A growing number of SUV owners are hitting five-figure repair bills well before their vehicles reach 100,000 miles, and independent mechanics say the same nameplates keep rolling into their bays with catastrophic failures. Federal complaint data filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration backs up what shops are seeing: certain SUVs are generating outsized clusters of engine, transmission, and electrical complaints at relatively low mileage. As of June 2026, here are nine models that mechanics and NHTSA records flag most often.
1. Chevrolet Traverse (2018–2020)
The second-generation Traverse has drawn hundreds of NHTSA complaints centered on its 3.6-liter V6 engine, with owners reporting excessive oil consumption, timing-chain failures, and complete engine seizures between 50,000 and 90,000 miles. Replacement engines and related labor regularly push repair bills past $6,000, and owners who need a dealer-sourced long block have reported costs exceeding $10,000. GM issued multiple technical service bulletins addressing oil consumption in this engine family, but no broad recall has followed.
2. GMC Acadia (2017–2020)
The Acadia shares its platform and powertrain options with the Traverse, and it shares the headaches. NHTSA complaints describe the same 3.6L V6 timing-chain and oil-consumption issues, along with a nine-speed automatic transmission prone to shuddering, harsh shifts, and outright failure. Transmission replacements on these units commonly run $4,500 to $7,500 at independent shops, and owners who also face engine work can easily cross the $10,000 threshold. GM released a torque-converter TSB for the nine-speed, but many owners report the fix is temporary.
3. Chevrolet Equinox (2018–2022, 1.5T)
The turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder in the Equinox has become one of the most complained-about engines in GM’s recent lineup. NHTSA filings describe excessive oil consumption severe enough to starve the engine of lubrication, leading to piston ring failure and, in some cases, complete engine replacement. Owners have reported spending $5,000 to $8,000 on long-block replacements, and the problem tends to surface between 40,000 and 80,000 miles. A class-action lawsuit over the 1.5T’s oil consumption was filed against GM, adding legal scrutiny to the mechanical complaints.
4. Nissan Pathfinder (2013–2020)
Nissan’s continuously variable transmission, or CVT, has been a reliability sore spot across the brand’s lineup for years, and the Pathfinder is no exception. NHTSA complaints describe transmission juddering, overheating, and sudden loss of power, often between 60,000 and 100,000 miles. CVT replacements typically cost $3,500 to $5,500 at independent shops, but owners who also face coolant-intrusion damage to the transmission (a known issue on earlier model years that prompted a recall) can see bills climb higher. Nissan extended CVT warranty coverage to 84 months or 84,000 miles on some model years after pressure from regulators and a consumer settlement, but vehicles past that window are fully owner-funded.
5. Jeep Grand Cherokee (2014–2019, 3.6L and 3.0L EcoDiesel)
The Grand Cherokee’s popularity makes it one of the most-complained-about SUVs in NHTSA’s database by raw volume, but specific failure patterns stand out. The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 was the subject of an emissions-cheating settlement and has generated complaints about EGR cooler failures, oil leaks, and turbocharger issues that can cost $4,000 to $8,000 to address. The 3.6L Pentastar V6, while generally more durable, has drawn complaints about cylinder-head cracking and rocker-arm failures on certain model years. Electrical gremlins, including failing Uconnect infotainment systems and erratic electronic shifting in the ZF eight-speed transmission, add to ownership costs. FCA (now Stellantis) issued multiple recalls for this generation, including one for a fuel-pump relay that could cause stalling.
6. Ford Explorer (2020–2022)
Ford’s rear-wheel-drive reboot of the Explorer brought a new platform and a fresh set of problems. Early production units generated a wave of NHTSA complaints about the 10-speed automatic transmission, with owners describing harsh or delayed shifts, clunking noises, and loss of power. Separately, owners reported rearview camera failures, cracked windshields, and electrical issues with the power liftgate and infotainment system. Ford issued several recalls for this generation, including one for a driveshaft bolt that could loosen and cause loss of power. Transmission-related repairs have cost owners $3,000 to $7,000 depending on the failure, and the stacking of multiple smaller electrical repairs can push total out-of-pocket costs into five figures over the first 80,000 miles.
7. Kia Sorento (2016–2020, 2.4L and 2.0T)
Kia and parent company Hyundai have faced enormous scrutiny over engine failures tied to manufacturing defects in their Theta II and Nu engine families. The Sorento’s 2.4-liter and 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinders have been the subject of multiple recalls for connecting-rod bearing failures that can cause engine seizure and, in some cases, underhood fires. NHTSA opened investigations, and Kia extended warranties on affected engines to 15 years or 150,000 miles under a consent order with the agency. Despite that coverage, owners report long wait times for replacement engines and out-of-pocket costs for towing, rental cars, and related damage that can total several thousand dollars. Owners whose engines fail outside the extended coverage window face replacement costs of $5,000 to $9,000.
8. Hyundai Santa Fe (2016–2020, 2.4L)
The Santa Fe shares the Theta II 2.4-liter engine with the Sorento and has experienced the same connecting-rod bearing and engine-seizure failures. NHTSA complaint data shows a pronounced spike in engine-related filings for 2017 and 2018 model years, with failures clustering between 60,000 and 100,000 miles. Hyundai’s extended engine warranty mirrors Kia’s, but the same gaps apply: ancillary costs, wait times, and post-coverage exposure. The Santa Fe also draws complaints about its dual-clutch transmission (on certain trims), which owners describe as jerky at low speeds and prone to premature clutch wear. Combined powertrain repairs can push ownership costs well past what buyers expect from a mid-price SUV.
9. Dodge Durango (2014–2020)
The Durango rides on a platform shared with the Grand Cherokee, and it inherits some of the same issues, particularly with the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and the 3.6L Pentastar V6. NHTSA complaints describe transmission shuddering, delayed engagement, and torque-converter failures, with repair costs ranging from $3,000 to $6,000. The Durango’s 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is generally more robust mechanically, but it is not immune to problems: owners have reported lifter and cam failures, known issues in the Hemi family, that can cost $3,000 to $5,000 to repair. Electrical complaints, including failing instrument clusters and TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module) issues, add another layer of expense. Stellantis has issued recalls for various Durango components, but many of the costliest failures fall outside recall coverage.
Why these SUVs keep showing up in shop bays
Several threads connect these nine models. Shared platforms and engines mean a defect in one vehicle often appears across a manufacturer’s lineup. GM’s 3.6L V6 and 1.5T four-cylinder, Hyundai-Kia’s Theta II, and Stellantis’s Pentastar V6 and ZF eight-speed transmission each appear in multiple entries on this list. High sales volumes also play a role: these are mainstream SUVs sold in huge numbers, which means even a modest per-unit failure rate translates into thousands of affected owners.
Mechanics point out that modern SUVs carry far more complexity than their predecessors. Turbocharged engines, multi-speed automatic transmissions with 9 or 10 gears, and dense electrical architectures create more potential failure points. When those components break outside warranty, repair costs reflect the engineering complexity. A 10-speed transmission replacement is simply more expensive than swapping a four-speed unit from 2005.
How NHTSA tracks these problems
The federal government’s primary tool for catching these patterns is NHTSA’s complaint-to-recall pipeline. Owners file reports describing a defect, the mileage at failure, and the component involved. When enough complaints cluster around a single issue, NHTSA can open a preliminary evaluation, escalate to an engineering analysis, and ultimately push a manufacturer toward a recall. That process led to the agency’s investigation into GM engine failures on Silverado trucks, which AP News reported involved sudden engine seizures with potential crash risk. Because GM shares drivetrain components across its truck and SUV platforms, that investigation has implications for full-size SUVs like the Tahoe and Suburban as well.
One important limitation: NHTSA’s complaint system does not track repair costs. The agency records the defect, the mileage, and the vehicle, but not the invoice. That means the dollar figures cited in this article come from owner-reported costs in complaint narratives, published repair-cost databases like RepairPal, and independent shop estimates rather than a single verified federal source. The figures are directional, not precise, but they are consistent enough across multiple independent sources to support the general pattern.
What to do before buying any of these SUVs
None of this means every example of these nine models will self-destruct. Plenty of Traverses, Explorers, and Santa Fes are running fine at 120,000 miles. But the complaint patterns are real, and buyers shopping for used versions of these SUVs should take specific steps to protect themselves.
Start by running the VIN through NHTSA’s recall lookup tool to check for open recalls, prior safety campaigns, and any active investigations tied to the model. A vehicle with unperformed recall work is both a safety risk and a negotiating lever.
Next, look at complaint patterns for the specific model year you are considering. NHTSA’s database lets you filter by year, make, and model. Clusters of similar failures at low mileage are a stronger warning signal than scattered complaints at 150,000 miles. Pay particular attention to powertrain complaints, since engine and transmission repairs are the ones most likely to generate five-figure bills.
Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic, ideally one familiar with the platform. A compression test, a transmission-fluid check, and a scan for stored diagnostic codes can catch problems that a test drive will not reveal.
Finally, budget for reality. If you are buying a used SUV with a known history of expensive failures, set aside a repair fund or price an extended warranty from a reputable provider. The purchase price is only the entry fee. The real cost of ownership includes every repair between now and the day you sell it.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
