25 Worthless Foreign Vehicles
To Americans, foreign vehicles usually scream luxury and class. Take brands like Mercedes and Jaguar, for example. Both brands are held in high regard in the States, and people love them. Then there are the more down-to-earth foreign brands like Kia, Toyota, and Nissan that everyday drivers love. Americans, of course, have their cult favorites like the classic Toyota Camry, Subaru Outback, and Honda Odyssey, to name a few.
Foreign cars have even recently been dominating the U.S. market and have found themselves placed at the top of many ‘best’ lists. J.D. Power and Consumer Reports have hailed many foreign cars as even better than some American-made rivals.
Then, there are these vehicles. They’re some of the weirdest, most questionable foreign cars out there. Disliked for a multitude of reasons from things as simple as design to things as major as a high mortality rate due to poor construction. These cars have either sold terribly in the U.S. car market or were removed completely. These flop cars come in every size and type: coupes, sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks—no kind of vehicle is safe from bad design or poor planning.
Some of these might surprise you! So let’s take a look at some of the most questionable cars from across the globe.
1. Fiat 500E
Fiats are little cars with big reputations…for being terrible. The 500E is Fiat’s attempt at an electric version of their car in response to growing demand. Unfortunately, this little car has fallen flat. Insurance agencies often claim the vehicle totaled in the lightest of fender benders. These cars also often suffer from a choppy ride, noisy interior, and the driving position is usually considered awkward among drivers. Fiat’s CEO doesn’t even like this car.
(image via Facebook)
2. Fiat 500L
Another Fiat makes it onto the list. The big brother to the 500E, this car has only gotten worse every year on Consumer Reports‘s overall reliability rating. This tiny car packs a massive headache of problems with the brakes, in-car electronics, power equipment, and mechanical parts being particular problems.
(image via Facebook)
3. Mini Cooper Clubman
The Mini Cooper is a fun car that people around the world adored, so they released the Clubman version about seven years after the original. The Clubman is essentially a stretched-out version of the original with a couple of extra doors slapped on it. Add that on to a high price, poor gas mileage, and the usual mini problems (transmission failure, particularly), and it’s unsurprising this car makes this list.
(image via Facebook)
4. Chery QQ3
Chery is a Chinese brand that’s known for putting out cars made from cheap, low-quality parts that are usually severely underpowered. The QQ3 is the lowest of the low for this brand. In 2008, this was the cheapest new car in the world and could be purchased for $4,000 in 2012. Just don’t expect anything over 70 horsepower from its three engine options or any type of safety features that usually come standard on American cars.
(image via Facebook)
5. Kia Sportage
Released in the U.S. in the early ’90s, the Sportage was seen as a lightweight, affordable SUV with minimal comforts and a severely underpowered engine (though it had four-wheel drive, so that’s something). Even now, with a few more bells and whistles, this car continues to underperform, and many find its competitors more fun to drive. It also has considerably less cargo space and worse fuel economy than its rivals.
(image via Facebook)
6. Kia Cadenza
The Cadenza is Kia’s response to the Chevrolet Impala and the Toyota Avalon. On the plus side, the Cadenza is roomy and quiet with easy handling. On the other hand, it’s really only an average car. The Cadenza is known for issues with engine cooling, the climate system, and emissions/fueling systems. Studies have also found that owners of Cadenzas had to bring their car in for unscheduled repairs twice as often as other full-size cars.
(image via Facebook)
7. Volkswagen Touareg
The SUV craze sweeping the nation resulted in the Volkswagen Touareg, which debuted in the U.S. back in 2002. Its powerful engine resulted in a complex layout that requires the entire block to be removed in order to fix even the simplest problem. To us, that seems like a design flaw. Plus, it ups the price of any repair work that’s needed.
(image via Facebook)
8. Volkswagen Golf TDI
The peppy Golf TDI often has transmission problems at higher mileages (mostly in older models). The rear brakes have also been known to wear out quickly, and there’s a whole host of other problems. We recommend looking elsewhere.
(image via Facebook)
9. Yugo GV
The GV was made in the former Yugoslavia. When it arrived in the U.S., the goal was to market the car as the cheapest vehicle on the market. What Americans got, however, was headache instead of an economic deal. The GV had terribly build quality, and Consumer Reports called it “a barely assembled bag of nuts and bolts.”
(image via Facebook)
10. Mazda RX-8
With a rotary engine that allows for well-balanced power, you would think that this car would be a dream, right? Wrong. Rotary engine seals wear out quickly, and even those with way under 100,000 miles can lose a lot of compression. There’s also a risk of mixing oil with gas in the combustions chamber. Welcome to engine problems galore.
(image via Facebook)
11. Mitsubishi Mirage
The Mirage entered the U.S. in 2014 and was met with only a lukewarm reception. The car is known for its bargain price, but that’s the only compliment it’ll receive. The car’s handling has been described as weak and clumsy, the interior is cheap, and the car, in general, is noisy with sluggish acceleration. It often ranks at the bottom of all major car review lists.
(image via Facebook)
12. Mercedes GLA
You would expect better from Mercedes. We did. The GLA received the lowest owner satisfaction score on a survey conducted by Consumer Reports, and only 44% said they’d ever consider purchasing another GLA. This car is small, cramped, and expensive with a stiff ride, a loud interior, poor visibility, and a bad gearbox. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of complaints.
(image via Facebook)
13. Smart ForTwo
When this car was introduced to the U.S. market, it was marketed for its 38 miles per gallon fuel economy, but even that wasn’t enough to save this tiny thing. This car’s transmission is known for being one of the worst in the world, coupled with horrendous design and absolutely minimal storage space. In our eyes (and lots of others, apparently), this car is in no way worth it.
(image via Facebook)
14. Suzuki Samurai
This one’s an older car, but it’s worth talking about because of just how bad it flopped. Originally introduced in 1985, the Samurai was actually successful until 1998 when Consumer Reports absolutely annihilated it. Consumer Reports found that the Samurai was dangerously unsafe for American roads. The car was ultimately recalled and abandoned.
(image via Facebook)
15. Nissan Armada
Basically a clone of the Infiniti QX80, the Armada is quiet and has great towing capabilities. The downside? This thing has the worst fuel economy (excluding heavy-duty pickups) with only 14 miles per gallon combined. To make matters worse, it also as clumsy handling.
(image via Facebook)
16. Jaguar F-Pace
Jaguar’s first attempt at an SUV, the F-Pace was released in 2017 and was quickly declared unreliable by Consumer Reports. After a year of real-life testing, the F-Pace remained among the worst. The car’s noisiness and driving systems gave it a bad name, and it was quickly deemed as a pricey new model that’s ultimately behind the times.
(image via Facebook)
17. Volvo XC90
Similar to the Jaguar F-Pace, this luxury SUV has yet to live up to its promise. The car does have a strong engine and transmission, which win it some points, but the interior technology couldn’t be worse. According to Consumer Reports, the XC90s in-car electronics had the lowest rating the tester could give. Power equipment and portions of the basic electrical system also fell short for what was expected of a luxury brand.
(image via Facebook)
18. Jaguar XE
Named as Consumer Reports 2019 Worst Compact Luxury Sedan, the XE falls short in several categories. Interior materials and assembly are both considered subpar in comparison to competitors. It has a glitchy infotainment system, the back seat is cramped, and the engine auto stop-start is defined as abrupt and unrefined.
(image via Facebook)
19. Nissan Titan
Consumer Report‘s worst compact truck, the Titan, has a predicted low reliability as it ages. The Titan faces complaints of a rough ride, unoriginal styling, and the lowest max-towing capacity in its class. Nissan’s Titan was an attempt at dethroning domestic rivals, but it ultimately fell short of its goal. Maybe with a little more innovation and originality, it could have done so.
(image via Facebook)
20. Alfa Romeo Giulia
We have several luxury cars that are making this list, and it’s honestly really surprising. The Giulia received a dismal rating from Consumer Reports, and many reviewers reported major mechanical issues during their tests. This is only the most recent in a long line of Alfa Romeo cars with major reliability issues.
(image via Facebook)
21. Subaru WRX
The WRX is the least agreeable car in the Subaru showroom and just seems overall underdeveloped when compared to more sophisticated models. The WRX gets poor reliability ratings from both J.D. Power and Consumer Reports. Not to mention it’s a pricey little car, and there are easily other cars that do better for a better price.
(image via Facebook)
22. Toyota Tacoma
Toyota is normally known for its durability and reliability, but here sits the Tacoma. Consumer Reports has found that this truck has a worse than average reliability, stiff rides, a noisy cabin, and uncomfortable seats. Good thing a facelift is coming in 2020.
(image via Facebook)
23. Mercedes CLA
Another Mercedes model that fell short of the mark. The CLA has below-average reliability, plus sluggish and lagging acceleration. All that coupled with a cramped interior just makes the base price tag seem even less worth it.
(image via Facebook)
24. Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Trust us, there’s a reason you’ve never heard of this car. A cheap electric car with a range of fewer than 60 miles and an overall golf cart-like driving experience, the i-MiEV received a super low road test score. This car couldn’t even compare to competitors such as the Chevrolet Bolt or the Nissan Leaf. Plus, its bulbous design was an embarrassment.
(image via Facebook)
25. Land Rover Discovery Sport
Land Rover is typically a brand that’s known for creating quality SUVs, but this one fell flat on its face. A finicky engine, boring interior, and sub-par overall acceleration and handling capabilities land the Discovery Sport on several worst lists.
(image via Facebook)
