Think Dodge and you think Ram trucks, which are now a separate marque under the FCA Chrysler alliance known as Stellantis. Then, you think of the muscle car stalwarts, the Challenger and the Charger, with a hefty dose of the Viper thrown in. You remember the R/T package, and the Hellcats and all, and realize that Dodge has an impressive legacy.

So if you are looking to buy a used Dodge, it’s certainly one automaker that has made a lot of good cars and many of them would make for a great addition to your garage. Remember though, that like every other automaker, Dodge did manage to make some lemons, or duds too. These cars will not make for good or reliable rides, and it’s best to dodge them lest they turn into a big problem for you.

These Dodge cars were weak sellers back then, and even if you get a great deal on them, these may not be the best choice for you.

10 2007-2012 Dodge Caliber

The Dodge Caliber wasn’t a bad car initially, as the early reviews were positive, complementing its roomy interiors, competitive pricing, and its JATCO CVT. It was pegged against the bests of Japanese nameplates in the US bazaar at the time.

While it sold well for the first three years, several mechanical problems started cropping up later. The independent rear suspension and rear drums of this compact hatchback turned unreliable within this short period. Its unrefined CVT also irked many customers.

9 2006-2011 Dodge Nitro

The Dodge Nitro’s story is even gloomier than the Caliber’s. Originally hailed as a Jeep Liberty on ‘roids, the Nitro soon popped plenty of reliability issues. This used Dodge SUV is best avoided as it’s a massive rollover hazard.

The frontal and side crash ratings are a perfect five from NHTSA but its poor Rollover Star Rating put this cardboard box-shaped car into the back seat. There were also many complaints about engine stalling, randomly, which was like the final nail in the coffin of this unreliable Dodge.

Related: 5 Worst Engines Ever Put In A Dodge (And 5 Used In Chryslers)

8 1997-Present Dodge Durango

The Durango nameplate has been around for more than two decades now, however, it’s the kind of Dodge that one should dodge on the used car bazaar. It seems the marque hasn’t been able to work the kinks out of the Durango over all these years.

Issues like alternator failure, engine stalling, and fuel pump relay malfunctions have been plaguing this giant SUV for years. It’s difficult to say which model year works the best for you if you’re looking for a reliable family hauler because that’s exactly what the Durango is not.

7 1993-2004 Dodge Intrepid

Nicknamed as one of the worst Dodge cars of all time, the Intrepid came with a faulty 2.7-liter engine that refused to start because of terrible oil sludge. It borrowed most of its design cues from the house of Lamborghini that was controlled by Chrysler at the time, so it turned a lot of heads, but all was for waste.

Dodge couldn’t revive the ailing 2.7-liter engine resulting in a catastrophic failure for this nameplate. However, the other two engines, a 3.3-liter, and a 3.5-liter V6 are good to go if you’re an Intrepid fan.

Related: 5 Dodge Cars From The '90s That Are Worth Every Penny (5 To Avoid Like The Plague)

6 1995-2006 Dodge Stratus

The Chrysler cloud cars were as bad as the Chevrolet X-Cars. The Dodge Stratus, Chrysler Cirrus, and Plymouth Breeze were the worst of an entire lot of dodgy cars from Dodge and its counterparts, as they fell short in the reliability department. A poor crash rating from NHTSA was also another reason they failed.

It's better to steer clear of the Stratus if you’re in the used car lot as they are usually marred with issues that affect the electrical functions, suspension, and the engine as well.

5 1981-1989 Dodge Aries

Based on the K-Car, the poker-faced Aries is the worst of all the lousy cars Dodge has ever produced. The rust-prone Aries was the result of Chrysler’s cost-cutting strategies at the time, so it came with a lot of faults.

Apart from being an affordable Dodge sedan with room for six Americans, it had everything wrong from a weedy engine to sluggish brakes, plus uneven handling. Chrysler was able to sell many of them, so there are plenty of them on the used car lots, but they don’t deserve any love.

Related: The 10 Most Disappointing Cars Dodge Ever Made, Ranked

4 1989-1995 Dodge Spirit

Another doomed Chrysler K-Car nameplate came and went like a Mayfly in the early 1990s. The drab and boxy Dodge Spirit was a car for the masses so cost-cutting was the only thing on Chrysler’s agenda. It was supposed to sell in great numbers and bring Chrysler out of the financial crisis at the time.

However, it was a gamble that didn’t work in Chrysler’s favor. Instead, buyers went for the Japanese and European rivals. The Aries also has plenty of mechanical issues mostly related to its engine and transmission making for a badly used car.

3 1987-1994 Dodge Shadow

The Shadow was another ill-fated K-car decked in brand-new clothes. Dubbed as the awful convertible of the early 1990s, Shadow is a long-forgotten stain in the history books of Dodge. It debuted when Chrysler was following the cheap car norms to sell in quantity rather than in quality.

It was equipped with mediocre stuff inside out and the lower-end variants were thoroughly unreliable. A lackluster performance under the hood was another trait that led to its downfall. It’s a big no-no on the used car marketplace.

Related: Never Buy These American Cars Used, Ever

2 1993-2005 Dodge Neon

Chrysler sold more than 2 million copies of Neon over two generations between 1994 and 2005. It sold more in its first generation than its second one, and that's because it’s the first-gen Neon that’s full of faults. Head gasket failure and peeling paint are just a few of the issues.

If you are a fan, make sure to look for the 2003-2005 Neon SRT-4 variant because it’s one of the greatest Dodge cars we have on the used lots these days. You can grab clean examples for less than $25,000.

1 1990-92 Dodge Monaco

The lesser-known Monaco debuted in 1965 as Dodge's flagship model and survived for four generations until 1978 when it was discontinued for poor sales. These were great cars until 1990 when Dodge attempted to revive the nameplate. Chrysler did so half-heartedly and the quality was compromised back-to-front.

It was the very same cheap car phase that affected Chrysler’s production lines in the early 1990s. Only around 22,000 of them were ever made so if you find it in the used car marketplace, avoiding them will be in your best interest. These obscure-looking cars are prone to electrical and transmission issues so do dodge them straight-up.

Sources: NHTSA, VehicleHistory, TheGlobeandMail, RepairPal, Autotrader, TheMagsReport, CarGurus