The Cars Dealers Sell Once — Then Avoid Forever

Dealers don’t blacklist cars often. When they do, one repair wipes out every dollar they made.

Paul

1/18/2026

a black jeep parked on the side of the road

Number 10: Jeep Renegade, 2015-2019 models

This is the car that looks tough but drives like it's built from spare Fiat 500 parts. Because it literally is.

Here's the problem; the Renegade is based on a Fiat platform, which means Italian engineering for a car people expect to drive like a Jeep. It doesn't work. The 2.4L engine is weak, fuel economy is terrible at 21 MPG city, and maintenance costs are through the roof.

Certified mechanic Chris Pyle says these are "overall very unreliable" with expensive maintenance, poor fuel mileage, and a weak engine that needs constant attention. Parts are getting harder to find as Fiat exits the US market, which means when something breaks, and it will, you're paying premium prices for components that have to be ordered.

Common failures: transmission issues, electrical gremlins, suspension problems, and literally everything failing too often. Engine, trans, steering, suspension, electronics; all of it. Dealers know this. They see these come back on trade-ins and immediately wholesale them to auction because keeping them on the lot means warranty claims and angry customers.

Number 9: Dodge Journey

The Journey was Dodge's budget SUV, and "budget" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence.

This thing has one attractive feature; a low sticker price. Everything else is a disaster waiting to happen. Brake components wear out at 20,000 miles. Twenty thousand. Most cars go 50,000 to 70,000 miles on original brakes. The Journey eats them for breakfast.

Electrical issues are constant. Dashboard warning lights come on for no reason, and when you scan for codes, nothing shows up. Transmission failures happen early and often. These use Chrysler's older transmissions that were problematic across multiple models.

Consumer Reports consistently ranks the Journey near the bottom for reliability. U.S. News gave it a 6.4 out of 10 rating, noting it offers "almost no advanced driver-assistance features" and rides rough even by budget SUV standards.

Dealers see these on trade and know exactly what's coming. They wholesale them immediately because nobody wants to deal with the service calls when that transmission grenades at 65,000 miles.

Number 8: 2015 Chrysler 200

CarComplaints gave this the "Avoid Like The Plague" badge. Over 3,000 complaints and eight recalls for a single model year. Think about that.

The problem is the 9-speed automatic transmission that Chrysler co-developed with ZF. It sounds good on paper. In reality, this transmission has a terminal crimping issue in the wiring harness that causes it to suddenly shift into neutral while you're driving. Not when you're parking. While you're driving on the highway at 70 miles per hour.

Owners report the car lurching, jerking, and bucking through gears. Some describe it as "possessed." The transmission fails completely, often needing full replacement at $4,000 to $5,000. Software updates don't fix it. Replacing components doesn't fix it. The fundamental design is flawed.

Dealers know all of this. They see 2015 200s on the auction block going for nothing because nobody wants the liability. Even at wholesale prices, these aren't worth it.

Number 7: 2010 to 2012 Chevrolet Equinox

This was GM's attempt at a compact SUV during a very rough period for GM quality control.

The main issue is oil consumption that borders on absurd. These engines burn so much oil that owners report adding a quart every 1,000 miles. GM's official response? "That's within normal operating specifications." No, it's not. Normal engines don't consume oil like that.

Running low on oil causes engine damage. Timing chains fail. The 2.4L four-cylinder engine in these models has documented issues with piston ring wear that leads to this oil consumption. If you don't stay on top of it, and I mean checking oil every single week, you'll cook the engine.

Transmission failures are also common, as are timing chain failures that cost $1,500 to $2,500 to repair. The timing chain issue is particularly bad because it can happen without warning, leaving you stranded.

Dealers avoid these because they know the oil consumption issue means unsatisfied customers who'll blame the dealer even though it's a GM engineering problem. Not worth the headache.

Number 6: Ford Focus and Fiesta 2012 to 2016

And here we need to talk about one of the biggest transmission disasters in modern automotive history.

Ford knew the PowerShift dual-clutch transmission was defective before production started. Internal emails from August 2010 show engineers saying "the clutch torque delivery MUST BE IMPROVED" and that they "cannot achieve a drivable calibration." Six months later, Ford put these cars into production anyway.

The problem is the dry clutch design. Ford cheaped out and used dry clutches instead of the wet clutches that every other manufacturer uses in dual-clutch transmissions. Dry clutches overheat, wear out fast, and create a shuddering feeling when accelerating from a stop that owners describe as "like someone who can't feather the clutch on a manual."

Nearly two million Focus and Fiesta owners were affected. Ford has spent $47 million just on buybacks, with a class-action settlement approaching $30 million. Even after multiple clutch replacements, software updates, and transmission replacements, the problem persists because the fundamental design is flawed.

Dealers won't touch these with a ten-foot pole. There are car managers who say they immediately send these to auction because the transmission will fail, and when it does, that customer is never coming back.

Number 5: 2012 to 2017 Nissan Versa

Welcome to the CVT failure zone.

Nissan's CVT transmission problem is industry-wide across their lineup, but the Versa has it particularly bad. The 2012 model year saw transmission failures at an average of 72,000 miles with repair costs of $3,600. Not 150,000 miles. Not 120,000 miles. Seventy-two thousand miles.

The problem is overheating. Nissan's CVT fluid cooling system can't handle the heat generated during normal operation. When the transmission fluid degrades from heat, the internal components; belts, pulleys, and valve body wear out rapidly. The transmission starts shuddering, slipping, losing power, and eventually fails completely.

Canada's Automobile Protection Association analyzed Nissan's warranty data and found a nearly 6% failure rate during the warranty period. That's catastrophically high. For context, good transmissions fail at under 1%.

Nissan extended warranties to 10 years or 120,000 miles, but that doesn't help if your transmission fails at 130,000 miles and you're staring at a $3,600 bill.

Dealers know the Versa is a ticking time bomb. They've seen too many comebacks, too many angry customers, too many expensive repairs. They wholesale these immediately.

Number 4: 2013 to 2018 Nissan Altima

If you thought the Versa was bad, the Altima might be worse because people actually paid good money for these.

The 2013 Altima is the poster child for Nissan's CVT nightmare. CarComplaints gave it the "Avoid Like The Plague" badge with nearly 5,000 complaints. Transmission failure starts at an average of 53,000 miles. Fifty-three thousand miles.

That's barely out of the factory warranty window. And the repair? Three thousand one hundred dollars on average. Some owners report failures as early as 30,000 miles. That's a car you're still making payments on when the transmission self-destructs.

The symptoms are always the same; shuddering during acceleration, loss of power, hesitation, and then complete failure. Nissan's fix? Replace the transmission. Same CVT design. Same problems six months later.

Here's what makes this particularly bad, Nissan sold millions of these. There are Altimas everywhere. But dealers won't restock them because they know what happens next. Customer buys it, transmission fails three months later, customer blames the dealer, dealer eats the cost of the repair to save their reputation.

Not worth it. Dealers see Altimas from these years and pass immediately.

Number 3: 2014 to 2016 Nissan Rogue

This is America's best-selling SUV that dealers secretly hate.

Same CVT problem as the Altima and Versa, except now it's in a heavier vehicle that puts even more stress on an already inadequate transmission. Failure averages 77,000 miles at $3,500 to fix. The symptoms are identical; shuddering, slipping, complete loss of power.

But here's what makes the Rogue special, Nissan issued multiple recalls for the CVT, including recall NTB16-121a covering 2014-2016 models. Even with the recalls, even with the fixes, the problem continues. Owners report getting their transmission "fixed" under recall only to have it fail again 20,000 miles later.

The Rogue's CVT has a specific problem where the transmission overheats during highway driving and shifts into neutral to protect itself from damage. Imagine you're merging onto the highway, you need power, and suddenly you're in neutral with traffic behind you.

Dealers know this happens frequently. They know Nissan can't or won't fix it properly. So when a 2014-2016 Rogue comes in on trade, they sell it at auction and move on.

Number 2: Ford Focus 2012 to 2016

Wait, didn't we already cover this at number six?

Yes, but the Focus deserves its own spot because it sold in much higher numbers than the Fiesta. More units sold means more failures, more lawsuits, more damaged dealer reputations.

Here's a stat that'll blow your mind; internal Ford documents show that pre-production test engineers had to pull over out of traffic due to the transmission shifting into neutral. Engineers told management there was "no driveable calibration." Management launched it anyway.

The Detroit Free Press investigation found that Ford knew these transmissions would fail and sold them anyway, directing dealers to tell customers it was "normal operating characteristics" when they complained.

Transmission control module failures are common, costing $1,300 to replace. Clutch packs wear out and need replacement at $2,000 to $3,000. And even after all the replacements, software updates, and fixes, the shuddering and jerking continues.

Ford has repurchased thousands of these vehicles for up to $22,000 each under the class-action settlement. But there are still hundreds of thousands on the road. And dealers won't touch them.

The transmission will fail. Not maybe. It will fail. Dealers know this, so they avoid them entirely.

Number 1: Nissan Maxima

Both the older 2004-2008 generation and the newer 2016-2020 models. Nissan's flagship sedan is also its biggest liability.

The 2004-2008 Maximas have the early CVT problems that cost $3,000 to fix around 106,000 miles. But the 2016-2020 models? Those are even worse because Nissan still hadn't fixed the fundamental issues.

The 2017-2020 Maxima models have CVT failures happening at higher rates than earlier generations. Owners report the same symptoms, shuddering, slipping, loss of power, but now you're dealing with a car that originally cost $35,000 to $40,000. The cognitive dissonance is brutal. "I paid this much for a car and the transmission failed at 60,000 miles?"

Here's why this is number one, dealers avoid the Maxima more than any other Nissan because it attracts buyers who expect luxury-level reliability. When that CVT fails, those customers are the loudest, the most disappointed, and the most likely to never return.

Nissan has lost massive amounts of market share specifically because of CVT problems. According to the Automobile Protection Association, Nissan paid $37 million in Quebec alone to replace 11,284 transmissions at an average mileage of just 66,000 kilometers, that's 41,000 miles.

Dealers see these numbers. They know every Maxima from these years is a potential lawsuit waiting to happen. So they don't stock them. Ever.

So here's what you need to understand. These aren't just "cars with problems." These are cars with design flaws so catastrophic that the people who sell cars for a living won't sell them twice.

If you're shopping used and you see any of these cars, run. Check the VIN, check the transmission type, and if it matches what we talked about today, walk away. Don't let a cheap price fool you into buying someone else's nightmare.

And if you already own one of these? Get rid of it while it's still running. The repair bill is coming, and it's not small.

If this saved you from a terrible decision, hit that like button and subscribe. Drop a comment with which car you're avoiding now. Thanks for watching and stay smart out there.