I’m a Mechanic: 6 Car Brands That Still Haven’t Fixed Their Biggest Problems
Written by
Josephine Nesbit
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Some car brands earn a reputation for lasting hundreds of thousands of miles with little more than routine maintenance. Others, though, are just as well known for the issues they can’t seem to shake.
According to car experts, here are the car brands that still haven’t fixed their biggest issues.
Hyundai
“Hyundai used the Theta II engine extensively for many years. It was so problematic that class-action lawsuits were brought against Hyundai,” said Melanie Musson, auto industry expert with AutoInsurance.org. “Most Hyundai models manufactured currently aren’t using Theta engines, but some performance versions of the Elantra still use an updated Theta engine.”
According to Jalopnik, the Theta II engine arrived in 2009 and the main issue was connecting rod bearing failure. This often led to engine damage and even fires. Drivers would also face issues with new cars stalling at high speeds and in some cases, the entire engine required replacement, but many dealers did not cover it under warranty.
Dodge and Chrysler
Dodge and Chrysler, specifically the V6, often run into engine problems.
“The piston rings and cylinder walls fall, resulting in excessive blow-by, high crankcase pressure, the PCV is overwhelmed, liquid oil then flows into the intake, gets burnt off and out comes blue exhaust smoke,” explained Chris Pyle, auto expert at JustAnswer. “The most common models with this failure are the Town and Country, Pacifica, 300, Charger and Ram truck.”
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is known for its “German engineering,” but it’s also plagued with common issues, including electrical, transmission faults and engine failures, according to SlashGear.
Pyle pointed out that the Beetle is one of the most well-known, but it has its problems. “They should never have sunk time and effort into the beetle. All those folks who loved the bug back then were and are too old to want a redesigned one,” he explained. “It should have been left as is when production stopped in 1979.”
According to Pyle, the new ones are not great family cars and they’re primary market is younger women. “That is not a big enough piece of the pie when making a car to sell to everyone. What people liked in the 50s-70s is not the same as in 2010 and up,” Pyle added.
Land Rover
Revered for their off-road capabilities, Land Rovers are also prone to suspension issues. “Land Rover has had problems with its suspension for years. The suspension is impressive when it’s working, but it consistently fails. It’s part of the reason the Range Rover depreciates so quickly,” Musson said. “The suspension is a costly repair and there’s a high chance it will need to be repaired after the warranty expires.”
Rivian
Pyle specifically called out the Rivian R1T truck, a long-range electric vehicle. “It is just not going to work. Trucks are made to be trucks. They need to tow and haul, mainly tow,” Pyle said.
According to Pyle, the truck can only tow a camper 100 to 150 miles before needing a charge. “No one wants a $70-100k truck that spends the majority of its life plugged up charging,” he added. “On top of that, it has very poor reliability and heaven forbid you get into a collision. Minor fender benders can cost $10,000 to $30,000 to repair.”
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