6 European Cars To Stay Away From Buying

When it comes time to buy a new vehicle, American-made cars may not be everyone’s first choice. Many European car brands are known for their style, flair and performance.

However, as with all good things, there are things to be wary of. While it’s awesome to find the ride of your dreams at a price that won’t give you nightmares, you won’t know whether you purchased a lemon until you’re driven the car off the lot and put enough miles on it to get familiar with its various coughs and hiccups.

This is true of any kind of vehicle, no matter where it’s manufactured.

If you are in the market for a European vehicle, there are some models you should avoid. Here’s a look at six European cars to stay away from buying.

Sweden-based Volvo ranked No. 11 on TopSpeed’s list of the 15 Most Unreliable Car Brands Of 2023, with a reliability rating of 45 out of 100, according to Consumer Reports.

Although Volvos have a good reputation for safety, they are only sometimes that reliable. The average yearly maintenance costs are an estimated $1,047 in 2024, across all models. According to TopSpeed, the climate system seems to be “a common trouble spot for the brand,” as is the electrical system.

The 2023 XC40 was listed among the worst models to buy, and the 2024 model has already had one recall.

These models of the German carmaker were included in ReDriven’s 2023 Lemon List — especially the 2004 to 2010 E60 series, which ReDriven calls “the very worst of the BMW 5 Series generations” due to “some of the worst BMW engines ever.”

Regarding specific models, ReDriven cites the BMW 520i, whose engine is prone to timing-chain issues that damage the oil pump. This can result in “catastrophic engine failure.” The model also has fuel injector problems and oil pressure issues that can lead to engine seizing.

The 2024 model has already had two recalls, for electronic stability control and service brakes.

Germany-based Volkswagen ranked third on TopSpeed’s list of most unreliable brands, with a predicted reliability rating of 31 out of 100. The 2022 and 2023 Taos models were listed among the worst options, with the Taos compact SUV cited as the “worst offender of the bunch.”

Across Volkswagen models, you can expect average yearly maintenance costs of $921. Consumer Reports states that the 2024 model is “much less reliable” than the average new car.

Italy’s Fiat has made a name for itself in urban car design, but this model was listed among the HotCars website’s Worst SUVs to Buy in 2023. Although HotCars notes that the Fiat 500 is “one of the best city cars to get around town quickly,” the larger Fiat 500X has suffered from a lack of mechanical upgrades.

Among other things, the 500X has “a tiny 1.3-liter engine that is severely underpowered,” meaning that even upgraded models “don’t get much of a performance boost.” The 2024 model has been remade as an electric-only vehicle, so it’s hard to compare, but it may not stand up in performance beside its gas-powered predecessor.

Here is another German car brand that has taken hits for some of its models. ReDriven specifically cited the Audi A6’s fourth-generation C7 series as the “problem child” of the A6 family — which is why it landed on the 2023 Lemon List. There are particular problems with models made between 2012 and 2015.

Various consumer and reliability reports awarded A6 models just one out of five stars, according to ReDriven, mainly because of “brake squealing problems, steering issues and engine issues across the range.” Consumers have also reported fuel pressure regulator and serpentine belt failures, along with “excessive oil consumption.” Consumer Reports did not predict any major changes in the 2024 model.

The iconic German luxury brand ranked No. 1 on TopSpeed’s list of the 15 Most Unreliable Car Brands Of 2023, with a 24 out of 100 predicted reliability rating. The average yearly maintenance cost is $1,237.

The GLE — which TopSpeed calls “one of the brand’s most popular offerings” — scored the lowest of all Mercedes models. It also ranked as the No. 9 lowest-rated model across all segments and automakers for 2023. Consumer Reports also ranked the 2024 model as “less reliable” than the average new car.

Jordan Rosenfeld contributed to the reporting for this article.