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Where better to get used car shopping advice than from the mechanics and service techs who actually work on a wide range of makes and models? Their choices have recently been listed on the Royalty Auto Service YouTube channel.
The value of this list is that it goes beyond a vehicle's overall reliability to include other used car shopping deal breaking factors such as cost of repairs, cost of maintenance, and parts availability that the used car shopper needs to consider.
Top 10 Least Favorite Vehicles Of The 2010s
That said, here is the list, starting from the best of the worst and descending to the worst of the worst, including a short summary of why each model qualifies as this garage's least favorite vehicle, which they would not recommend buying.
10. Dodge Dart 2013-2016 ― "This one used to be a really, really good car back in the 60s and 70s. And now, it's not so much. It's actually defunct now," states the host. Problems with the 2013-2016 Dodge Dart include:
- A problematic multi-air system
- Coolant leaks
- Electrical issues
- Hard to find OEM parts
9. Chevy Cruze 2008-2023 ―"This was an inexpensive car along the lines with the Dodge Dart. It's not a really expensive car, but the repairs just kind of really overwhelm the price of the vehicle. You think you buy something inexpensive you're going to be able to drive for a little bit. Unfortunately, the repairs you're going to have to do might add up to what you paid for it," warns the host.
Problems with this model include:
- Turbo issues
- Coolant leaks
- Oil leaks from the oil filter housing
- Bad valve covers
8. Ford Focus 2012-2015 ―"This one has been around for a very long time. I'm not saying that all of them are bad, but certain years are," says the host, pointing out that its chief problem included a range of transmission issues that were not a matter of "if" but "when" you would need a transmission replacement.
Related article: Ford Hung Me and My Girlfriend Out To Dry ―The Ford Focus You Can Buy Cheap, Warning
7. Land Rovers (with the 5 L Engine) ― "The first high-end vehicle that we're talking about is going to be a Land Rover with the 5 L engine in it. This vehicle has got tons of problems. Stay away from it!" warns the host.
Experienced mechanic-shared complaints of this make include:
- Under the intake manifold, coolant leaks
- Brake vacuum pump issues
- Oil leak issues
- Timing chain issues
You name it, this vehicle's got it, this was a short-term vehicle for somebody, and now somebody buys it, and these repairs can get incredibly expensive."
6. Ford EcoBoost 1.5, 1.6, & 2.0 L engine models 2013-2019 ― "These engines have massive coolant intrusion problems into the engines. Some of the repairs are replacing the engine. I don't think we need to say any more about that; I would not buy a car that I know has a designed-in issue: coolant gets into the engine and the only fix is to put an engine in it. Yeah, Ford sells the engines fairly inexpensively, but it's not an inexpensive job."
Related article: Ford EcoBoost Engine Replacement Issue with These Model Years You Need to Know
5. Mini Cooper ― "We don't see a lot of the new ones. I don't know if people just have gotten smart and aren't buying a bunch of them anymore or what, but for a while, we were seeing a ton of these," states the host citing the following problems they have experienced:
- Timing chain issues
- Turbo problems
- Oil leaks
- Carbon buildup on intake valves within 15,000 miles
They're super fun to drive, but they are not reliable. They will not last long, and they are not inexpensive to fix."
4. Any Nissan with a CVT 2012 to 2018 ― "The Nissan Sentra's, the Ultima's, the Maxima's, the Rogue's, all those vehicles had them in there; They were problematic. You're just going to replace the transmission at some point," warns the host.
Related article: Truth About CVT Transmissions Reveals Reliability and Costs of Having One
3. Ford EcoBoost 3.5L with Turbo ― "A lot of really expensive repairs, which is why it's on the list; It's expensive repairs on the engine," says the host with a long list of issues that include:
- Turbo line leaks
- Coolant and oil leaks requiring cab removal
- Valve covers that break and need replacing
- Timing phasor issues
- Water pump design problems requiring engine removal to get to it
2. Kia and Hyundai models with 2 and 2.4 liter engines ― "Most of you that watch me online know that I'm not a big fan of Kia and Hyundai with the 2L, and the 2.4 liters pretty much speaks for itself; Just tons of engine issues," explains the host not going into detail only that engine replacement is the go-to repair on these makes and models.
1. Any Chrysler with a 3.6 L engine ― "Number one by a country mile, this thing has lapped the rest of the field―any Chrysler with a 3.6 L in it, the engines are just a problem," states the host.
The common theme of the Chrysler complaints is that all of the repairs listed below are very expensive and sometimes involve total engine replacement. Problems like:
- Electrical problems
- Oil cooler housing and filter leak issues
- Lifter and camshaft issues that cascade into engine destruction
In short, this make and its models with the 3.6L engine are generally unreliable despite the fact that the rest of the build is much better admits the host.
Well, the goal of this video is to save you money and hopefully we've accomplished that. If you're going out to try to buy a used vehicle, these are the ones you want to stay away from.
For more details from the video, be sure to check it out below:
Our Top 10 Least Favorite Vehicles Of The 2010s!
And, If you are a Ford enthusiast, be sure to check out the comments as well following the video, some of which offer good-to-know information like from commenter dsacc01:
I spent 15 years as a Ford tech before having to quit for health reasons. I agree 100% with your Ford list. I did around 300 of the dual clutches in the Focus/Fiestas, and we were a small dealer. When they did the body change in 2012, they really had the trans issues. They changed the part number on the trans and seems like it was mostly the clutches and TCM issue after that. If you didn't baby the car when driving, the clutch was a lot happier. You need to add any Ford with the 1.0 in them as a "don't buy'. They have a belt to run the oil pump that fails, taking out the engine."
COMING UP NEXT: My Father Has Alzheimer's and Dementia and Went In for Service and they Convinced Him to Trade In His Prius and Buy a RAV4
Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair" for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.
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