“Buying a second-hand car can be as exciting as buying a brand new one.” This is a statement that holds true for only about 70% of second hand car purchases in most shops. The remaining thirty percent is usually frustration coupled with deep anger. Why? Simply put, some second hand cars are metal monsters from our worst nightmares. They usually dislike being started early in the morning, love breaking down in the middle of traffic and are addicted to petrol. In short, few used cars could be a huge hit. This means that some cars have to be simply ignored at all cost, especially after they have gone through their first owner.

These cars, possess none of the qualities you would expect from a well maintained second hand car. They don’t still brag of great fuel economy that in some instance might rival the mpg of a brand new German machine. Most of them are not reliable as they are prone to quick breakdowns. Matter of fact, their service times are way shorter than Britney Spear’s longest lasting marriage. But which cars are these? That is the exact question we are going to answer here. We are going to present you with a list of 20 cars that you should completely avoid buying second hand – not unless death by cyanide, that you drunk yourself, is not a painful enough death for you.

Read on. You will be saved from a lot of trouble.

20 2015 Volkswagen Beetle

The original Beetle dates back to 1938 and has always been a car with huge popularity and fan base. Although most of the cars were rated high for their performance, fuel, and reliability, the 2015 model was quite the opposite.

It was noted to be a below average car which had a high number of maintenance problems, poor reliability and was not economical.

A brand-new 2015 Beetle might be a good option but for a used car it is not a good buy – since the grandma would have fossilized by then. It is better to avoid this make and go for some other cars on the market or you might end up paying more for its repairs.

19 Chrysler Sebring

The Chrysler Sebring was considered to be one of the worst models ever made. Launched in the year 1995 and after going through a long way, the production came to an end in the year 2010. It comes with a huge list of defects starting from reliability to brakes. Technically speaking, it is the grim reaper rolling on wheels. Consequently, the second hand prices of the Sebring are low and have been fully supported by critics on basis of the car’s poor performance. This might also not be the best-suited car for long drives since most of the parts do not ogre well with prolonged stress. It also has a poor suspension which could make driving in one a rather unpleasant experience.

18 2007 GMC Acadia

In the list of many top SUV's, this GMC Acadia is noted to be the worst of cars. The 2007 model used car has to be avoided at all costs. It comes with a poor suspension, performance and power. It also costs more than most used SUVs, though it will not even last for a few months.

Problems with transmission, drivetrain issues, and climate control system malfunctions are some of the major defects that are present in this model.

Buying a used 2007 GMC Acadia is not going to help you in going places. And if it does, it will be to a garage.

17 2003 Ford Expedition

With many releases which were a huge hit in the market, the 2003 model is the worst. The 2003 model had a lot of major complaints which made it less reliable in the market. This design was highly reported for its transmission failure. The cost of fixing these repairs are expensive which, satisfactorily, makes it to the list of cars to be avoided. Car enthusiasts had stated that the performance of the car was poor making it a less reliable vehicle. There were also numerous complaints regarding the audio system of the car. The cost of this vehicle starts at $3000, couple with a lot of issues.

16 2007 Audi Q7

There is nothing not to love about an Audi, but this is not true with all the makes. The 2007 Audi Q7 is a model that is to be avoided for a second-hand buy. It has claimed many awards for its exterior styling but the reliability of this monster is really low. The machine, first off, is a certified sloth.

It manages a turtle-like acceleration from a 0 to 60mph in about 8.4 seconds – the slowest in its class.

The cost of this 2007 Audi Q7 is around $6300 exclusive of taxes. For this price, you can get used cars which have far better performance and class than this.

15 2008 BMW X5

The 2008 BMW X5 was one of the worst models and it has to be avoided no matter what. The sporty crossover was noted for its poor reliability. Buying a second-hand 2008 BMW X5 will only result in having to spend more on its maintenance and repairs. There are several notable issues with this make as it comes with the faulty fuel system, power equipment and body hardware. The quality of its powertrain, build and the interiors are also poor for its price range. The cost of this 2008 BMW X5 starts from $13,250 which makes it expensive for its class and features it has.

14 2008 Cadillac SRX

The 2008 Cadillac SRX was a compact luxury crossover SUV which was launched in 2004. It was designed for everyday use, despite most of its buyers trying to use it as few times as possible. It was claimed by experts that the car was poor in performance and the reliability was a lot less.

The 2008 Cadillac SRX was considered the most dangerous car on the road as it had a high crash and loss rate of its front seat drivers.

As a matter of fact, this is considered one of the worst models to put your money in. The handling of the car is not as easy as it should be. For instance, it comes with tight steering's that makes it extremely difficult to drive.

13 2015 Chrysler 200

There are many reasons to hate the 2015 Chrysler 200 as it had heaps of complaints. It was reported to have poor handling and had transmission issues which made it among the list of cars to avoid. It was applauded by car experts to have a spacious and stylish interior but the fuel consumption of this vehicle was high and the stability of this car was low. This car was not suited for long drives as it can give you an aching experience for its comfort (or rather lack of). The production of this Chrysler 200 came to a halt as the model was a failure in the market.

12 2001 Chevrolet Venture

The 2001 Chevrolet Venture is one those cars that you must never buy used. This car has many defects that need to be addressed. The 2001 model had a lot of engine complaints and major electrical problems. Although it might have a good waxed paint job on the outside, with these complaints, it is not going to survive for a longer period of time.

It also had cooling system complaints and transmission problems and was claimed to be the worst model Chevy ever released.

The price of this model starts from $2,300, but it is not a worthy buy for the defects it comes with.

11 2002 Kia Sedona

The 2002 Kia Sedona comes with the highest number of problems. Despite being applauded for its performance and style it was considered the worst model released by Kia. It was not a fuel-efficient car and you will have to spend more for the gas. The reliability of the car is out of reason which makes it extremely unreliable. The overall driving experience of the car is below average and is definitely not recommended for a second-hand drive. It comes with suspension issues, electrical problems, transmission failure and airbag system failure which gives a number of reasons to stay away from this car.

10 Pontiac Montana SV6

Launched in 1997, this minivan was quite successful in its period until the arrival of Pontiac Montana SV6. The Pontiac Montana SV6 brought an end to the production of the Pontiac Montana as it hit a low sales record.

It had many complaints and one that topped the list was the engine problems which cost ever more for repairs and replacements.

The reliability of this car is wanting, which makes it not a worthy car for a second-hand buy. The electrical problems and the cooling system problems were considered the second top problems for this vehicle which would result in major maintenance costs.

9 2015 Porsche Cayenne

The 2015 Porsche Cayenne is to be avoided, used, no matter what. It is one of the high maintenance vehicles and you will end up spending thousands of dollars on it. This is one of the top luxury cars on the market but when it comes to fuel efficiency, it is very poor. The taxes that you would be paying for these used cars and the prices that you would be paying for a single trip to the service centre will be more. For the prices, just know that you better buy a brand-new car instead of spending loads of cash on a second-hand Porsche.

8 Pontiac Torrent

Car buyers have experienced strangely loud noises from the engine, especially during the winter. The stability of the Pontiac Torrent is also poor and the build quality bad. It had a number of complaints in its drivetrain, its fuel system and its power equipment, which justified its entry to the list of cars that must be avoided second-hand. Despite this, the car was reviewed to possess the capabilities of a sports car, but in a sports utility vehicle. With just four years in the market, the production of this machine came to an end due to its bad sales record in its history.

7 2015 Volkswagen Jetta

The 2015 Volkswagen is one of the worst models ever released. It had multiple issues that were the root cause for the failure of this model. Going for a second-hand buy might not be a good buy as the machine had major trouble with its power equipment.

The safety of this car will also be in question as it was reported to have major defects in the ABS module.

You will end up spending more on clutch failure, and it was also noted to cost more for its repairs. There are many other problems that will need attention like a troublesome climate system, failure in the audio system, and trouble with brakes.

6 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio

The 2002 Volkswagen Cabrio has to be excluded from the list of potential second-hand buys. This car has faced mixed reviews but the most common complaints are the performance issues the car has. The car is a poor performer and it has multiple electrical complaints. The exterior styling of this car is good but the interior lacks space and comfort. The reliability of the car is another major failure. Owning this car means you will have undoubtedly have clutch issues. There are many complaints on the battery of the car as it was known to cause a lot of trouble with the owners. So, this car is strongly not recommended for a second-hand buy.

5 Volkswagen Touareg

The Volkswagen Toureg was applauded for its stylish looks, space, comfort but it still had many issues that landed it on the list of used cars to avoid. The tire pressure monitoring had the highest number of complaints and it was its biggest shortcoming. This heavy monster didn't have the appropriate tires which led to tire wear out at a faster rate. What’s worse is that these tires come with high prices. For these repairs, you will end up spending more bucks on a used car. The electrical system for the Volkswagen Touareg was faulty and it had major issues because of that.

4 Saturn Relay

Going for a Saturn Relay just because of its past glory is not going to help. This machine had low reliability and had performance issues. The electrical problems existed in this machine and had to be fixed on a regular basis.

The car also lacked space despite being a larger car, making it really uncomfortable for long rides.

The transmission was a huge failure and this car will be spending a lot of its time in the repair shop. The tires get worn out faster than they usually do, the brake issue and many other failures made this car hit the not to buy list.

3 Land Rover Discovery

Despite being applauded for its performance and style this monster still makes the avoid list. The reason behind this is that the car has major issues in terms of reliability. For its price and class, this machine works the other way and it is comparatively poor when compared to its rivals in the market. The support that is needed from the Land Rover support is non-existent. It is one of the reasons that make this car a little hectic when issues occur. There were also a number of electrical problems that made it one of the worst buys for a second-hand car.

2 2002 Buick Rendezvous

The Buick Rendezvous was quite successful in its period. It had a good sales record. The owners applauded the car for its performance, styling, and comfort the car provided. The cost of this car was reasonable and it was considered a good buy, but the car never really had a good resale value. However, the 2002 Buick Rendezvous was noted to have other major complaints, with the engine problems topping the list. The cooling system problems were the next major complaint; these two repairs would cost big bucks. Not just these, there are plenty of other complaints like AC/heater problems, interior accessories problems and much more making it not a worthy second-hand buy.

1 2006 Chevrolet Uplander

The 2006 Chevrolet Uplander is noted to be the worst model which was faulty. This Uplander never really lived up to the expectation. There were loads of complaints regarding the exterior accessories problems, transmission problems, brake problems and much more. Getting a second-hand Chevrolet Uplander means your car will spend most of its time in the service centre than at your place. The damage that this caused is huge which results in big bucks. Going for a second-hand Chevrolet Uplander is not a recommended choice. There are a lot of other cars on the market which are far better than this.

Sources: ZombieDrive.com, TopSpeed.com, CanadianAutoReview.com