Owning an unreliable car can be stressful. More often than not, you find yourself at the receiving end of some discouraging job orders and repair bills. Of course, poorly built cars have been breaking down ever since the first production car sold. One would expect, through decades of creating and continuous improvement, that automobiles today would be immune to issues. However, this is not the case and we're still seeing even modern vehicles suffer from inadequate build quality.
Even one of the world’s most well-known car manufacturers can make mundane mistakes—as you will see later on. A few of the cars listed here have forgivable flaws, but a couple have huge defects that not even a mother could love.
How many of us have cars we've owned for 10 years? We get it—the sentimental value we have for our cars is great—but are you sure that your mechanical baby will last you another 10 years? If you're not sure how to answer that, then this article is for you. In here, we've listed 25 cars that, if you happen to own, should get ready to dispose of them before the decade washes away.
25 2014 Chevrolet Silverado
Chevrolet has been in the game for so long now, it’s hard to fathom them forgetting how to properly build cars. Sure, they build great vehicles every now and then, but put in bad apples along the way—like the 2014 Silverado—and we have a totally different story. North America has a very vivid market for pickup trucks, which is why there are countless models to choose from. Big trucks are the epitome of masculinity in the car world due to their assumed grit and perseverance, but the Silverado begs to differ with all its looming foibles.
24 2010 Mini Cooper S
Ever since BMW acquired Mini Cooper and renamed the brand to just Mini, everything has been seemingly going downhill. There have been reports of transmission problems, timing chain issues, and a lot more. Suffice to say, they’ll barely reach a decade of driving due to massive maintenance costs. This is the price you pay for driving around in a quirky little metal box fancied by Mr. Bean. It’s a practical joke. One thing's for sure though—you’ll be turning heads of teenage girls and dainty grandmas alike.
23 2013 Jeep Wrangler
If you've ever been to an off-road trail before, you've definitely seen a Jeep Wrangler in its natural habitat. Little does one know, it's already starting to crumble to pieces under all of its masculine glory. Take a little trip on our trusty friend, Google, and do a quick search on Wranglers and their problems and you will surely be surprised. Everything from rust to electrical failures riddle almost every variant of the Wrangler, even the Rubicon ones. Despite all the glaring issues of the Wrangler, hardcore enthusiasts still bet their lives on these charming beasts.
22 2015 GMC Canyon
The GMC Canyon has had its fair share of flack in recent years. In fact, more than its fair share. All the hate is somewhat justified when you find out that a lot of GMC Canyons' transmissions fail even at sub ten thousand miles. If that's not a factory defect, then what is? It's simply outrageous that a veteran automaker this late into the game would allow this incident. We just hope the people at GMC sort themselves out and get their groove on—and quickly—if they want to keep their jobs and reputation.
21 2015 Chevrolet Colorado
Engine misfires are like hiccups for your car. Unlike hiccups, they can spell catastrophic damage, especially when your valve seats aren't doing their job. Don't expect a Chevrolet Colorado to last long if this problem goes unchecked. Along with that disheartening issue, a lot of AC blowers in the Chevy Colorado fail due to faulty motor resistor blocks—just to add some lime juice to the wound. You're probably better off investing in another pickup truck if you want longevity.
20 2011 Range Rover Evoque
The range rover Evoque is one of the best looking SUVs to go on sale depending on who you ask. The styling is arguable, at best, making the design language certainly divisive. Enough with the praises because that's not what you're here for. Just like its siblings of the same brand, there are a few deal breakers for those of us who are in the right state of mind. The faulty electronics and the unending system warnings virtually have the whole car at its mercy.
19 2013 Tesla Model S
As many of us may very well know, Teslas are incredibly horrible cars to own. It's reached a point where the funds you save from gas money and the initial green car tax will not be worth it anymore. It all comes down to one reason: Tesla is simply not a car maker. They make great batteries, not cars; those are two immensely different things. The Tesla Model S has too many issues for us to mention, so if you want to know each and every one of them, then you better go do your own research.
18 2016 Ford Edge
Ah, Ford, or as the rest of the world calls it: Fixed Or Repaired Daily. All joking aside though, this behemoth of a car manufacturer has produced some of the most influential cars in the whole industry, and it's not taken lightly. They do have a few blunders here and there, however, and the Ford Edge is one of them. It's common to hear knocking in the engine of a Ford Edge. And if the owners simply ignore it, hoping it just goes away, it's going to bite them in the butt.
17 2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport
As a status symbol, the Land Rover Discovery Sport is a great vehicle. We don’t drive cars just to brag about it to our friends or on social media, however (though if you do, good on you—whatever floats your boat). We can’t imagine anyone being fond of squeaks and rattles, so it's baffling why a surprising number of the population still opt for this British SUV in spite there being proper cars available on the market. Problems in the Discovery Sport might seem inconsequential at first, but other problematic areas of the car add to the level of disappointment this SUV offers.
16 2015 Jaguar XF
Your family dentist might be able to afford this luxury car because of the relatively affordable $30,000 sticker price, but does he really want a saloon with interior trims and exterior panels dislodged? This Jag isn’t so awesome when you look beyond the paper and read reports of issues regarding something as vital as the fuel system and gearbox. Between the Jaguar XF and its German rivals, such as the BMW 7 Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, you might want to go schnitzel on this one.
15 2014 Peugeot 308
The engineers at Peugeot have been known to make respectable vehicles in the past. It's too bad they’re less reliable than the already notoriously unreliable Peugeot 208. A majority of the complications stem from the various faulty electrical elements. Were the wires made of clay? Doesn’t France have a healthy population of intellectuals to solve this predicament? Electrical issues seem commonplace in modern vehicles as our cars today rely heavily on the magic of technology instead of rough and rigid mechanical prowess.
14 2009 Audi Q5
European cars are generally more expensive to fix compared to their Japanese counterparts. For the 2-liter Q5, owners would have to part away with a few grand if the transmission ever damages beyond repair. Variants that have the S Tronic automatic gearboxes are prone to problems that are awful in magnitude. That's pretty unfair considering that owners shell out a pretty penny for their Audi. This is definitely one of the few botched projects from a German car manufacturer. You can bet engineers have long solved this problem.
13 2014 Range Rover Sport
Almost 19% of all Range Rover Sports in the UK experience significant problems even just in the first year of use. If they need repairs that quickly after leaving the dealership, then imagine how many times more you need to bring it in for repairs in the foreseeable future? The 2014 model is a step in the right direction, believe it or not. It's significantly less problematic than previous years of the Range Rover Sport. We all hope the model will eventually come around and deliver.
12 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Probably the most surprising entry on this list is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Truly, even the best fall down sometimes. As a disclaimer, we know a lot of you are Mercedes-Benz fanboys, so take our word with a grain of salt. Although the C-Class's issues are not that major, such as the electronics and the brake system, it's very uncharacteristic for a German brand, which has the tendency to over-engineer cars. Rather expensive running costs are apparent as well with the only plus side being a respectable safety rating—and a man-sized ego big enough to keep you off the single status for close to a decade.
11 2013 Renault Zoe
We can’t wait for the day when electric vehicles will be the norm everywhere around the globe, but it seems we're still a long way away. Granted, this is one of the better looking electric cars out there. Don't let appearances fool you though as this little bundle of headaches is hiding some potentially deal-breaking secrets. The charging system of the Renault Zoe has always been in question as many have an intermittent cutting out of the Chargemaster unit. It runs on batteries, so common sense will tell you that an issue like this is probably a sign you should stay clear of buying this EV.
10 2015 Jaguar XE
Having the same engine as the Jaguar XF, the Jag F-Pace SUV and the Land Rover Discovery Sport, the Jag XE was bound to have similar issues. People are better off avoiding this brand like the plague. If you love paying hefty repair bills, however, be our guest. The last statement about the plague was probably an exaggeration (no it wasn’t), but the stereotype that Jaguars break down often exists for a reason. Nevertheless, we can’t be too careful. It's better to be safe than sorry, remember that.
9 2015 Volvo CX90
Volvo was once considered among the brands that offer the best build quality. Unfortunately, there will always be bad apples to tarnish great reputations and the 2015 Volvo CX90 is one such apple. This modern looking mid-sized SUV has a secret in its underbelly, literally. Bodywork issues riddle this family car and some non-engine related electronics have also been known to fail. As if that wasn’t enough, the satellite navigation system also malfunctions—good luck finding your own way home. Just try to remember how you got there in the first place.
8 2016 Jaguar F-Pace
The Jaguar (or as Jeremy Clarkson would call it, the Jag) F-Pace isn't something you'd be proud to drive, despite being marketed for the sophisticated gentleman, along with numerous endorsements from public figures. First of all, the British were never known to build reliable cars. Just look at Range Rover and Lotus. Picture yourself driving around under the seemingly perpetual gloomy skies of London when a couple of interior trims fall out and the lights stop working. Not a situation we would love to be in.
7 2014 Nissan X-Trail
Nissan has built many long lasting vehicles over the years—some of them being the Altima, the Sentra, the Titan, and of course, the Fairlady Z line; and who could forget the legendary Skyline GT-Rs and the GT-R later on? Much to the disappointment of many Nissan patrons, the X-Trail didn't follow in the same legacy of these tried and true automobiles. 22.2% of Nissan X-Trail owners reportedly experienced problems with their cars, which is a bad number considering that most of this SUV’s competitors are doing excellent.
6 2009 Volkswagen Polo
“The People’s Car” they said. Long gone are the heydays of Volkswagen when you could tinker around with your beloved machine without worrying about the confusing electrical systems. Here’s a scary statistic for you: more than half the cars with faults are rendered undrivable according to WhatCar.com. Why couldn’t the VW Polo be like its more powerful and fun hot hatch sibling, the Volkswagen Golf? We understand the need for small, easily maneuverable cars in the heart of the city, but you're better off buying something that won’t give up so easily.