Thinking of Purchasing a Used Vehicle? Here’s What Not to Buy!
With thousands of cars on the market how are you supposed to have any idea which one to choose?
My grandfather consistently bought the same car over and over again. All he did was upgrade to the new year of the same make and model. I was always curious why – but I guess people like to play it safe. Go with what you know.
I can guarantee you have heard terrible stories about all of the “lemons” your friends and families have purchased. So you can take those cars off your list of possibilities.
That only leaves…thousands of choices. Maybe you just want to stick with what you know and love…or at least kind of like?
But if you don’t want to be quite like gramps, maybe you want to branch out and try something new?
After doing your research, that is.
Lucky for you we happened to come across a list compiled by experts of the Best and Worst cars at trade in time. The list is based off the frequency of reported engine and transmission problems with additional penalties for vehicles with powertrain failures before 120,000 miles.
Let’s start with the list of cars with the highest defect-level at trade in time. Here are the worst:
10. Volkswagen New Beetle
9. Mazda 626
8. Lincoln Aviator
7. Jaguar S-Type
6. Lincoln LS
5. Mazda Millenia
4. Land Rover Discovery
3. Mini Cooper
2. Land Rover Freelander
1. Mazda CX-7
Some cars are certainly not surprising. A friend of mine had a Mini Cooper that spent more time in the shop than on the road.
So if the car you were thinking of purchasing was on that list…I’m going to suggest rethinking it. It is true that proper vehicle maintenance will have a positive impact on the reliability and longevity of any vehicle – but I do my research for a reason. I like to trust the pros.
And for curiosity’s sake here is the list of the best: (in no particular order)
Lexus LX·Toyota Land Cruiser·Ford E250·Lexus LS·Toyota 4Runner·Toyota Avalon·Toyota Sequoia·Lexus GX·Ford Excursion·Toyota Tacoma
