Over the past couple of decades, one platform has dominated the automotive landscape; the SUV. From small kei cars to enormous troop carriers, the SUV reigns supreme.
Things are changing though, more and more families are downsizing, which means a small Japanese crossover has since become the default choice. Pickups have become exponentially more refined and offer more versatility, and of course for the more environmentally conscious, small EVs have also become more affordable.
At the end of the day, an SUV is a big vehicle and costs a lot to run, especially as they get older and require more maintenance. These American SUVs will likely cost more to keep on the road than a monthly payment on that new crossover.
10 Jeep Grand Cherokee
By the '90s, Jeep were making money hand over fist on these Grand Cherokees. They looked good, offered a lot of features and came with a pretty decent V8.
Unfortunately, they proved to be rather unreliable. Even by the early 2000s, there were several recalls out on these and the large volume they sold ended up being a bit of a double-edged sword. Today, they are well known for transmission failures, cooling issues and a propensity to roll over pretty easily.
9 Hummer H2
The 2000s was not a great decade for GM. Their build quality fell off a cliff and most of the vehicles that got developed in this era were under-engineered.
Costs got cut, mistakes made. The Hummer H2 was a rather big rolling mess of an SUV, not only does it cost a fortune to run, it will both fall apart on you and occasionally catch fire, too.
8 Jeep Wrangler
Although still relatively new, FCA, now Stellantis, have had their fair share of problems with this particular little SUV.
It is one of those fan favorites that has a huge aftermarket and fan base, and as a result commands a premium on the used market. Unfortunately, its pricing is not exactly justifiable considering it has several wiring issues and is susceptible to the now infamous death-wobble.
7 Ford Explorer
The first thing most people think of when the subject of the Explorer comes up is a certain tire fiasco that ended up in a class-action lawsuit.
That was the first generation. The second generation, if anything, was actually a step backwards. It was still susceptible to rollovers if you didn’t pay close attention to your tire pressure, and to make matters worse, it was even less reliable.
6 Lincoln Navigator
The Navigator hit the market with a bang back in the '90s with pent-up demand for another luxury SUV. Today, these once feature rich SUVs are a maintenance nightmare.
Based on the Expedition, they got a host of upgrades, most of them electronic, some of them prone to starting fires. They also got air suspension, which as it ages, deteriorates, and turns into a high dollar problem.
5 Jeep Cherokee XJ
Much like the Grand Cherokee of the same era, these XJ Jeeps were prone to transmission failures. They are a common sight in junkyards today primarily because of this issue.
Although one of the most capable off-road vehicles with an incredibly enthusiastic following, they have only served to frustrate owners. As a side note, getting one with a manual transmission solves pretty much everything.
4 Cadillac Escalade
Much like the aforementioned H2, the Escalade got developed in a time when all was not well with GM. Although this was supposed to be a luxury offering, it was more chintzy than luxurious.
When it comes to “bling,” nothing rivals a Caddy, but time has not been kind to 22-inch chrome rims, nor have over-sized rims been kind to substandard suspension components.
3 Chevrolet Blazer
One thing to note with the Blazer is the fact that it was competing with the worst generation of the Explorer and still got hammered on the sales charts.
It is for good reason too, as the build quality on these was awful, while handling was vague and uninspiring. The V6 was reliable but underpowered, and as a result just as thirsty as any V8.
2 Jeep Compass
The first year model and by extension the first generation of any vehicle will always be susceptible to issues, it is how manufacturers react to these issues that defines a model.
Unfortunately, they started with a Dodge Caliber platform. That was their first mistake. Then they added weight and gave it a CVT transmission. To say the least, these are not fun, nor will they do anything a Jeep should do.
1 Tesla Model X
You might think buying an EV will save you a lot of money in maintenance and repairs, but unfortunately, as a vehicle manufacturer, Tesla still has a lot to learn.
As a result, their build quality is woeful and things that shouldn’t break are breaking at an alarming rate, pulling their reliability rating right down. Thanks to their weigh, tire wear is excessive, and get ready for a shock when it's time to replace that battery pack.