2023 Autos to Avoid: The Inside Scoop on the Worst Cars, Trucks & SUVs
No one makes cars to appear in lists like these, but they do. We believe that no car is totally bad... it is just that some are not suitable for a specific type of customer. So today, we'll count down all cars, trucks, and SUVs that you should avoid in 2023.
Some of these vehicles are generally liked and regarded as good ones, while others might not have a good reputation. But don't worry, we will make it clear why you'd want to avoid these cars... and if you can live with that reason, buy the car by all means. So, let's start!
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
First off, according to Edmunds, the G-Wagon will cost you at least $139,900. Now that is quite a price to pay for anything on wheels when a recession is looming around the corner.
Secondly, this thing with its refrigerator-like aerodynamics and the weight of an entire city block is anything but fuel efficient, and gas prices are not friendly right now. Also, according to CarEdge, the average 10-year maintenance cost of the G-Wagon is $16,000 and there is a 43% chance of this car needing a major repair within that time. To sum it up, if you are not making $100k a month, stay away from this white elephant.
Toyota Land Cruiser LC 200
Don't get me wrong, this is one of the most capable, dependable, and reliable vehicles of all time... but it is old now. The new 300 series Land Cruiser is more in line with the modern cars.
Toyota scrapped the V8 in the LC 200 for a twin-turbo V6 in the LC300. If you want to spare $90K+ for a capable off-road machine, go for the newer model which will be relevant for longer. Plus, according to EPA, the 200 series will give you 17MPG while the 300 series can offer up to 23MPG.
Jeep Wrangler
If you go to the trail every weekend, then go ahead and buy the Jeep. Otherwise, this SUV is just form over function, that too if you are into the boxy design language of this one.
The fact that this vehicle has an EPA rating of just 17MPG combined could be ignored but here's a sample of the comments on the Reddit Jeep Forum: "They ride rough, are very noisy, seats are terrible." So, this is an SUV for off-roading, yes, but for city commute or highway trips, no.
Mercedes-Benz GLE
It is true that the GLE comes with a number of features that are not seen in cars of this class, and it is also a very comfortable car BUT all that comes at a price that cannot be justified.
This thing starts at $60,000 before insurance, and according to CarEdge, you are looking at $15,000 in maintenance every 10 years. That too with a 43% chance of a major problem within that time. And if a German car has a "major problem" that means bankruptcy for the average American shopper. German comfort for a 43% chance of bankruptcy? NO!
Jeep Gladiator
It might be the most distinctive pickup truck on the market but that cannot make us overlook the 21/100 reliability score by Consumer Reports, the 20MPG EPA rating, or the fact that it costs more than $12,000 a year to maintain, according to CarEdge.
That all, and the factor that these things are engineered for the trail and not paved roads, means you cannot take this for a comfortable roadtrip with the fam. If you are not carrying logs into the Alaskan Tundra for a day job, buy something more comfortable.
Silverado/Sierra
Now this is a controversial one. I mean, this is the best-selling vehicle in the US for a long time, tried and trusted by a lot of Americans, but it does have issues. Getting a 5/100 reliability score from Consumer Reports is really an achievement, and this truck has managed to do just that.
The maintenance cost is also not towards the affordable side of the spectrum. CarEdge has an estimate of $10,000 for a decade of ownership and RepairPal suggests you keep $1,000 aside for annual maintenance. That is not counting the major repairs that have a 30% chance of showing up.
Chevrolet Bolt
First of all, the range of this car is nothing near the big players in the EV world. It can go only 259 miles on a single charge which makes it a strictly city-only car. It also looks ugly (but that's subjective so we can make concession on that one).
As of the reliability, the Bolt has been demoted from Consumer Report's recommended section due to major reliability issues. Plus, Chevy has yet to make a name in the EV market so if it is an EV you are looking for, go with a brand established in this space.
Ford Explorer
Not only is the maintenance cost of this American SUV at par with the more advanced German ones, (at $10,000 per decade), the chances of it needing a major repair within the first 10 years of ownership are also 5% more than comparable cars, according to CarEdge.
Then there is the fuel economy matter, where this car does not exactly shine, with a 21MPG EPA rating. All things considered, the ownership cost of the Explorer is just above $43,000 for the first 5 years. If you are going to pay that much, get a luxury car at least.
Nissan Sentra
The new Sentra is a great car with quite good reliability and customer satisfaction ratings, but if you find one from the era when Carlos Ghosn forced CVTs into everything, steer clear of those.
According to all major car review sites (as well as carparts.com), that CVT is a major problem. It is something that has a great propensity of failing and when it does fail, you are looking at a fat bill.
Lincoln Aviator
Lincoln is one of the very few brands to get the award of the most unreliable automaker from Consumer Reports in a row for two years in 2021. Right now it is the second most unreliable one after Tesla.
The Aviator has issues with everything from the airbags to the general electronics and as it is posed as a luxury brand, maintenance is also expensive, at $12,000 per decade according to CarEdge. That is not accounting for any major or unusual repair, which can appear quite often.
Hyundai Kona Electric
When a car has a reliability score of 5 out of 100 by Consumer Reports, you better stay away from it, if you are not attracted to your mechanic, that is. It is true that the Kona Electric has a 300-mile range, but that comes at the price of power.
In a world where 400hp is common place for EVs, the Kona Electric has just 200 of them and that is not exactly a good thing to have.
Ford F-150 Hybrid
Even though we do not have historical data on this one, the one that is there is not very promising. The F-150 Hybrid has a predicted reliability rating of 1 out of 5 by Consumer Reports, that's because they seldom give a zero.
Reviewers like MotorBuiscuit have also pointed out a lot of electric issues in this truck that range from malfunctioning infotainment to faulty airbags and more. Considering these trucks are bought as work vehicles by many, such issues are not acceptable.
Cadillac ELR
The first reason for staying away from this car is the price. Coming in at $58,000 before taxes, the ELR is not an affordable ride, and seriously that is a lot of money to pay for something that looks like a failed Sci-Fi experiment.
The next reason is also related to the price. This car has one of the most obnoxious depreciation rates of any in the market, at 50% for 3 years of ownership as estimated by Edmunds.
Mini Cooper
The only thing that goes to Mini's credit is its cute looks and nothing else. Other than that, it is a pretty unreliable car, getting just 30/100 for reliability from Consumer Reports. For reference the median for all car they have ranked is 60 and there are a lot of Japanese cars above 80.
The other reason you might want to avoid the Mini is its claustrophobic interior, issues with the power steering and engine overheating, as reported by Edmunds. Plus, even though it is a non-luxury compact car, the maintenance cost is more at par with midsize luxury ones.
Kia Rio
The Rio is posed as a budget car and it does that job quite well, for the most part. However, the trouble starts when things break and they do often. If you are buying a $15,000 car, any trouble with the engine, transmission, or electronics can get expensive for you.
And these troubles are common, according to CoPilot and CarEdge. If you are buying this as your first car and don't want to keep it for a long time, it's fine, but it is not a car you would like to have for a long time.
Fiat 500
Fiat presents the 500 as a budget sports car thingy but that is not the case. If you want to buy it for being an affordable and reliable personal car for city commute, go ahead... but do not go for this one if you are looking for a sports car feel.
The 1.4L engine in this thing is clumsy and takes ages (8.1 seconds) to hit 60mph. Handling and stability are also not the best, as per Car and Driver.
Bentley Continental GT
First of all, the Continental GT will cost you your inheritance and then some more, just to buy and we have yet to get started on the operational and maintenance costs of this thing.
Talking of those costs, the routine annual maintenance will amount to $3,200, according to HotCars. That is not accounting for any major repair that might surface. Other than that, this thing hardly gets 12 miles to the gallon, so that is another expense.
BMW X3
The X3 is a nice little Crossover but that is until the sunroof starts leaking or rattling, the engine oil leaks, or the timing chain guide fails, leading to the pistons being launched into the space.
You don’t have to take my word for that, those are some of the issues pointed out by the BMW Tuning Co. and by some, I mean they have a very long list of these things where you can find other reasons to avoid this car.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Well, there is not a lot to dislike about the best luxury sedan in the world, to be honest, but still you might need to avoid buying this car new. That is because these tings depreciate crazy fast.
It will lose more than half its value (54%) in just five years according to CarEdge. If you want to save money and still enjoy the S-Class, buy a used one as these things are built like a tank and five years of use do nothing.
Nissan Leaf
Well, if a car had the propensity of the sunroof exploding and flying off while you were driving, you would not even think about buying it. This is that car. If you thought you could live with its ugly looks, this is something no one can live with.
The sunroof exploding issue is not reported just by us but by the website nissanproblems.com. Other issues with this car include those with automatic emergency braking, airbag issues and many more.
BMW 7 Series
As much as you might like the idea of driving a virgin 7 Series off the floor of the dealership, you need to be reasonable about this. The 7 Series is expensive, like $100k expensive and if you can settle for a couple thousand miles on the odometer, you can save your self $40,000.
We are not recommending you don't buy a 7 Series at all, just buy a slightly used one and buy maybe a Camry with the money you save up.
Volvo S90
You might be able to live with sunroofs flying off or engine and transmission failures, but you do not, under any condition, want to take the kids out for ice cream in a car that has a critical issue that can cause the brakes to randomly fail.
Volvo issues a recall for this problem, as reported by car-recalls.eu. Now, you can get that issue fixed for free, but do you really want to take the chance driving a car which might not stop?
BMW i3
Well, to start things off, the i3 is just ugly and has some pretty obscene proportions to be honest, but we do not judge cars subjectively here. The i3 has a lot of small problems that all combine to make it an unattractive car.
The most prominent one, as reported by The Driver Advisor, is the issue with the power steering that can go hard with no reason. Other than that, the motor's printed circuit board has issues that can lead to the car suddenly losing power and going completely dead.
ANY Range Rover
The Range Rover nameplate does show luxury, opulence, and British Excess but this is something that you do not want to get yourself into. With a reliability rating of 2 out of 5, the nameplate is ranked 15th out of 19th by RepairPal.
The repairs are not affordable by any stretch of the word. The transmission on one of these, which is the most common failure, can cost you as much as $8,000 to replace.
Porsche Cayenne
The Cayenne is a fun to drive car but that fun does not stay for a long time. According to owner reviews compiled by HotCars, it starts overheating badly even before hitting 15,000 miles, brake failure is common under 20,000 miles and the engine itself fails at 40,000 miles.
And this is a Porsche we are talking about. None of those problems will cost anything under $20,000 to fix. So if you want that thrill of driving, look somewhere else, or if you can buy a new Porsche every 5,000 miles, go ahead.
BMW X6M
First of all, you will have a problem telling your friends whether this is an SUV, a hatchback, a sportback, or what. If that is not something that bothers you, the X6M is also plagued by a number of issues.
These include the likes of tailgate not properly closing, rattling doors, steering column issues, and ISOFIX anchors that come lose. These and many others are reported by MotorBiscuit and some forums even point towards occasional loss of braking power. Now we could forgive all those on a budget car, but for a luxury car, all that is unacceptable.
RAM 1500
The RAM 1500 is a work truck, a slightly luxury work truck maybe but it is not luxury enough to warrant a $17,677 maintenance bill over a period of 10 years. For reference, the F-150 will cost only $10,000 in maintenance over the same period.
That is just the routine maintenance cost. In addition to that, MotorBiscuit has noted that 290 owners reported water leaks from window seals, and 231 owners reported repeated engine coolant leaks. If you are one of those people, the repair costs can just be unaffordable.
Land Rover Discovery
If you are buying a Discovery new and do not want to keep it for long, that is fine, but if you are looking at a used one, these things are not worth the trouble and maintenance costs that they bring.
The Discovery, like many of the Land Rovers, is noted as one of the most unreliable SUVs. MotorBiscuit has reported problems from spontaneous clutch failure to undiagnosed engine oil burning and other transmission issues.
Any V8 Dodge Muscle Car
This again is a matter of how you view things. If you want a car that can shred the drag strip and give much expensive European cars a run for their money, there is no better option, but that thrill will die soon and you will be left with a car that is expensive to operate and maintain.
These big engines are anything but efficient. You will be looking at 12MPG in the city and that is not great in the current economy.
Cadillac CT5-V
The CT5-V is a good-looking car to be honest and it does have the performance too, but what it does not have is reliability and owner satisfaction to write home about. According to Consumer Reports, the reliability score of the Cadillac CT5-V is 2/5 and the same figure represents owner satisfaction.
CarEdge has also reported that the 10-year maintenance cost of the CT5-V is upwards of $10,000, which is, honestly, quite a price to pay for a midsize sedan.
Audi A6
The A6 has a quite high $10,000 maintenance cost for ten years but if you can put up the money to buy this thing that would not be a problem. The problem is the rather high 51% chance of needing a major repair, as reported by Edmunds and CarEdge.
If that does happen, this European car can get extremely expensive. The most common problems in this car include major engine troubles and interior accessories not working.
Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
If you are not buying a car exclusively for the track, you should not be looking at this one. That's because this is one of the most expensive-to-maintain American cars according to Edmunds.
The average annual maintenance bill of the Shelby GT500 is more than $2,500 and there is a high probability you will be paying for the extra repairs that prop up often and can cost as much as $4,725 to fix.
Toyota Mirai
The Mirai is a failed experiment, don't let Toyota tell you otherwise. The Fuel Cell Hybrid Tech is great on the paper but to make it practical like battery electric vehicles is still a long way to go.
There are 39 hydrogen fuel stations in the US, compared to the 130,000 EV charging stations, and yes you cannot fill up hydrogen at home but you can fully charge a battery EV at home. Unless you have a knack for quirky tech, just stay way from this car.
Chrysler 300C V6
If you want to buy the 300C, go with the V8 version. The V6 is not something you want to get yourself into, at all. While the V8 is built like a tank, the V6 in these cars is one of the most problematic FCA engines of all time.
While it is common knowledge that these engines are bad, RepairPal has noted that overheating, coolant leaks, oil slugging, and low-mileage engine failures are common in these cars.
Toyota Fortuner
The Fortuner is an SUV that has still to find a place in Toyota's lineup. It is bigger and more expensive than the RAV4 and Rush but it is under the Land Cruiser's starting variant, the Prado.
Well, place in the Toyota family aside, the Fortuner is an extremely uncomfortable vehicle with less than stellar safety and stability record. If you intend to primarily use it for off-road purposes, it's good but for road trips, the Fortuner is not a good SUV.
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
This Jeep is a capable vehicle, no doubt, but it is not without its problems. For starters, the ancient V8 is anything but fuel efficient, we are talking 14-17MPG as per EPA.
Then there are transmission, wireless control module and other issues pointed out by RepairPal that make owning one of these more of a trouble than enjoyment. So, just steer clear if someone offers you a great deal on this SUV!
Suzuki Alto
If there can be a physical embodiment of lack of safety features in cars, that would be the Suzuki Alto. This car is made with no regard to human life or anything else. Even the airbags were just recently made standard, before that you had to choose between saving a couple grand or staying alive.
Other than that, it has the weakest engine to be ever put in a car. It is so weak that no one has even bothered to dyno it, what can you expect from a 660cc naturally aspirated engine anyway?
2018 Maserati Ghibli
If you think you can get a taste of Italian luxury and performance by buying the Ghibli at a good price because it is old now, think twice. This is a trap. These things are notoriously expensive to maintain and insanely unreliable.
This model of the Ghibli in particular had serious issues, and by serious I mean the type where the subframe welds can come off causing the car to effectively become a death machine or fuel hose issues in the engine compartment that can cause it to catch on fire while you are cruising.
Acura MDX
First of all, the MDX is not worth the price tag. You can get a Cadillac XT6 or an Infiniti QX6 with AWD and all the bells and whistles with the same $50k that you would be paying for this base model Japanese pseudo luxury car.
Other than that, the MDX is a good car. The maintenance cost is significantly lesser than other luxury SUVs, and the chances of it needing a major repair are also lower.
2013 Nissan Altima
If you just Google the phrase "Nissan Altima 2013 problems," you will get plenty of reasons to avoid this car even if someone offered you this one for free. From crankshaft and cam shaft sensor recalls to transmission issues, the Altima from this era was plagued by a plethora of issues.
RepairPal alone has a list of issues with this car that just goes on forever and ever. The Altima might offer better tech features than cars of that time but owing to all these reasons, it's not worth it.