Mechanics see what breaks after the warranty ends, and MoneyLion collected several who named vehicles they would skip. These are opinions from individual mechanics and an auto expert, not test results, though one entry adds an NHTSA recall count. Here are eleven vehicles a mechanic or auto expert said they would avoid.
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1. 2018 Ford F-150: Four Transmission Recalls
A mechanic told MoneyLion the 2018 Ford F-150 has transmission problems, and NHTSA lists 19 recalls for the model year, four of them transmission recalls. All 19 are for 2018 F-150 vehicles.
The recall figure is a federal count, while the transmission complaint is one mechanic’s opinion, so the two are consistent but not the same kind of evidence. Checking a truck’s VIN shows which recalls were completed. The F-150 is the only entry in this gallery with an NHTSA count attached, which lets the mechanic’s complaint be checked against federal records.
2. 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: Fuel Management Worries
The mechanic links the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500’s dynamic fuel management system to misfires and lifter failures, with lifter repairs starting in the thousands of dollars. MoneyLion carries the mechanic’s pickup warnings in full.
The system is tied to owner complaints, per the article, rather than a stated failure rate. A buyer would want to see the repair history of any specific truck before relying on a general warning. Lifter failures are expensive because the repairs start in the thousands, according to the mechanic, which is the specific cost figure the article offers for this truck.
3. 2020 Nissan Titan: Dependability and Towing
The mechanic cites lower dependability scores, nine-speed transmission shifting problems and lagging towing capacity for the 2020 Nissan Titan. The used pickup avoid list states that shifting problems were tied to the nine-speed automatic.
The article’s summary does not give the dependability scores themselves, so the ranking behind that claim is not shown. Towing is the one area where the complaint concerns capability rather than repairs. Of the three complaints, the shifting problems come with the most specific cause, the nine-speed automatic, while the dependability scores and towing remarks are stated in general terms.
4. Nissan Pathfinder: Costly Drivetrain Fixes
A mechanic says Nissan Pathfinders have had transmission and drivetrain issues in recent years, described as expensive to fix. The warning appears in an unreliable models roundup from MoneyLion.
No model years are given in the source, so the warning is general rather than tied to one generation. Cost is described only as expensive, without a dollar figure. Because the article ties the Pathfinder to transmission and drivetrain trouble, the warning overlaps with the F-150 and Titan entries, which also center on gearbox problems.
5. Volkswagen Atlas: After the Warranty Ends
A mechanic says that once the warranty expires, Volkswagen Atlas owners often face electronics, suspension, cooling system, brake and engine problems. The remark comes from a mechanics’ not-recommended list for cheap used vehicles.
The framing is about repair exposure later in ownership rather than defects in a new vehicle. The list is broad and does not rank which problem is most common. Electronics, suspension, cooling, brakes and the engine cover nearly every system in the vehicle, which makes the warning more of a general caution about the model than a single known fault.
6. Chevrolet Traverse: Rising With Mileage
The mechanic says transmission, suspension and engine repairs on the Chevrolet Traverse get more expensive as mileage rises, and RepairPal ranks it 22nd of 26 midsize SUVs. MoneyLion repeats the claim in a cheap but not recommended feature.
RepairPal’s ranking gives an outside data point beyond the mechanic’s opinion, though the article’s summary does not explain how that ranking is scored. Transmission, suspension and engine are the three systems named, and the claim is that costs climb as the odometer does rather than that the vehicle fails early.
7. Dodge Journey: Low Used Rating
MoneyLion says Kelley Blue Book rates the used Dodge Journey 2.9 out of 5, and the mechanic warns of suspension problems, weak safety features and aging interiors. The mechanic’s Journey warning sits in the same feature.
A 2.9 sits below the midpoint of a five-point scale. The warning is tied to the used Journey, and the article does not name specific model years. Suspension problems, weak safety features and aging interiors make up the mechanic’s three concerns, with the KBB rating offered as a supporting number.
8. Land Rover Range Rover: Air Suspension Anxiety
The mechanic calls the Land Rover Range Rover very unreliable, from the drivetrain to electronics to the earlier models’ air suspension, and J.D. Power ranked Land Rover third to last. See the least reliable models article for the context.
The J.D. Power placement is a brand-level standing rather than a Range Rover result, so it supports the mechanic’s view only loosely. Air suspension is singled out for earlier models. Drivetrain, electronics and air suspension are the three areas named, and third to last is the article’s own wording for J.D. Power’s placement of Land Rover.
9. BMW 7 Series: Unreliable Even New
The mechanic says the BMW 7 Series is unreliable even when new and under warranty, with complex electronics and one of the hardest suspensions to repair. The comment is part of a reliability warning list from MoneyLion.
The complaint is about complexity as much as breakage, with repair difficulty named beside reliability. The source offers no figures, so the warning rests on the mechanic’s experience. Electronics and suspension are the two systems named, and the claim that the car is unreliable even under warranty separates it from the post-warranty complaints elsewhere on the list.
10. Nissan Sentra: Cheap Sticker, Costly Ownership
MoneyLion says the Nissan Sentra, among the cheapest cars sold in the U.S., draws Nissan reliability reports of electrical issues, engine problems and CVT failures. The cheap car warning appears in a mechanic-sourced feature.
Low price is the hook here, and a cheap sticker may not mean cheap ownership if those reports hold. The article names no model years or repair costs. Electrical issues, engine problems and CVT failures are the three problem types the article lists, and they are attributed to reports rather than to a test the outlet ran.
11. Cadillac Escalade: Seat Motors Add Up
An auto expert says the Cadillac Escalade’s heavy feature load, including power, heated, cooled and massage seats, means many motors that can fail, at about $500 per seat motor replacement. The luxury cars to avoid feature covers it.
The warning concerns comfort features rather than the drivetrain, and the figure is an approximate per-motor cost. With several seats, the replacements could add up. The $500 figure applies to a single seat motor, and the article’s point is that the number of motors, not the price of each, is what drives potential cost.
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