We Can’t Always be Positive

When it comes to cars and the automotive industry we are all familiar with the times when a car feels like it just isn’t up to the challenge of our daily lives. Most cars are enjoyable from behind the driver’s seat, but some will let you down on a regular basis. I’m not referring to cars that offer great speed, performance or even fuel mileage, but simply reliability. This is a feature of our vehicles that we should all take seriously and make sure we understand how reliable the car we drive is. If we choose the wrong car we could be faced with some awful repair costs and the frustration of being left stranded on the side of the road. With that in mind, here are some of the least reliable cars on the market.

Fiat 500L – This small and attractive car is one that has made a name for itself as a car that looks different than most with some Italian styling and a bit of an attitude. Unfortunately for this little car there have been many complaints and it finds its way to the bottom of the customer satisfaction and reliability rankings. The Fiat 500L has had problems with such things as the automatic transmission, dead batteries, faulty engines and broken tie rods to offer a myriad of odd items to need replacement or repair.

Ford Fiesta – The Fiesta sounds like a party with four doors. This little car even shows up with a sporty version to make it even more fun. As a hatchback or a sedan the Fiesta is a car we see many parents offer to their young teen drivers as gifts for graduation but there are some words of caution with this car as well. The Fiesta has had problems reported with the transmission not shifting correctly, overheating engines and failing fuel pumps.

Jeep Cherokee – The Cherokee is a name that comes back to the FCA lineup of Jeep vehicles and gives us a nice midsized crossover SUV that rides high and allows for some impressive off road prowess. This Jeep is mild mannered compared to the Wrangler and is great on the roads as much as the trails, but there are words of caution with this vehicle as well. The Cherokee was having problems with the transmission, but that seems to have been fixed, now the issue is with keys being stuck in the ignition and the infotainment system going dead.

Nissan Pathfinder – We hear about how great the Pathfinder is all the time and it really is for the most part. This seven passenger crossover SUV has the space we want and the size to make us happy. This SUV typically is a lot of fun to drive and makes life enjoyable whether you are heading to a soccer game, out to dinner or even going on some light trails. The issues reported for the Pathfinder include the CVT transmission not performing correctly and the weather stripping coming loose, which can make for a windy and noisy cabin.

Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL – When you want to move a lot of people and be able to haul the massive yacht behind you, these are the vehicles you would normally choose to do the job. The Suburban has been around for several generations and has grown to be a smart and powerful luxury ride that we admire and desire a majority of the time. The issues this pair face include the inability to shift out of 2WD, problems with the navigation system, panels shaking loose on the inside and a front end that shakes and shimmies when driven.

These five vehicles unfortunately made it to the bottom of the barrel for reliability, but when faced with some of the challenges here you might be able to overlook a couple flaws. This doesn’t mean that your model is going to give you problems, but if you don’t have to purchase one of these five, you would be better off looking to another vehicle in the class to have the right choice and a much higher reliability rating. It’s always good to have the best information possible when making a vehicle purchase.