There is not one person on Earth, at least none that we know of, that would enjoy buying a car that packs it up after a short period of time. No doubt, having a sturdy and quality car is the wish of every car owner, something that can be used and sold off to get an upgraded model, or better still, driven for a long time and passed down to another generation, eventually making it a classic car that may be worth millions when auctioned.
A car's lifespan can be largely determined by the quality, effort, and materials the makers put into it during its production. As the German proverb goes, “the deeper the foundation, the longer the building scrapes the sky.” What this simply means is that the best result can only be achieved by the best effort. However, sometimes big car manufacturers lose their way, only to release cars that are poorly made.
We have no special magic powers to know if these cars are as good for us as the manufacturers claim they are. Rather, we keep hoping that we’re getting the best value for our money. Well, the good news is we did our research and decided to list 24 cars that will probably break down after 5 years.
24 Volvo XC90
The Swedish car manufacturer may be known and trusted for making quality and sturdy cars, but they totally missed it with the XC90. Most people who have used the car didn’t complain about the engine failure as such. Rather, the biggest issue the Volvo Xc90 faces is the gear transmission system.
According to a number of reports recorded by a reputable car website, 85% of people who bought the XC90 changed their gear transmission system at least three times in the space of two years. Another prevalent challenge reported by owners of this car is the brake system of the car.
If you are planning on buying this car or you already have it parked in your garage, you should probably have a rethink.
23 Ram 3500
What comes to mind when you see the RAM 3500? You might believe it’s a sturdy towing, heavy-duty pickup truck. Perhaps you think it’s a durable truck that has a large towing capacity worth 31,210lbs or even a strong pickup truck that will give a Ford F-150 a run for its money any day.
Well, permit me to burst your bubble a bit. The Ram 3500 is nothing to write home about, because of its engine problems.
Sadly, the engine issue is applicable to even the older models. According to a survey carried out on the vehicle by various consumers, it was observed that the average owner spent at least $2,000 on engine repairs from 2017 to date.
22 Chevrolet Camaro
There is a French proverb that says, “The older the wine, the stronger the content.” Sadly, that’s not the case with the Chevrolet Camaro. Despite the fact that this car first went on sale in the year 1966 as a pony car, it hasn’t been able to upgrade the durability of its engine.
That’s why it was ranked as the 10th most unreliable car in the world by a consumer report. To make matters worse, the 2013 version of the car comes with a ton of electrical problems alongside its regular engine issues. If you’re ready to spend $2,500 for repairs every 6 months, then you have the right car here.
21 GMC Acadia
Even though the General Motors upgraded this car from a mid-sized crossover SUV to a full-size crossover SUV in 2016, it has not done justice to the major issues faced with this car by the consumers.
What is even more annoying is the fact that the problems of the car start to show their face at quite an early stage, apparently not giving the car owner enough time to enjoy it.
The fact that production of the Acadia stopped temporarily in 2006 because the mounts for the engines had no drilled holes to discharge accumulated water is even more unnerving. The production started again only for the engine to develop a new problem- stalling frequently.
20 Lincoln MKX
Even though the Lincoln brand is known for its luxury and quality, it wasn’t able to sort out the drawbacks of the Lincoln MKX, as it keeps leaving many of its owners on the side of the road stranded. It’s heartbreaking and hard to believe that a reputable company such as Ford Motors produced a car like this.
The Lincoln MKX, just like other cars on this list, has been derided because of the engine’s durability. Also, the car has a gear transmission leakage issue. You’d have to spend around $3,600 to fix the gear transmission leaking issue, which you might keep fixing every 6 months or so.
19 Mitsubishi Shogun
The Mitsubishi Shogun has truly been “gunning down” its owners, since the early 90s. All the versions produced during that era were quite problematic. Thus, it has been given the prestigious award of being the “third most unreliable diesel car on the road.”
As a matter of fact, the Shogun almost made many consumers believe the myth that many diesel-efficient cars are prone to parking their owners by the side of the road when compared with their petrol counterparts.
Its two most inevitable problems are diesel engine failure and the EGR valve frequently clogged by accumulated carbon.
18 Cadillac ATS
For more than a century, the U.S. manufacturers have been producing Cadillac cars that have served both the US and the world at large. However, there are times where they made us have a rethink as to if they were truly the ones that made certain models because of the poor quality.
The Cadillac ATS is one of those cars that got us wondering if Cadillac went on a break from making quality cars or if they outsourced the production to more incompetent hands. The engine and handling problems of the car gave its competitor, the BMW 3-series, a heavy edge.
17 Tesla Model X
Elon Musk may have gotten it right in the financial technology ecosystem when he co-founded the electronic payment system, PayPal. However, he absolutely missed it when it came to the Telsa Model X.
Apparently, the Telsa motors, which is based in California and owned by Musk, started making blunders with its Falcon-Wing doors. It didn’t stop there. Rather, its problems spanned further when they called back about 53,000 Model Xs because of their brake system.
The most striking thing, however, is the fact that the car’s autopilot poses a big threat when the rain is falling, as it totally stops working. Even though the car features modern technology, it’s not a car to bank on.
16 Chevrolet Tahoe
This Chevrolet Tahoe is another unreliable vehicle that many customers have complained about in the past. Twenty-seven years is enough for a company to build a solid and reliable brand, after all, it didn’t take Steve Jobs that long to make Apple a global brand.
Since the production of the Chevrolet Tahoe started in 1991, Tahoe owners have not enjoyed a comfortable drive without having issues with their engine consuming excess oil. Some other Tahoe owners argue that the cylinder head is the most prominent problem. Whatever the case may be, it’s obvious that Chevrolet hasn’t gotten it yet with the Tahoe.
15 Skoda Superb
The Skoda Superb was initially launched in 2001. Funny how it’s called “Superb,” and yet it has not lived up to expectations. Many consumers have also placed on the “wall of shame” for one of the most unreliable cars of the last two decades.
But why has it become an object of ridicule amongst many drivers? The car’s gearbox is definitely one reason.
Another big issue is the fuel leakage. As a matter of fact, Skoda had to recall 2009 – 2013 models because of fuel pumps that were experiencing a lot of leakages.
14 Chrysler 200
In 2010, Chrysler made us believe that their newly released 5-passenger mid-sized sedan would be something to talk about for a long time. Apparently, they achieved their mission, as we’re still talking about how the engine of the car failed its owners without any remorse.
Even though the car has a state of the art accessories, they failed to do justice to the engine.
Drivers tirelessly complained about how the engine kept cutting out while in motion. Also, some mentioned the instability of the gear transmission.
13 Dodge Avenger
The Dodge Avenger was first released into the market in 1994 as a 2-door coupe and later upgraded in 2008 to a 4-door sports sedan. However, the failure of the Dodge Avenger was inevitable, notwithstanding the efforts the manufacturer put in revamping the vehicle.
According to Motor Trend, “the car handling and driving comfort have a ridiculous 1-star rating.” To add more insult to the injury, many Avenger drivers complained about the cracking of the engine head, the ignition problems, the malfunctioning of the heater, and the alternator belts, amongst other things.
12 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The trend of gear transmission failures on this list continues with the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Ironically, the “Grand” in its name has nothing to do with quality; rather, it has quite a number of grand issues that make it hard for it to last long.
The issues with the Jeep Grand Cherokee are beyond the usual. Many owners complained majorly about the constant jerking and hesitation of the car’s gear transmission.
The number of issues to fix on this car are enough to make it worth buying a new SUV. Thus, it’s not wise to buy this car, unless you have enough money to throw around.
11 Land Rover Discovery
Driving a fancy 4X4 Land Rover Discovery doesn’t exempt you from experiencing breakdowns. According to reports from insurance company Warranty Direct, the Land Rover Discovery was ranked as a vehicle with one of the highest number of breakdowns in 2012.
No doubt this vehicle has been deemed as a “4Xflaw,” considering the fact that a whopping 85% of owners have claimed repair damages. Many complained about its engine, while some made it clear that the vehicle’s brake system was woeful.
10 Ford Focus
Even though the lovely interior and handling of the Ford Focus were praised by many car enthusiasts, the fact still remains that it’s a problematic car that has a load full of issues. Many Ford drivers complain about the dual-clutch automatic gear transmission, which makes it hard to move evenly.
Another major issue faced with this car is the regular failure of the gasket. However, some auto experts deduced that the engine used in the Focus was designed for the Mustang Ecoboost.
9 Fiat 500L
This car has a ton of external features that would make anyone a believer. That is until they see the face behind the mask. You mustn’t be deceived by its 160 horsepower engine or its ample space of 68 cubic feet. After all the 500L is the big brother of the Fiat 500. One would have thought that an upgrade would have been done on the 500L. Instead, the American-Italian car company turned a blind eye to the frequent gear transmission issues that affected the previous models.
8 Scion TC
The Scion TC may have a great body design and style, but we're sorry to say that it reportedly has more terrible mechanical issues that will almost make you forget the fact that it has a great-looking style. Just one test drive in this car will say it all. The regular complaints about this car from owners include a cheap interior, poor handling, and a buzzing power plant. Thus, this car is a perfect example of a beauty with no brains.
7 Honda Insight
When this car was first released, the purpose was to compete with its counterpart, the Toyota Prius. However, the competition soon became too easy for its the Prius as that car gave customers better looks and driving performance.
On the other hand, the Honda Insight gave customers weak performance and constant engine malfunctions that made them return to the mechanic frequently.
Thus, it has a 70 to 80% rate of probably breaking down just after or even before 5 years from the purchase date.
6 Dodge Caliber
This hatchback car is a perfect example of an experiment went very badly. Chrysler planned to produce something unique and perfect, but they ended up giving us a plethora of issues. Buying this car would definitely make you a regular customer at your local mechanic.
Apparently, the major issue that makes this car a big pain in the lemon is the fact that the car’s engine is always getting hot after it's driven a few miles, making the car come to a halt very often.
5 Dodge Journey
Another Dodge car on this list? Oh Yes! You don’t have to be surprised. The Dodge Journey has a good-looking exterior, no doubt, but it might also get you parked at the side of the road. Even though it’s called the Dodge Journey, it doesn’t give its owners a smooth ride; rather it more often than not makes drivers end their journey halfway to the destination.
This SUV has been rated by many consumers as below average, and it’s probably not reliable enough to journey with you for 5 years.