1.2(06): 2 Years, £900 (£450/y)
Mazda Xedos 6 2.0®: 5 Years, £200 (£40/y)
Mazda Demios 1.4(S): 2 Years, £170 (£85/y)
MG ZT (04): 8 Months, He didn't bother with repair as it had so many other faults.
Mitzubishi Shogun 2.8D(W): 6 Years £300 (£50/y)
Peugeot Partner 1.9(XUD) (P): 10 Years £40 (£4/y)
Peugeot Partner 1.9(DW8) (W?): 1 Year £100 (£100/y)
Peugeot Expert 1.9DT(XUD) (P?): 4 Years £150 (£37/y)
Peugeot 306 1.9DT(P): 8 Years £200 (£25/y)
Peugeot 306 1.9DT(M): 3 Years £90 (£30/y)
Peugeot 106 1.1(N): 1 Year £40 (£40/y)
Seat Ibiza: 6 Months £40 (£80/y)
Vauxhall Astra 1.6: 5 Years £90 (£18/y)
Vauxhall Vectra 1.8: 6 Years £200 (£33/y)
VW Golf GTi PD150: 3 Years, £60 (£20/y)

My 306 isn't looking too bad now

Now how many times they have left people stranded, with the probability of each car leaving you stranded per year in order with the least reliable first, sorted by costs. So your ideal car will be last on the list.

Honda Jazz 1.2(06): 4, 200% (£450/y)
Peugeot Partner 1.9(DW8) (W?): 2, 200% (£100/y)
Seat Ibiza: 1, 200% (£80/y)
MG ZT (04): 1, 150%
BMW 320: 2, 66% (£26/y)
Mazda Xedos 6 2.0®: 3, 60% (£40/y)
Ford Focus 1.9?D(10): 1. 50% (£110/y)
VW Golf GTi PD150: 1, 33%(£20/y)
Peugeot Expert 1.9DT(XUD) (P?): 1, 25% (£37/y)
Vauxhall Astra 1.6: 1, 20% (£18/y)
Mitzubishi Shogun 2.8D(W): 1, 16% (£50/y)
Vauxhall Vectra 1.8: 1, 16% (£33/y)
Peugeot 306 1.9DT(P): 1, 12% (£25/y)
Ford Focus 1.8D(W): 1. 7% (£12/y)
Ford Mondeo ST200 2.5(X): 0, 0% (£100/y)
Mazda Demios 1.4(S): 0, 0% (£85/y)
Ford Mondeo 1.8(X): 0. 0%(£75/y)
Peugeot 106 1.1(N): 0, 0% (£40/y)
Peugeot 306 1.9DT(M): 0, 0% (£30/y)
Ford Puma 1.7(X): 0, 0% (£16/y)
Ford Fiesta 1.6 (W): 0. 0% (£13/y)
Ford Mondeo ST200 2.5(W): 0, 0% (£11/y)
Peugeot Partner 1.9(XUD) (P): 0, 0% (£4/y)


So clearly if you want something that won't leave you stranded, and requires almost nothing extra to normal maintenance, minimal yearly outlay on parts, you need an old XUD van, but make sure you don't get a newer one and for the love of god shy away from Honda's

Newer cars certainly seem to cost a lot more to repair when they go wrong, but anything I say will be biased as I don't tend to repair cars that are working fine.

Older cars have common faults: this is true. Newer ones have uncommon faults (until the get known).

Can you guess which costs more to repair, and which take far longer to find get spares and repair:
The noise at the back of a 306 or the noise under the bonnet of the Jazz?

But clearly, Honda's are reliable but that one wasn't, every XUD I've ever worked on was bulletproof, I've never had to do a HG on one, but people stick silly boost in and lift the head or blow a rod out the side. Is the engine unreliable? Its extremely reliable in my experience, but does that mean the next 200bhp+ monster will last 200k?

What I may however be trying to say in a very exaggerated way is the plural of anecdote is not data. Even your own experiences can't be relied on to tell you the reliability of a car.

They all break, but the probability is they won't. In my experience newer cars cost more to repair and are more likely to leave you stranded than they are to fail in a minor way. I'd pick a XUD'd 306, as its cheap to run and hellish reliable.

TLR. Get the car you want.