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Buyer's guides

68 guides, 73,605 words — which years to buy and which to walk past, written and signed by the editor and checked line by line against the federal complaint and recall record.

Everything on MotorJury is computed from public records, and the numbers are honest, but numbers do not tell you which year of a Honda CR-V to avoid or why a Ford Escape's complaint count jumps in 2013. These guides do. Each one is written and signed by the editor, dated, and built on the same NHTSA and EPA record the rest of the site uses, so every claim can be checked against the model pages it links to. They are revised when the data moves.

Every guide opens with its verdict — the years to avoid and the years to buy — then shows what the complaint components and recall campaigns say went wrong, which years escaped it, and what to check on the car in front of you before you pay. The year tables inside each guide are live: they are drawn from the same database as the model pages on the day the site was last built, so a guide written in September is still right in March. Guides are signed by the editor, dated, and corrected under the editorial policy.

Comparisons and how-to guides

Used three-row SUVs compared: which family hauler the record likesThe Explorer has 14,935 complaints on file, the 2016 Pilot 1,691 with no recall to explain them, and the Highlander scores 78 to 86 for six straight y · 2026-09-16 · 1,398 words Used minivans compared: Odyssey, Sienna, Pacifica, Grand Caravan and Town and CountryThe Sienna has 1,815 complaints across its record, the Odyssey 4,593 with three AVOID years in a row, and the 2017 Pacifica alone has 1,514. Five mini · 2026-09-16 · 1,398 words Used mid-size sedans compared: the eight nameplates, year by yearThe 2011 Sonata has 3,374 complaints, the 2018 Camry 734 after five years under 310, and the Altima scores 95 in 2022 after a 2013 with 2,308. Eight m · 2026-09-16 · 1,396 words Used compact SUVs compared: RAV4, CR-V, Escape, Rogue, Equinox, Tucson, Forester and SportageThe Equinox is a BUY in thirteen of fifteen years, the Escape has 16,194 complaints and five AVOID years, and the CR-V has been an AVOID since 2023. E · 2026-09-16 · 1,399 words Hybrid or petrol? The same nameplate, both records, side by sideThe Sonata Hybrid has 741 complaints against the petrol Sonata's 11,270, the RAV4 Hybrid scores 82 in the year the petrol car scores 35, and the Accor · 2026-09-16 · 1,399 words What an electric car battery actually costs to replace, and how often it happensThe number that frightens used-EV buyers most is the one they understand least. Here is what a pack costs, what the warranty covers, and how rarely th · 2026-09-01 · 821 words The most dependable used cars in the federal record, by the numbersNot the cars with the best reputations — the cars whose complaint records, year after year, stay quiet. Some of them are not what you expect. · 2026-09-01 · 773 words The first-year rule: why the launch year of a new generation is the one to avoidAcross the whole dataset, one pattern repeats more than any other. The first model year of a redesign carries the most complaints, and the last year o · 2026-09-01 · 818 words How to read NHTSA complaint data before you buy a used carThe federal complaint database is the largest free source of reliability evidence there is, and most people misread it. A short guide to what a compla · 2026-09-01 · 838 words How to check a VIN before you buy: recalls, history and what the number tells youSeventeen characters on the dashboard answer more questions about a used car than the seller will. Here is what to look up, where, and what to do with · 2026-09-01 · 788 words

One nameplate at a time

Used mid-size pickups: Colorado, Canyon and Ridgeline years to avoidThe 2015 Colorado and Canyon both score 29, with 356 and 226 Steering complaints; the 2023 redesign brought a second dip. The Ridgeline was never an A · 2026-09-16 · 1,398 words Used full-size SUVs: Expedition, Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade years to avoidThe 2021 Tahoe scores 39 with ten safety-critical recalls, the 2019 and 2020 Expedition 42 and 41, the 2023 Escalade 42; the 2019 Escalade scores 95. · 2026-09-16 · 1,398 words Used Volvo S60, XC60 and XC90: the years to avoidThe 2012 Volvo S60 has 121 owner complaints and scores 36, the worst year across three Volvo nameplates; the XC60 and XC90 never drop below BUY. Which · 2026-09-16 · 1,390 words Used Volkswagen Atlas, Tiguan and Golf: the years to avoidThe Volkswagen Atlas has three years of 461 complaints or more, the Tiguan's 2018 redesign has 283 and twelve recalls, and the Golf's 2015 has twelve · 2026-09-16 · 1,398 words Used Toyota Tacoma: the years to avoid and the years to buyThe Tacoma has three bad patches in its record: the 2012, the 2016 to 2019 trucks, and the 2024 redesign at 72.5 complaints per year on the road. The · 2026-09-16 · 1,160 words Used Toyota Sienna: the years to avoid and the years to buyThe 2011 Sienna logged 612 complaints, 211 of them for air bags, and scores 28. By 2020 the count was 38 and the score 88. The years in between, sorte · 2026-09-16 · 1,172 words Used Toyota Prius, Prius c and Prius v: the years to avoidService Brakes is the top complaint on every Prius from 2011 to 2015, 341 on the 2012 alone. Where the brake and inverter records end and the years to · 2026-09-16 · 1,262 words Used Toyota Highlander: the years to avoid and the years to buyThe Highlander scored between 78 and 86 for six straight years, then the 2019 car logged 472 complaints. Which years the federal record supports, and · 2026-09-16 · 1,275 words Used Toyota 4Runner and Tundra: the years to avoidThe 4Runner is a BUY in twelve of fourteen scored years; the Tundra has three CAUTION years and a 2023 with 394 complaints. The two body-on-frame Toyo · 2026-09-16 · 1,316 words Used Subaru Ascent and Legacy: the years to avoidThe 2019 Subaru Ascent has 439 complaints and a score of 32, and the Legacy slid for six years to an AVOID in 2020. Both records turn sharply better i · 2026-09-16 · 1,336 words Used Porsche Cayenne and Macan: what the federal record saysThe Porsche Cayenne has 516 owner complaints across fourteen scored years, and its two worst, 2019 and 2020, score 40 and 42. The Macan has one bad ye · 2026-09-16 · 1,380 words Used Nissan Versa and Murano: the years to avoidThe 2012 Nissan Versa has 486 complaints, eleven recall campaigns and a score of 26; the 2015 Murano scores 37 with five safety-critical recalls. Both · 2026-09-16 · 1,400 words Used Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander Sport: the years to avoidThe 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander Sport each log 142 Power Train complaints, and the 2022 Outlander redesign scores 34. The years around the · 2026-09-16 · 1,340 words Used Mini Cooper: the years to avoid and the years to buyEvery scored Mini Cooper year is a BUY, from a low of 80 for the 2013 car to 95 for the 2014, but the record goes silent from 2016 to 2024. What the 5 · 2026-09-16 · 1,233 words Used Mazda CX-9, CX-3 and CX-7: what the record saysThe 2012 CX-9 has 221 complaints, 143 of them on the brakes, and the 2018 has an engine spike; the CX-3 never built a record; the 2011 CX-7's suspensi · 2026-09-16 · 1,397 words Used Land Rover and Jaguar: the record behind the reputationThe Range Rover Sport has 259 owner complaints across twelve model years but 69 recall campaigns, and the Jaguar I-Pace has seven campaigns for one ba · 2026-09-16 · 1,383 words Used Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade: the years to avoidThe 2020 Kia Telluride has 748 complaints and the 2024 Hyundai Palisade has 220 for brakes alone. Two related three-row SUVs, and the record separates · 2026-09-16 · 1,374 words Used Kia Forte and Hyundai Veloster: the years to avoidThe Kia Forte's 2014 car has 439 complaints and a score of 44; the Veloster's 2013 has 421 and scores 39. Both nameplates recovered, and the record sh · 2026-09-16 · 1,397 words Used Infiniti Q50, QX60 and QX50: the years to avoidThe 2014 Infiniti Q50 has 169 owner complaints, 78 of them for steering, and the 2014 QX60 has 229, 118 of them for the power train. Which Infiniti ye · 2026-09-16 · 1,385 words Used Hyundai Kona, Genesis and Santa Fe Sport: what the record saysThe 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport has 415 complaints, 240 of them Engine; the 2015 Genesis scores 39; the Kona has never had a year below BUY. Three Hyu · 2026-09-16 · 1,264 words Used Honda Civic, Fit and HR-V: what the record says year by yearThe 2023 HR-V logged 685 complaints in its first year on the road, 319 of them for visibility. Which years of the Civic, Fit and HR-V the federal reco · 2026-09-16 · 1,276 words Used Ford Taurus and Flex: the years to avoidThe 2013 Taurus scores 31 on 589 complaints and the 2013 Flex 34 on 578; the 2016 to 2018 cars of both score 83 to 91. Two siblings, one shared bad ye · 2026-09-16 · 1,386 words Used Ford Mustang: the years to avoid and the years to buyThe 2015 Mustang is the worst year on record at 51, with 436 complaints and eleven recall campaigns; the 2018 scores 83 on 187. Here is the year-by-ye · 2026-09-16 · 1,382 words Used Ford Fusion (and Fusion Hybrid): the years to avoid and the years to buyThe 2011 and 2012 Fusion carry 2,783 and 2,612 owner complaints, most of them for the steering; the 2018 to 2020 cars score 82 to 83 and are the ones · 2026-09-16 · 1,382 words Used Ford Edge: the years to avoid and the years to buyThe 2013 Edge has 2,442 complaints and the 2017 has 1,314 with Engine leading; the 2014 scores 85 and the 2020 to 2024 cars score 82 to 90. Here is wh · 2026-09-16 · 1,392 words Used Dodge Charger, Challenger and Chrysler 300: the years to avoidOn all three Chrysler big cars the 2011 to 2014 years are electrical years: 395 Electrical System complaints on the 2011 Charger alone. From 2015 the · 2026-09-16 · 1,267 words Used Chevrolet Volt, Bolt EV and Nissan Leaf: the years to avoidThe 2017 Volt has 695 complaints against 93 for the 2014, the Bolt EV was recalled for its battery in every year from 2019 to 2022, and the Leaf has o · 2026-09-16 · 1,390 words Used Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave: the years to avoidThree General Motors three-row SUVs share one record: a 2014 air bag year on all of them, a 2017 Acadia with 1,341 complaints, and a clean 2021 to 202 · 2026-09-16 · 1,386 words Used Chevrolet Sonic, Trax and Blazer: the years to avoidThe 2012 Sonic has 354 complaints and a score of 32; the new 2024 Trax has 169 in its first year. The Blazer has never scored below 70. Which years of · 2026-09-16 · 1,253 words Used Chevrolet Impala and Buick LaCrosse: the years to avoidThe 2016 Impala has 897 complaints, more than double the rate of any other year of the car; the LaCrosse's trouble is 2012 and 2013. What follows on b · 2026-09-16 · 1,165 words Used Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette: the years to avoidThe Corvette's record has one category and two years: Wheels, with 223 complaints on the 2017 car and 124 on the 2019. The Camaro's soft years, 2015 a · 2026-09-16 · 1,312 words Used Cadillac SRX and XT5: the years to avoidExterior Lighting is the top complaint on every SRX year, 302 of the 2015 car's 442; the XT5 that replaced it has one bad year, 2017, and a thin, clea · 2026-09-16 · 1,133 words Used BMW X3 and X5: the years to avoid and the years to buyThe 2013 BMW X3 has 452 owner complaints against 96 for the 2012 car, while the X5 scores BUY in every year the record covers. Both records stop at 20 · 2026-09-16 · 1,268 words Used BMW 3 Series and 5 Series: the years to avoidThe 2011 3 Series has 994 owner complaints on record and the 2011 5 Series 1,063. Both BMW saloons improve sharply after 2012, then the record goes th · 2026-09-16 · 1,374 words Used Audi Q5 and Q7: the years to avoidThe 2018 Audi Q5 has 200 owner complaints and the 2017 Q7 has 319, each the worst year of its nameplate by a wide margin. Which years the federal reco · 2026-09-16 · 1,392 words Used Acura MDX, RDX and TLX: the years to avoidThe 2016 MDX has 157 engine complaints and a 2023 campaign for its connecting rod bearings; the 2019 and 2020 RDX score 32. The three Acuras, ranked a · 2026-09-16 · 1,349 words Ford Bronco, Bronco Sport and EcoSport: what the first years on record sayThe 2021 Bronco Sport scores 33 on 678 complaints, the 2022 Bronco 51 on 369, and every EcoSport year is BUY despite 723 complaints on the 2018. The f · 2026-09-16 · 1,391 words Used Volkswagen Jetta and Passat: the years the record favoursVolkswagen's American-market saloons had a rough start to the decade and a good end to it. The diesel years are their own story. · 2026-09-01 · 606 words Used Toyota RAV4: the 2019 and 2020 problem, and the years around itThe best-selling non-truck in America had five quiet years and then a redesign that tripled its complaint count. Here is what went wrong and when it s · 2026-09-01 · 589 words Used Toyota Camry and Corolla: where the reputation holds and where it does notToyota's two best-sellers are as steady as their reputation across most of the record, with three exceptions that a buyer should know by year. · 2026-09-01 · 581 words Used Tesla Model S and Model 3: what the record says and what it cannotTesla's complaint record looks nothing like a petrol car's. Most of it is software and driver-assistance; the mechanical part is small and specific to · 2026-09-01 · 714 words Used Subaru Outback and Forester: oil consumption, then Starlink, then a clean runSubaru's two best-sellers share an engine, a platform and a pattern in the record. Two clusters of years to avoid; the rest is good. · 2026-09-01 · 653 words Used Ram 1500: air suspension, EcoDiesel and the 2019 launchThe Ram 1500 has a deep record and a clear pattern. Three things drive its complaints, and each one is avoidable by choosing the right year and specif · 2026-09-01 · 603 words Used Kia Sorento, Sportage and Soul: the recall years and the good years after themKia's three most common used cars share Hyundai's engine history and then diverge. The record from 2018 onward is among the best on the site. · 2026-09-01 · 561 words Used Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler: the years the record supportsJeep's two flagships have long runs and reputations that do not match the record year by year. Here is where each one is actually good. · 2026-09-01 · 724 words Used Hyundai Tucson, Santa Fe and Elantra: beyond the engine recallThe engine recall gets the headlines, but Hyundai's most common used cars have their own patterns — a dual-clutch transmission, a steering fault, and · 2026-09-01 · 664 words Used Honda CR-V: the years to buy and the years to avoidThe CR-V went from one of the most dependable crossovers on record to a cautionary tale in a single model year. Here is where the line falls, and why. · 2026-09-01 · 749 words Used Honda Accord: two launch years to skip in a long clean recordThe Accord is as dependable as its reputation across most of the past fifteen years. The two exceptions are both first years of a new generation, and · 2026-09-01 · 540 words Used Ford Explorer: the three model years that ruin the averageThe Explorer has more owner complaints on file than any other vehicle in this dataset. Most of them come from three model years, and the rest of the r · 2026-09-01 · 631 words Used Ford Escape: why 2013 and 2014 are the years to walk pastThe third-generation Escape launched with an engine that could leak coolant into its own cylinders. The record shows exactly which years carry that ri · 2026-09-01 · 663 words Used Chevrolet Malibu, Cruze and Equinox: the four-cylinder years to watchChevrolet's mainstream cars of the 2010s share engines and share problems. The record sorts them into years to buy and years to price for repairs. · 2026-09-01 · 667 words The cheap crossovers: Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass and Renegade, usedThree of the least expensive used crossovers on the market share a company, an engine and a transmission. The record shows which years are cheap for a · 2026-09-01 · 575 words The Hyundai and Kia engine recall: which cars, which years, what to check before you buyOne engine family put six nameplates at the bottom of the reliability tables for most of a decade. Here is the full list, the years affected, and how · 2026-09-01 · 826 words Nissan's CVT problem: the Altima, Sentra, Rogue and Pathfinder years to avoidFor six model years Nissan's continuously variable transmission was the most common single complaint across four nameplates. The record shows where th · 2026-09-01 · 634 words Jeep Cherokee 2014 to 2023: the nine-speed years and the years that fixed itThe KL Cherokee was the first mass-market car with a nine-speed automatic, and its early owners paid for the experiment. The record shows when Jeep go · 2026-09-01 · 591 words Honda Odyssey and Pilot: the transmission years to avoidHonda's two family haulers each had a generation that launched with a new automatic transmission and a collapse in the complaint record. The years bef · 2026-09-01 · 578 words Ford Focus and Fiesta 2011 to 2016: the PowerShift transmission, explained for buyersThe 2012 Focus has more owner complaints on record than almost any car ever sold in America, and one component explains nearly all of them. · 2026-09-01 · 616 words Dodge Durango, Charger and the Chrysler minivans: the TIPM years and the nine-speed yearsChrysler's large cars share two failures a decade apart — a power module that stalled engines, and a transmission that would not shift. The record sho · 2026-09-01 · 656 words