Used cars to avoid buying according to Consumer Reports

Buying a used car can be daunting, but eliminating the models that Consumer Reports ranked least reliable before further narrowing your search can be a good place to start.

Aug 12, 2024 - 00:30
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Used cars to avoid buying according to Consumer Reports

Browsing a used auto is inherently riskier than purchasing a new one. Constructive, pre-buy inspections and CarFax reports can give purchasers some peace of mind, then once over again definitely, doubtlessly steeply-priced problems can still go misplaced sight of unless weeks or months after a vehicle’s title has modified hands.

When incredible troubles do appear to be, used auto proprietors in whole don’t have the resolution to come their vehicle after which once over again should shoulder the value of repairs — and the weight of any purchaser’s remorse that comes with them.

New motors are far an bad lot less seemingly to present incredible problems, as a minimal for the first few years, then once over again purchasing a vehicle new is competently out of attain financially for the bulk of auto purchasers. Adequately, practically thrice as many used motors are sold per year in contrast to new motors, per Buyer Affairs.

Associated: The identical used motors beneath $20k per Buyer Reports

One caused by mitigate the chance of incredible restore expenditures when having a look out out for a used vehicle is to be acutely aware of what to maintain away from.

When some auto fashions have earned a consideration for reliability, others are likely to have universal and compounding problems as they age, costing their proprietors both cash and time. Doing away with these fashions from consideration may perchance be a great first step to discover that identical used auto.

How does Buyer Reports make a choice out unreliable auto fashions?

Buyer Reports is a non-profit conducting commercial tuition that assessments merchandise, advocates for purchasers, and surveys its over 6 million members about the merchandise they possess and use every day — including motors. By polling its members about their experiences with their possess motors, CR gathers recordsdata about how dissimilar fashions operate over time, what problems are likely to appear to be with them, and the way an bad lot these problems charge to restoration.

For every mannequin year, CR establishes a baseline of how many troubles appear to be on universal and the way an bad lot the ensuing repairs charge. According to this diagnosis, CR has general over 50 used auto fashions from a bit about a years that exceed this baseline most dramatically, deeming them “used motors to maintain away from purchasing.”

The least-dependableremember used auto fashions from 2014–2023 per Buyer Reports

Most used auto purchasers are on the look for for for one thing dependableremember then once over again most settlement-optimistic.

If you’re purchasing pre-owned and take care of away from purchasing a time out that ultimately ends up costing more optimistic in repairs than it’s value, eradicating the next motors from your consideration formerly than in a the related vogue narrowing your search may nicely be an improbable first step.

These are the used motors that Buyer Reports is general as markedly unreliable in contrast to their peers in maintaining with survey recordsdata from hundreds of hundreds of thousands of vehicle proprietors:

4 Audi fashions from three dissimilar mannequin years made the checklist of used motors to maintain away from.

Alexander Koerner/Getty Portraits

Audi

  • Audi A3: 2019
  • Audi A6: 2019
  • Audi Q3: 2016, 2022
  • Audi E-Tron: 2019

Buick

  • Encore: 2015, 2017
  • Encore GX: 2020

Cadillac

  • Cadillac XT4: 2019
4 dissimilar mannequin years of the Chevy Bolt made CR's checklist of least-dependableremember used motors.

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Portraits

Chevrolet

  • Chevy Blazer: 2023
  • Chevy Bolt: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
  • Chevy Cruze: 2014
  • Chevy Malibu: 2014
  • Chevy Suburban: 2021, 2023
  • Chevy Tahoe: 2016, 2017, 2021
  • Chevy Traverse: 2018

Chrysler

  • Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid: 2018, 2021, 2022
  • Chrysler Town & Usa: 2016

Ford

  • Ford Damage out: 2021
  • Ford Damage out Hybrid: 2020
  • Ford Excursion: 2017, 2018, 2019
  • Ford Explorer: 2016, 2020
  • Ford F-150 Hybrid: 2021, 2022
  • Ford F-250: 2019, 2021
  • Ford Mustang: 2020

Added vehicle:

  • The ten least dependableremember motors per Buyer Reports
  • The longest-lasting auto fashions (200k+ miles) per Buyer Reports
  • Hybrid motors with among the very considerable acceptable gasoline financial system per Buyer Reports

GMC

  • GMC Acadia: 2018
  • GMC Yukon: 2016, 2017, 2021
  • GMC Yukon XL: 2021, 2023
Six Hyundai fashions from 7 dissimilar mannequin years ranked among CR's used motors to maintain away from.

SOPA Portraits/Getty Portraits

Hyundai

  • Hyundai Ioniq: 2020
  • Hyundai Ioniq 5: 2022
  • Hyundai Kona Electric: 2019
  • Hyundai Santa Fe Online game: 2014
  • Hyundai Sonata: 2017, 2018
  • Hyundai Tucson: 2016, 2017

Jeep

  • Jeep Cherokee: 2014
  • Jeep Gladiator: 2020
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee L: 2021
  • Jeep Wrangler: 2018, 2020, 2021

Kia

  • Kia Niro: 2019
  • Kia Soul: 2021

Mazda

  • Mazda CX9: 2023

Mercedez-Benz

  • Mercedez-Benz C-Category: 2018

Mini

  • Mini Cooper: 2018

Nissan

  • Nissan Frontier: 2023
  • Nissan Pathfinder: 2023
  • Nissan Rogue: 2022

Ram

  • Ram 2500: 2017, 2022

Rivian

  • Rivian R1T: 2022

Tesla

  • Tesla Mannequin S: 2019, 2020, 2021
  • Tesla Mannequin X: 2018, 2022
Highly, a considerable sequence of electrical motors, including the Volkswagon ID.four (pictured abve), ranked a considerable sequence of the leat-dependableremember used motors.

Bloomberg/Getty Portraits

Volkswagon

  • Volkswagen Atlas: 2021
  • Volkswagen ID.four: 2021, 2023
  • Volkswagen Jetta: 2014, 2021
  • Volkswagen Taos: 2022
  • Volkswagen Tiguan: 2018

Volvo

  • Volvo S60: 2015, 2022
  • Volvo V60: 2015, 2020
  • Volvo XC60 Plug-In Hybrid: 2022, 2023
  • Volvo XC90: 2016, 2019

Associated: The 30 most acceptable auto brands in 2024, per Buyer Reports

Advice for purchasing a protected and dependableremember used auto

Buyer Reports’ diagnosis makes it clear what fashions and years to maintain away from when having a look out out for a used vehicle, then once over again once the least dependableremember fashions were eliminated, what’s among the very considerable acceptable caused by variation by the complete lot that stays?

The universal used auto expenditures around $29,000 in 2024, so it’s more optimistic very very considerable than ever for purchasers to store mindfully. One caused by do it is to pay for a full CarFax checklist (which involves very very considerable concerns to do like collisions and repairs) on every vehicle you ought to be critically allowing for if the vendor hasn’t already one.

Some mechanics endorse steering away from motors that were in very very considerable collisions, while they seem like like completely repaired. These motors may were weakened structurally, that may nicely make them an bad lot less protected in future accidents. Additionally, now not all substances of a vehicle are readily viewed, so while the auto’s body and very very considerable substances were repaired, troubles with smaller substances that were misplaced sight of should lead to complications down the line.

When it's feasible you may have bought it's feasible you may have bought an improbable mechanic who's willing to function pre-buy inspections for an settlement-optimistic charge, it would perchance be value negotiating to purchase a bundle of four or 5 inspections for a barely discounted charge. This style, that you in critical terms may carry varied motors in to be evaluated, and a informed mechanic can supply you with a clearer perception of no matter whether any have serious problems and which it's feasible you may be among the very considerable acceptable value for the money.

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