OVER the next 12 months somewhere in the region of £55bn will exchange hands between Britain's car sellers and buyers.

Knowing what can go wrong with that new vehicle, how often you'll be visiting the local garage and what it will cost to fix has, until now, been hidden from the public gaze.

The Reliability Index is the country's first comprehensive, real-time analysis of the health of cars on the road today.

Based on data gathered from millions of pounds worth of claims handled every year by leading independent automotive warranty supplier, Warranty Direct, the Reliability Index provides the car buyer with a valuable insight into the good, bad and ugly of the motoring community.

Visitors to the new web site will be able to examine data including the average cost of repair and length of time it should spend in the garage.

Importantly, it also plots the chances of your chosen model suffering from engine meltdown, transmission hiccups, air-conditioning failure and axle or suspension trouble.

Managing director of Warranty Direct, Duncan McClure-Fisher, said: "Fore-warned is forearmed, and when it comes to deciding on your next car, be it fresh off the production line or a four-year-old, one owner example, it's only fair that you have an impartial overview of that car's ability to stay on the road without breaking down.

"The overall aim of the site is to help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions."

Central to this is the Reliability Index figure, which considers the number of times a model needs repair and the actual cost of putting it back on the road.

Currently, Toyota's RAV4 sits at the top of the tree with an unblemished index rating of 0 (in other words, no claims and therefore no repair bills), with the Renault Safrane propping up the rear with a rating of 472.

The website arrives as the new EU sale of goods directive comes into force, which shifts the burden of proof should anything go wrong with a used car firmly at the doorstep of the dealer for the first six months.

Mr McClure-Fisher said: "Knowledge of what can potentially go wrong should further bolster the confidence of anyone looking at a new car."