The Worst Complaints of Car Failure, According to Owners

Car shopping can be tough when you’re trying to save a buck, but buying a beater car might end up costing you in the long haul.

And by costing you, we’re talking more than a quick oil change.

There are plenty of used cars to choose from that will give you a reliable ride. The trick is being able to tell a hidden gem from a lemon when you’re browsing a used car inventory.

Fortunately, there some trusted resources you can consult before you even set foot on a used car lot. Arm yourself with information shared by previous or current used car model owners in order to find a car that won’t bite you in the end. Yeah, that end.

Resourceful Research

An ingenious automotive site called CarComplaints.com, publishes visitor-submitted car complaints, and organizes the data into graphs by vehicle, vehicle component, and the detailed problem.

Using what they dub the PainRank algorithm, the crew at CarComplaints looks at average mileage at the time of the vehicle’s part or component failure, the cost to fix and repair said failure, the relative complaint analysis and the owner’s ranking of that failure.

In other words, just how bad is it really?

Let’s put it this way, CarComplaints stamped “Avoid Like the Plague” over each one.

The Plague.

So, if you have a used car in mind, you should check what other consumers have reported, particularly when it comes to the worst complaints, in the form of failures and resulting costly repairs.

But it’s not all bad news.

Surprisingly, CarComplaints also features a “Best Vehicles” section on its homepage, which links to a page, where you can browse the best vehicles in earlier model years.

Admittedly, this focus is new to the team at CarComplaints.

Though the page is still in progress, it is coming right along and already features dozens of cars from fourteen major manufacturers, including: Acura, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan, Scion, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, and Volvo.

While the vehicles listed for each manufacturer is not yet comprehensive, it’s still a useful resource with dozens of cars for your consideration.

The Bad Kids

Looking at the entire list of the “Worst Complaints” listed on CarComplaints, it’s easy to spot the same culprits a few times over.

The site lists the Top Twenty complaints by various make and model, but for our purposes, let’s look at the usual suspects, those manufacturers who showed up in the top ten spots…sometimes even more than once, often for the same complaint.

Will they never learn?

Honda

Oh me, oh my.

Among the top ten worst car complaints, Honda stole four spots and each one for the same infraction.

It’s like the kid who just won’t listen.

Maddening.

Not to mention costly…very costly.

Whether a Civic or Accord, two of each in this case, the car complaint shared by all was transmission failure.

That’s right.

Total transmission failure.

Okay, so how does that shake out, numbers-wise?

After all, you’re buying a beater for a reason. You’re not Rockefeller and you’re trying to save a few bucks.

Well, if you purchased a 2001 Honda Civic, you would end up shelling out about $2,338 to repair your transmission.

At least, that’s what 657 consumers did, anyway.

Oh, by the way, the 2001 Honda Civic actually topped the list, and sits right at the number one shame spot.

How about the next model year?

The 2002 Honda Civic’s transmission repair will set you back about $2,343, as reported by 253 consumers.

Well, who cares? You didn’t want a Civic, anyway.

Sadly, you won’t have better luck with the Accord, as both the 2003 and 2004 also make the list for transmission failure.

For the cost of $2,670, even more than the Civics, 480 consumers had the pleasure of replacing the transmissions in the 2003 Honda Accords.

Now, only 188 drivers of the 2004 Honda Accord reported transmission failure, but those repairs came in at the highest for the Hondas, at $2,995. Let’s just call that a $3,000 bandaid for one serious boo-boo.

Let’s not forget Honda’s stated philosophy: “Providing joys to the world through new challenges and the realization of dreams.”

Well, they’ve got the challenge part right.

Dodge

Sharing almost as many reported complaints in the top ten is Dodge. Apparently in their desire to help you “Grab Life By the Horns,” they overlooked a few crucial components.

The 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 cost 460 consumers about $964 – let’s just call it $1,000, to repair cracks in the dashboard, a safety hazard. Hello? Airbags?

Both the 1999 and the 2000 Dodge Intrepid models share the same sin of complete engine failure resulting from oil sludge.

It cost 140 consumers about $4,381 to repair the 1999 and 147 consumers shelled out close to the same amount, $4,296 for repairs on the 2000.

Three strikes, Dodge.

Way to usher in the new millennium.

Nissan

Although Nissan only shows up once in the top ten of the top twenty car complaints, it really earned its number two spot, essentially offering a double-whammy in terms of repair.

The 2005 Nissan Pathfinder left 350 drivers stranded on their paths when the coolant leaked into the transmission, costing about $3,795 in repairs.

Talk about “Innovation that Excites.”

Jeep

In the case of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, drivers were unable to start, or had difficulty starting the engine due to the flagging TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module).

Potential failure of the fuel pump relay could cause the car to stall without warning, requiring repairs costing about $1,200 for 199 drivers. Probably 200, but one was just keeping quiet.

One thing is sure, it was impossible for any of those drivers to “Go Anywhere, Do Anything.”

All they could do was wait for AAA.

Ford

Thanks to a faulty torque converter, 170 drivers of the 2005 Ford Taurus reported that they got to experience total transmission failure to the tune of $2,179 average repair.

As a brand, Ford is globally manufactured under the slogan, “One Ford.”

Thank goodness that’s not true.

This is one Ford, you as a consumer looking for a used car, can certainly live without.

The Remaining Ten

Rounding out the list and taking up the last ten spots are more of the same makes and models.

Ford shows up an additional three times, meaning it has four out of the top twenty car complaints, with the 2003 Taurus, 2002 and 2006 Ford Explorers joining the list.

Dodge shows up again, represented by another Intrepid, this time the 2001.

Nissan gets some company with 2005 Xterra taking the fifteenth spot for a radiator that caused transmission failure.

Honda, in the form of another Civic (2006) and a 2011 CR-V give Honda a total of six spots out of twenty.

And Hyundai gets in the mix with the 2011 Sonata and 2013 Elantra.

Finally, Chevy makes an appearance with the 2004 Aveo featuring timing belt failure.

A Little Perspective

Okay, after calling out cars like the mean girl calling out kids at recess, let’s shed a little light on the situation.

Here’s the deal: car manufacturers, especially large ones like those listed are constantly cranking out new creations, some of which are bound to exhibit kinks at some point. Sometimes that point comes sooner than later.

What you should know is that each one of those manufacturers also has a number of cars listed among the “Best Vehicles” on CarComplaints.

It’s all a matter of research.

Do your homework before you shop and you’ll avoid feeling like a dunce.