In the past, many people didn't consider Korean automakers as serious manufacturers who made cars that weren't junks. Many cars from Korea from the '70s to the early 2000s could only last a disappointing 30,000 miles before developing severe issues. However, some Korean cars are not all that bad, and many gearheads would love some of these Korean cars.
Korean cars provide cheap alternatives to buyers, but some models in the recent past were undeniably horrible and broke down a little too often. Here are ten affordable Korean vehicles to avoid, as they will break down on you quicker than you can learn to pronounce their names.
10 Hyundai Pony ($4,000)
Hyundai made these cars cheaply to sell them affordably to the masses, which tremendously lowered the build quality. Hyundai partnered with the British Automakers Leyland and Austin Morris Corp to produce this car.
But this collaboration was more disappointing than impressive, as these cheap cars could hardly last 30,000 miles. While this was a lengthy lifespan for British cars in the mid-1970s, these cheap cars wouldn’t cut it in modern times.
9 Ssangyong Rodius ($5,500)
If you want to ride around in one of the ugliest cars ever, then the purely ugly Rodius from Ssangyong has you covered. Looking at the front and it’s apparent the designers did the worst job imitating a Mercedes-Benz Grille.
It doesn’t get better at the back, where they installed a towering greenhouse above the roof pillars. The eyesore gets worse for observers with the proportions. As if to punish the buyer of such a hideous vehicle, it breaks down constantly, forcing them to spend countless hours and finances at the repair shop.
8 Daewoo Nubira ($5,000)
G.M bought out this company only to strip it of its assets and eliminate them from the market. Sales for this company were meager in the U.S, amounting to about 16,000 before their collapse.
These cars, although cheap, can be uneconomical in the long run as they constantly break down. They were available for less than $10,000 in the early 2000s, which seemed like a competitive advantage, but sales would flop once reviewers exposed the weak nature of the vehicles.
7 Kia Avella ($2,000)
The only thing car has going on for itself is that it’s better than walking. At first sight, you get the impression that these cars look cheap but also feel as cheap as they look. The questionable design choice to use plastic brakes leads to many headaches for the owner as they need constant replacement.
The transmission is another weak link that can’t get to a decent mileage without needing replacement. The engine makes as good power as a lawnmower, but that is probably for good, as the brakes wouldn’t be any good at any reasonable speed.
6 Hyundai Excel ($1,900)
The Hyundai Excel would later change its name to the MK II Pony, but we guess that’s only to conceal how it excelled at breaking down. The expected engine life was only 50,000 miles, far below modern cars with the longest life expectancy.
With these cars, you get your fair share of timing belt issues and potentially blown engines. These disposable cars are affordable for most people, but anyone with sense should only buy one to dispose of it.
5 Ssangyong Korando ($3,000)
Here is another imitation attempt gone wrong. The first Korando tried too hard but failed to look or be as reliable as the first-generation Suzuki Jimny. The CVT transmission develops problems, leading to frequent loss of power on some of the earlier models.
Ssangyong also tried to copy designs from Mercedes and failed terribly. Luckily, they dropped this habit and recently started making cars based on their plans.
4 Hyundai Scoupe ($1,000)
Hyundai took the challenge to develop a decent engine, and they managed to make one this time. It even offered a 1.5-liter Turbo version capable of 115 HP. These cars were re-bodied Excels and featured 90s styling language.
While it wasn’t a clown car, nothing was special about it. Although it had a clean coupe look, it didn’t have the performance of a sportscar. If you want to get one of these today, you need to avoid running into rust issues or transmission problems.
3 Daewoo Cielo ($1,900)
Pontiac turned into a joke by putting a private label on these cars. If you have no other option to avoid public transport, that’s the only time you should consider these cars. But even then, you might find you don’t need to have your mechanic on speed dial with public transport.
These cars might eventually reach 60 mph with their measly 90 HP. But even after being too sluggish for grandma, they can’t last 70,000 miles.
2 Sungri Jaju ($2,000)
This cheap car is no good if you want a reliable car from Korea. Buy one of these and welcome a myriad of electrical problems. The battery alternator on these cars is faulty in most cases, which escalates the issue to most electronics. Suspension problems also arise more frequently than ideal on these cars.
The brakes also seem to wear out prematurely. Driving in stop-and-go city traffic and faulty brake calipers contribute to these inadequate brakes.
1 Kia Sportage ($3,000)
The Sportage has been America’s favorite Kia since 2009. It started life in 1993 as a compact SUV and is now in its fourth generation, but not all models are equal. The fourth-generation Sportage has a host of reported problems, ranging from engines with excessive oil consumption and cylinder misfire.
The cooling system is also prone to many problems, and leakages are not uncommon. The transmission can be very costly to repair, and the usual culprit for the Kia Sportage is a faulty torque converter.