No car is perfect. Having spent decades in the industry, I know well by now to expect flaws. Some problems, though, tank the reputation of entire model generations. You’d think we’d have nailed error-proof engine and transmission design by now, but the truth is, building cars is complicated business.

Production slips, supplier woes, and NHTSA investigation procedures can leave huge swaths of drivers with duds for quite some time before the public really knows what to avoid.

That’s where consumer sites like CarComplaints.com come in. According to real drivers, certain used cars are better left out to pasture. Lucky for you (unlike these owners), you can read all about them before bringing one home.

10 Used Cars With the Worst Problems According to Real Owners

10. 2003 Ford Taurus

I haven’t seen one of these cars in years, and that means something. At the shop, any given Ford Taurus more than likely entered the schedule via a tow bed. But the 2003 takes the prize for transmission failure.

CarComplaints has 2,000 driver reports filed on the 2003, with hundreds citing a failed tranny before the cars hit 100,000 miles.

These cars also suffered broken strut coil springs that would puncture and shred tires. It was a shocking safety issue that the NHTSA ultimately let slide.

9. 2002 Honda Civic

Drivers often seek out these compact cars for their reliability. But the 2002 handed owners the opposite. Like the Taurus, this year suffered from near universal transmission failure. Complaints average odometer readings just north of 100k miles.

8. 2006 Nissan Pathfinder

Due to the Pathfinder’s size and double-trouble fault, this one cost owners more than $4,000 to fix on average. Coolant would leak into the transmission, contaminating the unit and causing complete failure. Owners faced both transmission and radiator replacement.

According to the New York Times, complaints extended into the 2010 model year, but the 2006 has the most reported to CarComplaints.

7. 2008 Toyota RAV4

Owners of these cars suffer from possibly the worst-reported excessive oil consumption of any Toyota SUV.

One driver stated they’re refilling at least every three miles. While Toyota offered an extended warranty, many owners who buy them used find out too late that the covered time and/or mileage has passed.

They face engine rebuild or complete replacement costs, which jump into the thousands.

6. 2013 Nissan Altima

This one’s a well-known problem by now, but the 2013 Altima bears the most reported CVT failure. Nissan dealt the public a dud of a continuously variable transmission design. It left owners with unsafe, unpredictably moody transmissions. Many failed before the odometer hit 60,000 miles.

Owners often report that the dealer “couldn’t” duplicate symptoms the first few times they complained.

Nissan fought through lawsuits, extended its warranty, and ultimately fixed the design flaws, but not before many years across several models suffered ill fate. There are known reports of cvt failures between 2008 and 2018.

5. 2011 Hyundai Sonata

I’ll open this file by reminding folks that the 2011 Sonata “won” the site’s 2015 “Turd of the Week.”

The same year, owners filed a class action lawsuit for pervasive engine failure. Gripes included oil consumption, bearing failure, piston ring failure, and rod knock.

4. 2003 Honda Accord

Like the Civic of the same year, these cars suffered from widespread transmission failure. Problems can happen before 100,000 miles. Even in very recent years, some used car buyers are picking them up without understanding its reputation. Some report transmission failure soon after bringing one home.

3. 2001 Honda Civic

Again, like its 2003 sibling, this year suffers from even more widely reported transmission failure. Since they’re 24 years old now, let’s hope the market has excised most out at this point.

I did just read a 2023 complaint about a 2001 the owner’s grandmother had owned. The tranny failed at 165,000 miles. Maybe a couple are still around, so steer clear if you come across one.

2. 2005 Nissan Pathfinder

The 2005 suffered the same fate as the ‘06: coolant leaking into the transmission. “I didn’t even get to enjoy my pathfinder a whole year before it became my lawn ornament,” one owner lamented in 2019.

1. 2019 Toyota RAV4

This one might hit Toyota fans hard. After all, it’s the newest model on this “used cars to avoid” list.

Owners complain of hesitation when attempting to accelerate. It’s a scary problem, especially when trying to merge into traffic or get out of a sticky situation.

Toyota never recalled the problem. Instead, it released a TSB without informing owners. Those who complained to a certified dealership would get a computer software update. Many drivers state that Toyota told them the misbehavior these cars displayed was “normal.”

In 2020, the carmaker released several unrelated recalls, including fuel pump failure, power steering loss, and a front suspension defect.