When shopping for a new or used car, it’s easy to be swayed by sleek designs, name recognition or a tempting price tag. But not all popular vehicles are created equal, and some may come with hidden issues that lead to costly repairs, frustrating performance or disappointing resale value.
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That’s why it pays to listen to the professionals who know cars best. Mechanics and industry experts have firsthand experience with the flaws, repair costs and reliability concerns that don’t always show up on a spec sheet. In fact, there are several well-known vehicles that seasoned pros avoid — and recommend others steer clear of, too.
To find out more, GOBankingRates spoke with Joe Giranda, director of sales and marketing for CFR Classic, to discover the best-selling vehicles he would never personally own and why.
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Jeep Grand Cherokee
“Though quite well-known, these Grand Cherokees suffer from advanced transmission complications and engine trouble,” Giranda said.
Giranda also brought to light the fact that the Jeep Grand Cherokee (2011 to 2014) tends to come with plenty of electrical faults that are common in the ones manufactured during this period.
“Hence, I recommend avoiding the added stress of their sketchy reliability,” Giranda added.
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Nissan Juke
The Nissan Juke (2011 to 2017) sports an unconventional design for a car, but one that is hardly functional for use on the road. In Giranda’s professional opinion, this unfriendly driver experience is one of the reasons why he will never own one himself.
“The CVT transmission of the Juke is a well-known flaw, with the potential for expensive repairs down the road,” Giranda explained. “To make matters worse, limited headroom coupled with below-average resale value makes ownership far from worthwhile.”
Chrysler Sebring
Giranda highlighted how the Chrysler Sebring (2001 to 2010) is infamous for terrible design and equally poor engineering, particularly when it comes to any of the models that were made during the first decade of the 21st century.
“It’s best to steer clear of this model because frequent customer breakdowns and poor build quality, coupled with uncomfortable interiors, leave much to be desired,” Giranda said.
Smart ForTwo
“The ForTwo is a breeze to park due to its small dimensions,” Giranda explained. “Still, it remains an impractical option due to slow acceleration, a lack of safety features and an overall rough ride.”
Another reason that Giranda stated for his personally never owning the Smart ForTwo (2008 to 2015) is that the high cost of maintenance paired with unreliable performance makes this car, in Giranda’s words, “totally not worth owning.”
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I’m a Mechanic: 4 Popular Cars I’d Never Own and Why
