The Five Least Reliable Cars

9 years ago - 9 November 2015, Autoblog

Consumer Reports 2015 Auto Reliability Survey. Considering how big an investment it is to actually go out and buy a brand-new car, most buyers probably assume they are going to have a relatively trouble-free few years, at the very least, of ownership. Sadly, that's not always the case.

According to Consumer Reports, not all cars are as reliable as they should be. The magazine's 2015 Auto Reliability Survey compiled responses from the owners of more than 740,000 vehicles. Click here for more information from Consumer Reports, but first, scroll to see five of the vehicles that were singled out as being unreliable.

Fiat 500L

The first vehicle singled out by Consumer Reports is the Fiat 500L, which, while still small, is a slightly larger version of the two-door 500 hatchback. The Fiat's appearance on this list isn't a surprise, as the Italian brand has been at the bottom of most customer satisfaction and reliability rankings that we've seen over the last year or so.

Specific complaints from readers of Consumer Reports ranged from problems with the car's automatic transmission and dead batteries to the entire replacement of a faulty engine and broken tie rods.

Ford Fiesta

The second vehicle to perform particularly poorly on Consumer Reports 2015 Reliability Survey is the Ford Fiesta. Problems included transmissions that don't shift properly to overheating engines and fuel pump failures.

Jeep Cherokee

2015 Jeep Cherokee SUV off-road in red

The Jeep Cherokee is another vehicle from Fiat Chrysler Automotive that lands on the list of the least reliable vehicles from Consumer Reports.

Instead of specific complaints about the Cherokee's nine-speed automatic gearbox, which was troublesome when the vehicle was first launched, problems reported by Consumer Reports readers included keys that got stuck in ignitions and dead infotainment systems.

Chevy Suburban and GMC Yukon XL

2015 GMC Yukon XL Denali in dark grey

Big American SUVs tend to be pretty reliable, which is why we're a little surprised to see the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL earn a spot on this list of the least reliable vehicles of 2015 from Consumer Reports.

There were reports of transfer cases that wouldn't shift out of two-wheel drive, problems with the vehicle's navigation, interior panels shaking loose, and shimmying from the front end.

Nissan Pathfinder

Nissan Pathfinder in blue

The only Japanese vehicle on Consumer Reports' list of the least reliable cars for 2015 is the Nissan Pathfinder. Owners of this seven-passenger crossover reported a bevy or problems, many of them surrounding the performance of the Pathfinder's CVT transmission. Another problem point was found in the vehicle's weatherstripping.