The Worst Used Cars To Buy In 2023
Buying a pre-owned car is filled with uncertainty. Despite vehicle history reports, you never really know all the details of a car’s background—this information isn’t always comprehensive. It’s common to wonder if you’re “buying someone else’s problem” and have numerous doubts. A good start is staying away from certain vehicles with reputations for trouble. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the worst used cars to buy.
A look at carcomplaints.com, RepairPal, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Consumer Reports yields all the data we need to advise on what second-hand vehicles to stay away from.
The Worst Used Cars to Buy
2002 Ford Explorer
While most 20-year-old cars will have their share of troubles, the 2002 Ford Explorer is in a league of its own. Look beyond the scores of complaints about body and interior accessory problems, and you’ll find a mind-boggling number of transmission and drivetrain issues. Carcomplaints.com says to “avoid like the plague” when advising on this Ford. If that doesn’t encourage a shopper to run, not walk, away from this vehicle, seven NHTSA defect investigations should.
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2003 Honda Accord
Reputation only goes so far. And despite Honda’s strong background in building dependable cars, the tradition didn’t carry forward with the 2003 Accord. Hundreds of owner trouble reports and NHTSA complaints center on one area, an abysmal transmission. This is also a car that was subject to 24 manufacturer recalls. Admittedly, most of this involved airbags (an entirely other problem), but sure enough, one of the recalls involved a transmission gear failure. If an Accord is a must-have, scratch the 2003 model year off your shopping list.
2019 Toyota RAV4
And here’s another head-scratcher, the 2019 Toyota RAV4. Not only is this vehicle from an automaker with a stellar reputation, but it’s only a few years old. Among all the complaints reported by owners, one trouble area stands out: the transmission. And given this is a newer RAV4, more reports are likely to come. Consumer Reports ranks this Toyota as a 2 out of 5 for reliability, so that’s another warning to be aware of.
2013 Nissan Altima
The 2013 Altima is a classic example of good intentions going bad. Nissan used a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to enhance fuel economy, but these highly complex gearboxes can be troublesome when engineering and manufacturing fail. That’s the case with this year of the Altima, as evidenced by hundreds of transmission-related complaints. Consumer Reports says that owners of this Nissan give it a 1 out of 5 for satisfaction. That alone should remove this car from consideration.
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Why mess with success? Well, Jeep didn’t heed this advice with the fourth-generation Grand Cherokee. Instead of incorporating many successful aspects of the relatively bulletproof third-generation model (2005-2010), the automaker decided to reinvent the wheel. And disaster ensued. Much of the troubles center on this Grand Cherokee’s electrical system. These are problems that can be difficult to diagnose or may not arise for years. Consumer Reports ranks the 2011 Grand Cherokee as a 1 (out of 5) for reliability. Need we say more?
2011 Hyundai Sonata
Among the worst used cars to buy stands the infamous 2011 Hyundai Sonata. Its 2.4-liter Theta II engine has a dubious reputation among mechanics and has been at the center of a class action suit, which Hyundai vigorously fought for years. Excessive oil consumption and fires are just some engine-related troubles that plagued the 2011 Sonata. The company did extend the engine warranty (to 10 years or 120,000 miles), but that coverage has expired.
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2015 Maserati Ghibli
It can be easy to get tempted by a sleek Italian car at a bargain price, but there’s a reason the Maserati Ghibli has one of the worst resale values on the market. It all comes down to reliability or lack thereof. And this is especially the case with the 2015 model and owner reports of seized engines. More research also uncovers issues with chassis cracking. Truthfully, there aren’t a ton of complaints about the 2015 Ghibli, but that’s only because the company sold less than 8,000 examples in the U.S., according to carsalesbase.com. Nonetheless, we suggest spending your money elsewhere.
2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
The Chevy Silverado pickup is one of the most popular vehicles on U.S. roads, so it’s not surprising to come across some models with problems (no vehicle is perfect). But the 2007 Silverado deserves a place on the worst used cars to buy list thanks to numerous reported engine troubles. Many of these issues involve excessive oil consumption, which worsens over time. RepairPal says that timing chain tensioner replacement is a common repair that costs as much as $1,884.
2014 RAM 1500
RAM pickups have steadily gained at the expense of the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Ford F-150, but some owners of the 2014 RAM 1500 may wish for another vehicle. This is a capable and rugged truck marred by engine troubles and transmission problems, according to carcomplaints.com. These are findings confirmed by Consumer Reports. If that doesn’t scare you away, then 16 manufacturer recalls should.
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2019 Subaru Ascent
It might be surprising to see a Subaru on a list of used cars to avoid, but reputation and brand loyalty can’t make up for a malfunctioning vehicle. And while Subaru enjoys a solid standing for dependability, there are a few examples of where the company dropped the ball. One of them is the 2019 Ascent, the debut model year for Subaru’s largest vehicle ever to grace its lineup. And calling the Ascent’s troubles “first-year gremlins” is an understatement, as the problems aren’t confined to one area. Electrical issues are a frequent complaint noted by owners. This is echoed by Consumer Reports, which also cites troubles with the transmission, brakes, and climate control system. No wonder the 2019 Ascent gets a 1 out of 5 reliability rating from the organization. And seven official manufacturer recalls cast further doubt on this Ascent’s reliability.
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