Welcome to the automotive hall of shame, where horsepower goes to die and wallets go to get biopsied. We’ve rounded up the worst SUVs to ever grace American asphalt, from rolling electrical fires to transmissions made of glass. If you see one of these for sale, run—don’t walk—in the opposite direction.
27. 2006-2011 Mazda CX-7
This SUV is a masterclass in how to build a turbocharger that doubles as a smoke machine. You’ll be dropping $2,500 on a new turbo before the warranty ink even dries on the paperwork.
Between the timing chain stretching and the VVT actuators failing, it’s a mechanical heart attack waiting to happen. It’s essentially a Zoom-Zoom that went Boom-Boom.
26. 2010-2017 Chevrolet Equinox
If you enjoy checking your oil more often than your text messages, this is the SUV for you. The 2.4L engine drinks oil like a frat boy at a kegger, eventually leading to a $5,000 engine replacement.
The timing chains are made of what feels like wet noodles and optimism. It’s a budget-friendly way to go bankrupt one quart of synthetic oil at a time.
25. 2011-2016 Mini Countryman
This is less of a car and more of a $4,000-per-year subscription service to your local BMW technician. The cooling system is essentially a collection of plastic parts hoping for a miracle.
From failing high-pressure fuel pumps to timing chains that rattle like a skeleton in a dryer, it’s a British-German disaster. It’s ‘cute’ right up until the tow truck arrives.
24. 2006-2010 Hummer H3
This rolling brick is famous for cylinder head failures that will leave you with a $3,500 repair bill and a lot of regret. It has the visibility of a submarine and the reliability of a screen door on that same submarine.
It’s an off-road icon that’s mostly seen ‘off-road’ in the sense that it’s sitting on a lift in a garage. If you want to experience 12 MPG and constant electrical shorts, this is your ride.
23. 2014-2020 Infiniti QX60
Infiniti took a luxury brand and saddled it with a CVT transmission that has the structural integrity of a wet cracker. Expect a $6,000 replacement bill just as the car starts looking lived-in.
It’s a glorified minivan that shudders, slips, and eventually gives up on life entirely. It’s the perfect vehicle for someone who wants to spend their weekends in a dealership waiting room.
22. 2018-2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Buying a used Stelvio is an act of extreme optimism that usually ends in tears. The dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree for no reason, and parts take six months to arrive from Italy.
It handles like a dream but spends most of its life in a deep sleep at the service center. It’s a beautiful way to set $2,000 on fire every time a sensor gets confused by a light breeze.
21. 2012-2015 Chevrolet Captiva Sport
This was originally a fleet-only vehicle, which is GM-speak for ‘not good enough for the general public.’ The transmission is prone to catastrophic failure, costing you a cool $3,800.
It’s a bland, uninspired box that rattles more than a baby’s toy box. It’s the SUV equivalent of a lukewarm cup of tap water—unpleasant and ultimately forgettable.
20. 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC
This SUV suffers from ‘coolant intrusion,’ which is a fancy way of saying the engine eats itself from the inside out. Fixing it requires a total engine replacement that can top $8,000.
It’s a Ford Escape in a tuxedo, but the tuxedo is made of flammable material. It’s a luxury experience that quickly turns into a financial tragedy once the warranty expires.
19. 2018-2021 Volkswagen Atlas
This massive box of German regret is proof that bigger isn’t always better. You’ll be shelling out $1,200 for coolant leaks before your first oil change is even due.
Mechanics call this the ‘Atlas Shrugged’ because that’s exactly what the engine does when it tries to merge onto the highway. It’s a rolling electrical gremlin that trades your sanity for a slightly above-average cup holder count.
18. 2020-2022 Ford Explorer
Ford managed to turn a household name into a service center regular with this generation. Between the transmission shifts that feel like being rear-ended and the backup cameras that simply quit, it’s a disaster.
Expect to spend $3,000 on ‘Built Ford Tough’ repairs that feel remarkably fragile. It’s the only SUV that comes factory-equipped with a permanent ‘Check Engine’ light and a direct line to the local tow truck company.
17. 2011-2013 BMW X5
Buying a high-mileage E70 X5 is the fastest way to learn the name of your mechanic’s children. This thing leaks oil from places that shouldn’t even have oil, costing you $4,000 in gaskets alone.
It’s a Bavarian money furnace that requires a sacrifice of your 401k every time the ‘Reduced Power’ warning hits the screen. You’re not driving a luxury SUV; you’re managing a very expensive fluid leak.
16. 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade
The ‘Slade used to be the king of the strip, but these years are just kings of the shop floor. The Magnetic Ride Control shocks will fail and demand a $3,500 ransom to stop your SUV from bouncing like a lowrider.
Add in a 8-speed transmission that shifts with the grace of a falling piano, and you’ve got a recipe for bankruptcy. It’s luxury living, provided your idea of luxury is sitting in a dealership waiting room eating stale popcorn.
15. 2017-2020 Land Rover Discovery
British engineering is famous for two things: style and making you walk. The ‘Disco’ will happily leave you stranded with air suspension that decides to take a nap at 70 mph.
Repairing the myriad of electrical ghosts will cost you $5,000 and your dignity. It’s the perfect vehicle for people who find ‘having a working car’ to be an overrated lifestyle choice.
14. 2013-2015 Nissan Pathfinder
Nissan swapped a rugged SUV for a minivan in a trench coat, and then gave it a CVT made of wet cardboard. When that transmission inevitably grenades, keep $5,000 ready for the replacement.
The ‘Judder’ is real, and it’s the sound of your investment turning into a paperweight. It’s the only SUV that makes a bus pass look like a legitimate luxury upgrade.
13. 2008-2012 Buick Enclave
The Enclave is a masterclass in how to build a timing chain that hates existing. When it stretches, you’re looking at a $3,000 engine-out repair that will make you weep.
This is the SUV for people who want to experience the thrill of a transmission wave plate failure at 45,000 miles. It’s basically a retirement home on wheels, mostly because you’ll be retired from driving while it’s in the shop.
12. 2016-2020 Tesla Model X
The Falcon Doors are cool until they decide to trap you inside or hit a garage ceiling. These early years are plagued with build quality issues that would make a 1980s Lada look premium.
Expect $4,000 out-of-warranty repairs for suspension components that were never meant to carry this much weight. It’s a computer on wheels that frequently needs a hard reboot and a new bank account.
11. 2012-2015 Mercedes-Benz ML/GLE
Nothing says ‘I hate my money’ like a middle-aged Mercedes SUV with leaky air springs. One day you’ll walk out to find it pancaked on the pavement, demanding $2,500 to stand up again.
The BlueTEC diesels are particularly fond of $4,000 emissions system failures that the stealership will blame on your driving habits. It’s a three-pointed star that points directly to the nearest ATM.
10. 2007-2017 Jeep Compass
The first-gen Compass was a mistake written in cheap plastic and bad intentions. It’s slow, loud, and the CVT feels like it’s filled with rubber bands and hope.
Expect to replace suspension bushings every 20,000 miles because they’re made of processed cheese. It’s the SUV for people who want the Jeep brand name but hate themselves and their bank balance.
9. 2015-2020 Chevrolet Tahoe
The lifters in these engines have a suicide pact, usually around the 80,000-mile mark. That ‘Active Fuel Management’ system will save you $10 in gas while costing you $4,500 in engine repairs.
It’s a great truck for hauling the kids, assuming your kids enjoy waiting for a Lyft on the side of the interstate. It’s a heavy-duty headache wrapped in a bowtie badge.
8. 2009-2020 Dodge Journey
The Journey is the official car of ‘I have a 400 credit score and need to haul seven people.’ It’s a rolling relic that was obsolete the day it was born, with brakes that wear out faster than a pair of dollar-store flip-flops.
It depreciates faster than a banana in a microwave. Buying one is a financial death sentence that ends with you owing $15,000 on a car worth three packs of gum.
7. 2011-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module) in these is a ticking time bomb that will randomly honk the horn or shut the engine off at 65 mph. It’s like the car is possessed by a very expensive poltergeist.
A $1,500 electrical repair is just the entry fee for this carnival of reliability horrors. It’s the ultimate ‘Trail Rated’ vehicle, if the trail leads directly to the service department.
6. 2007-2012 GMC Acadia
The first-gen Acadia is the reason GMC mechanics can afford vacation homes. The transmission wave plates fail like clockwork, turning your $40,000 SUV into a $5,000 lawn ornament.
If the transmission doesn’t get you, the timing chains or the leaking sunroof will. It’s a three-row nightmare that is best disposed of via a controlled demolition.
5. 2013-2016 Land Rover Range Rover
This is the flagship of the ‘Check Engine’ fleet. From coolant lines that pop like party balloons to air suspension that collapses if you look at it wrong, it’s a $100,000 liability.
Keep a spare $7,000 in your glovebox for the inevitable ‘Critical System Failure.’ It’s the most beautiful way to wait for a flatbed tow truck in automotive history.
4. 2015-2018 Jeep Renegade
Built in Italy with Fiat parts, the Renegade is a ‘Jeep’ only by the grace of a plastic grille. It has a nasty habit of consuming oil like a deep fryer and stalling in traffic for fun.
The 9-speed transmission is so confused it feels like it’s searching for gears that don’t exist. It’s a cute little toaster that will burn your wallet to a crisp before you hit 50,000 miles.
3. 2002-2005 Land Rover Freelander
The Freelander wasn’t just a bad SUV; it was a psychological experiment in owner endurance. The 2.5L V6 is famous for head gasket failures that occur more often than oil changes.
It’s a car that was built to fail, with a cooling system made of glass and dreams. If you see one on the road today, it’s actually a glitch in the matrix—they all died in 2009.
2. 2014-2016 Jeep Cherokee
The KL Cherokee launched with a 9-speed transmission that was so buggy it required dozens of software updates just to shift into second gear. It’s a masterclass in ‘unintended acceleration’ and ‘refusal to move.’
Owners reported the car shifting into neutral while driving on the highway—a $4,000 thrill ride nobody asked for. It’s the only vehicle that makes a 1990s Yugo look like a paragon of reliability.
1. 2010-2013 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
The king of the money pits has arrived. This generation of the Sport features a 5.0L V8 with timing chain guides made of plastic that disintegrate, causing a $10,000 engine explosion.
To fix anything on this car, you have to literally lift the entire body off the frame, doubling the labor cost of every minor repair. It’s a rolling financial catastrophe that will leave you bankrupt, stranded, and crying in a ditch.
💬 Comments (30)
Join the conversation — share your experience below
THTyler Henderson 4 hours ago
The Dodge Journey at #8 is being too kind. That car is literally a financial prison. I worked at a subprime lot in Cleveland and we used to call them ‘The Recyclables’ because they’d be back on the repo truck within 6 months every single time.👍 842 · Like · Reply
MVMarcus Vanhook 3 hours ago
‘Financial prison’ lmao facts. My sister is still paying $450 a month for one that’s been sitting in her driveway with a blown transmission since 2021. She owes 12k on a car worth $800 at the scrap yard.👍 156 · Like · Reply
SMSarah Miller 2 hours ago
Marcus Vanhook maybe your sister just doesn’t know how to maintain a car? I’ve had my 2014 Journey for 5 years and only had to change the brakes once.👍 12 · Like · Reply
THTyler Henderson 1 hour ago
Sarah Miller you literally just proved the article’s point about the brakes wearing out fast if that’s all you’ve done. Also, check your transmission fluid before you come for me. It’s probably the color of burnt coffee.👍 230 · Like · Reply
J’Jason ‘Jay’ Ricci 6 hours ago
I’m a master tech in Jersey and the Equinox 2.4L engine is the reason I own a boat. Thank you GM for those garbage piston rings. I’ve probably swapped 50 of those motors in the last three years.👍 1205 · Like · Reply
BOBrendan O’Malley 5 hours ago
Liar. My 2012 Equinox has 160k miles and runs like a top. You mechanics just love to scare people into buying $5,000 repairs they don’t need. My oil levels are fine.👍 24 · Like · Reply
J’Jason ‘Jay’ Ricci 4 hours ago
Brendan O’Malley okay Brendan, come see me when your timing chain snaps and turns your valves into pretzels. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when you’re looking at a $6k bill at the dealership.👍 412 · Like · Reply
KRKyle Reed 2 hours ago
^^^ Jay isn’t lying. I literally just traded mine in last week because it was burning a quart every 400 miles. Dealer only gave me $1,500 for it because they knew the engine was toast.👍 89 · Like · Reply
MDMisty Dawn 8 hours ago
The Hummer H3 is a classic, y’all just haters. It looks better than any of these plastic bubbles they make today.👍 45 · Like · Reply
DPDerrick Pruitt 7 hours ago
It looks better sitting on the back of a flatbed for sure. 12 MPG to go 0-60 in three business days? No thanks.👍 311 · Like · Reply
RSRobert Santoro 5 hours ago
Where is the Jeep Wrangler on this list?? My 2018 has more leaks than a government office. I’ve spent $3,200 on death wobble repairs alone.👍 567 · Like · Reply
J4JeepLife 404 4 hours ago
It’s a Jeep thing Robert, you wouldn’t understand. Go buy a CR-V if you want a boring car that doesn’t break.👍 -15 · Like · Reply
RSRobert Santoro 3 hours ago
JeepLife 404 ‘It’s a Jeep thing’ is just code for ‘I enjoy being broke and driving a tractor to work.’ I’m selling it for a 4Runner next week. I’m done.👍 288 · Like · Reply
SWSamantha Wu 3 hours ago
The Tesla Model X at #12 is facts. My Falcon doors hit a concrete pillar in my own garage because the sensors got ‘confused’ by the rain. Tesla wanted $4,500 just to look at it. Never again.👍 432 · Like · Reply
EElonFanboy2024 2 hours ago
Cap. You probably didn’t calibrate them correctly. Best SUV on the market. You’re just mad you can’t afford the software upgrades.👍 -82 · Like · Reply
SWSamantha Wu 1 hour ago
ElonFanboy2024 Bruh, it’s a car, not a beta test. I shouldn’t have to ‘calibrate’ my doors so they don’t destroy themselves. Get off his meat.👍 612 · Like · Reply
BDBig Dave 9 hours ago
FACTS. My Range Rover Sport stayed in the shop more than my driveway. 2012 model, air suspension died at 60k miles. $7,800 at the Land Rover of Buckhead. Traded it for a Tahoe and never looked back.👍 198 · Like · Reply
CMCarlos Mendez 8 hours ago
Wait until you read #9… the Tahoe lifters are coming for you Dave. Hope you kept that repair fund ready lmao.👍 143 · Like · Reply
MTMegan Thorne 10 hours ago
I feel personally attacked by the Mazda CX-7 entry. I loved my ‘Zoom-Zoom’ until the turbo blew and filled my entire neighborhood with white smoke. It looked like a gender reveal party gone wrong.👍 754 · Like · Reply
GPGregory P. Smith 11 hours ago
This article is clearly biased against American brands. Why aren’t there more Toyotas or Hondas on here? My neighbor’s Pilot has a transmission that’s slipping at 80k.👍 32 · Like · Reply
ARAutoExpert Rick 10 hours ago
Gregory P. Smith because one bad Pilot doesn’t equal a million bad Journeys. Look at the data. It’s not bias, it’s engineering.👍 204 · Like · Reply
GPGregory P. Smith 9 hours ago
AutoExpert Rick Data is fake. Toyota pays these bloggers to push this narrative. My Ford Explorer has 250k miles on the original transmission.👍 -12 · Like · Reply
JTJake Thompson 8 hours ago
Gregory P. Smith 250k on a 2020 Explorer? The car hasn’t even been out that long. You’re lying out your teeth bro.👍 315 · Like · Reply
KCKelly Clarkson (Not the singer) 7 hours ago
My 2019 Atlas is a rolling nightmare. Every time I hit a bump, a new light comes on the dash. It’s currently at the dealer in Naperville for the 4th time this year for a coolant leak. They can’t find it but it keeps disappearing. Frustrated isn’t even the word.👍 128 · Like · Reply
TWTravis Walker 12 hours ago
BMW X5… more like BMW X-Pensive. My gasket leak cost me $4,200 last month. My wife wants to keep it because it ‘looks nice.’ I want to ghost-ride it into a lake.👍 890 · Like · Reply
AWAndre Williams 6 hours ago
Infiniti QX60… can confirm. That CVT is straight garbage. It shudders like it’s shivering every time I try to pass someone on the highway. Nissan ruined a good brand with those transmissions.👍 344 · Like · Reply
MGMonica G. 5 hours ago
THIS. I literally had to fight with Infiniti for 3 months to get them to cover half the cost of my replacement. $6,400 for a new one. I’m still paying it off on my credit card.👍 92 · Like · Reply
SBScottie B. 13 hours ago
Bruh, the 2005 Freelander was literally built by people who hate cars. My uncle had one and the head gasket blew while it was idling in a McDonald’s drive-thru. Totaled the car. 45,000 miles. TRASH.👍 512 · Like · Reply
LLLindsay Lohan (Parody) 14 hours ago
My Stelvio is beautiful and I will not hear this slander! Who cares if it stays in the shop? It matches my shoes.👍 88 · Like · Reply
CBChad Bro Chill 13 hours ago
Lmao typical. Beauty is skin deep, just like the wiring harness in that Italian fire hazard.👍 167 · Like · Reply
JBJim Beam 15 hours ago
I’m a service advisor and I see #6 (Acadia) every single day. If you own a 2010 Acadia and you haven’t done the transmission yet, you’re driving a ticking time bomb. Sell it now before it’s too late.👍 677 · Like · Reply
POPatty O’Furniture 2 hours ago
Is the Ford Escape on here? Because mine just caught fire in my driveway. Just curious.👍 103 · Like · Reply
RSRick Sanchez 1 hour ago
See #20. The Lincoln MKC is basically your car but with a more expensive steering wheel. Both are ovens on wheels.👍 76 · Like · Reply
BSBrandon Stark 16 hours ago
My 2015 Tahoe had the lifter failure at 82k miles exactly like the article says. $4,800 repair bill in Dallas. GM refused to help even though it’s a known issue. Never buying another Chevy again.👍 224 · Like · Reply
VTVicky T. 17 hours ago
Mini Countryman is cute right up until the tow truck arrives… too real. My 2013 needed a new high-pressure fuel pump at 50k. $1,800. Then the thermostat housing cracked. $900. I could have bought a whole other car for what I spent on that thing.👍 185 · Like · Reply
GVGary V. 18 hours ago
The Jeep Renegade entry is 100% accurate. My daughter’s stalled on the I-95 in Miami in the middle of traffic. Scariest moment of her life. Jeep said they couldn’t find anything wrong. Traded it for a RAV4 the next day.👍 441 · Like · Reply
D’Dustin ‘The Beast’ Hoffman 19 hours ago
Where’s the Nissan Rogue? The CVT in those is just as bad as the Pathfinder. My wife is on her third transmission and the car only has 90k miles.👍 210 · Like · Reply
NSNissanUSA Support (Fake) 18 hours ago
We’re sorry to hear that Dustin! Have you tried turning the car off and then never turning it back on again?👍 562 · Like · Reply
KWKaren Whitmore 20 hours ago
I’ve had my Jeep Compass for 10 years and it’s been WONDERFUL. You people just don’t know how to treat your vehicles. This article is fake news and very disrespectful to Jeep owners.👍 -56 · Like · Reply
BBBilly Bob 19 hours ago
Karen, your ‘wonderful’ Jeep has more plastic in the interior than a LEGO set. It’s a Fiat with a Jeep badge. Stop it.👍 320 · Like · Reply
KWKaren Whitmore 18 hours ago
Billy Bob How dare you! I’m reporting this comment for harassment. My Jeep is a HERO.👍 -89 · Like · Reply
ZRZack Ryder 21 hours ago
Cap on the Escalade. That’s a luxury icon. If you can’t afford the $3,500 shocks, you shouldn’t be driving a Cadillac. Simple as that.👍 -12 · Like · Reply
RMRealist Mike 20 hours ago
Zack Ryder so your logic is that a car is good because it’s expensive to fix? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve read today. A $90k SUV shouldn’t have parts that fail at 40k miles. Period.👍 298 · Like · Reply
SRSofia Rodriguez 22 hours ago
My 2012 Enclave was the worst mistake of my life. The timing chain stretched and the mechanic told me it would be cheaper to buy a new car than to fix it. I was stranded in the middle of a Houston summer with my kids. Buick should be ashamed.👍 312 · Like · Reply
T’Tony ‘No Baloney’ Soprano 23 hours ago
Land Rover at #1 and #3 and #5… honestly they should just take up the whole top 10. I wouldn’t trust a Land Rover to drive me to the end of my driveway without the check engine light coming on.👍 643 · Like · Reply
LNLester Nygaard 1 day ago
The Jeep Cherokee KL shifting into neutral while driving… that happened to me on the highway! It was the most terrifying thing ever. FCA should have been sued into oblivion for that.👍 189 · Like · Reply
BRBethany Rose 1 day ago
Is there ANY SUV that is actually good? According to this list every single car is a lemon.👍 56 · Like · Reply
CPChris P. Bacon 1 day ago
Buy a 1998 Toyota 4Runner. It’ll outlive you, your children, and the heat death of the universe.👍 402 · Like · Reply
BRBethany Rose 23 hours ago
Chris P. Bacon yeah but they’re so ugly and have no tech. I want something that looks modern.👍 14 · Like · Reply
CPChris P. Bacon 22 hours ago
Bethany Rose Okay, then enjoy your $8,000 engine replacements while you look ‘modern’ on the side of the road with your flashers on.👍 521 · Like · Reply
MDMikey D. 1 day ago
GMC = Garbage Made of Crap. The Acadia is the king of that mountain. My sunroof leaked so bad it fried the entire electrical system. $5,500 and 3 months in the shop. Never again.👍 277 · Like · Reply
SBSandra Bullock (Not the actress) 1 day ago
I had a 2011 Mazda CX-7 and it was the best car I ever owned. You guys are just mean.👍 12 · Like · Reply
MJMechanic Joe 1 day ago
Sandra, did you sell it before 60k miles? Because that’s the only way that’s possible.👍 115 · Like · Reply
DHDante Hicks 1 day ago
I wasn’t even supposed to be here today, but I’m glad I read this before buying that used Discovery. Saved me $50k and a lifetime of headaches. Thanks Autoily!👍 88 · Like · Reply
PMPhil McCracken 1 day ago
The Jeep Grand Cherokee poltergeist is real!! Mine used to start the windshield wipers and honk the horn every time I turned left. $1,600 for a new TIPM. Junk.👍 156 · Like · Reply
LTLarry The Cable Guy (Parody) 1 day ago
I just use a mule. Better gas mileage and the ‘transmission’ only kicks when it’s hungry. Git-R-Done!👍 45 · Like · Reply
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