Disposable Cars Designed to Fail by 60,000 Miles in 2025 Says This Expert

The bad news for car shoppers in 2025 is that owners are discovering that traditionally unreliable current models with bad design cannot be saved with exceptional owner maintenance. Worse yet, U.S. owners of some EV models from Asia may soon discover shortly after problems begin to develop, that their vehicle's warranties are essentially useless.

That said, here are the current culprits and the new ones you should avoid.

You Won't Go Far With These Models

According to an update of the most unreliable cars you can buy in 2024, Shari Prymak of the Car Help Corner YouTube channel says these newer models have little hope of lasting beyond 60,000 miles.

"Some new vehicles are so problematic, unreliable, and incredibly complex that you will likely be in a world of pain if you get stuck owning one past the warranty period. But there are some vehicles that even go well beyond that, that are borderline unrepairable and designed to fail early and have little hope of lasting beyond 60,000 miles."

Related article: Most Unreliable Engines That Fail By 100,000 Miles Within the Past 2 Years

Not Just Planned Obsolescence But The Concern Warranties May Be Meaningless As Well

While we are used to the accusations of planned obsolescence endemic within the automotive industry, this automotive expert foresees that cars are being made today with possibly no intention of having to honor their warranties.

"Now that we have reports of intentionally poor build quality, I don't think we really need a crystal ball to see that the long-term prospects of these vehicles are not great. Another major issue that really concerns me with a lot of these brand new low production short-lived electric vehicles is whether they're even going to be repairable in the long run. Unreliable designs and complicated expensive repairs are one thing, but these EVs have a bigger problem―A form of planned obsolescence.

EV technology is evolving very fast, and these manufacturers are releasing these EVs knowing full well that their technology will be dated and obsolete within a few years with no plan for providing long-term servicing and parts support," warns the host.

To find out from this latest update of an earlier one about the current models that will not last 60,000 miles, here is a summary of the next-generation cars and some newer ones you might not be familiar with that you will especially want to avoid when buying a new car this year.

The Least Reliable Cars of 2025

1. Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Grand Cherokee―Both popular models, while known to be problematic, are even worse today after taking a significant nosedive in recent years thanks to severe cost-cutting measures from Stellantis.

Their engineering essentially makes them disposable vehicles that should be dumped before the warranty expires. Otherwise, you are asking for a never-ending, long-term repair nightmare.

2. Nissan Rogue―The host points out that the root of this maker's problems is that Nissan has been on a devastating cost-cutting pathway for years now, which has caused the company to collapse and severely damage the brand's reputation for reliability.

These engines and transmissions are not made for longevity or ease of service. They are ticking time bombs that will become a repair nightmare and result in the vehicle becoming junk when they do fail, which means you'll be stuck with a worthless pile of metal.

3. Any Hyundai or Kia with the GDI Nu or Theta 2 L and 2.4 L 4-cylinder engine―These engines were mostly used on Hyundai and Kia models made between 2011 and 2022. And the 2 L engine is still being used on new models like the Hyundai Kona and the Kia Soul.

These are some of the most failure-prone engines in the Auto Industry prone to excessive oil consumption, engine knocking, stalling, engine fires, and complete engine failure.

4. Dodge Hornet― Described as a rebadged Alpha Romeo, this is another model suffering from Stellantis's cost-cutting measures.

Despite its short time on the market, there have been nearly 70 technical service bulletins and 10 recalls. Most of the problems are electrical and computer-related, often beginning within weeks of ownership.

5. GMC Silverado and Sierra―Any GM model with the EcoTech V8 engine will suffer from premature transmission and engine failure. Especially in the EcoTech 3-, 5.3-, and 6.2-liter V8 engines with valve lifter sticking and collapsing problems signaled by ticking and knocking engine noise.

Given how long these problems have been going on, getting reliable service out of these vehicles past the warranty is a real gamble.

6. Land Rover Range Rover―Infamous for its long list of problems, the engine, transmission, air suspension, and electronics; this is a make known for continual issues―even within the first few years, let alone as a used after-lease purchase.

The Range Rover truly takes the crown for unreliable rolling disasters with just about every major component.

7. Maserati Grecale―Another Stellantis failure, which is no surprise due to that it is based on the aforementioned Alpha Romeo, which shares many of the same parts found in problem-mired Dodge and Jeep models

It's no wonder why Maserati became next to worthless after a few years. No one wants to touch them, and they are not even worth the cost of the parts and labor needed to service them.

8. Any Audi E-Tron Model―Bugged with countless electrical problems, coolant system issues, and engine failure, the electric versions of Audi are just as bad as the gasoline models.

Audi's gas vehicles are generally known for being fairly unreliable and extremely complicated to repair, and the electric E-Tron models are really no different than the first generation.

9. Mercedes EQ―High voltage battery failure and motor failure issues are just too expensive to repair the minute the model is past its warranty, so much so that they will be scrapped rather than repaired.

Mercedes's EQ models, like the Audi E-Tron, are relatively new and use unproven technology from a brand that doesn't exactly have much experience building EVS but does have a lot of experience building unreliable vehicles.

10. VinFast VF8―A new manufacturer from Vietnam, this company has been outed as having safety concerns due to cost-cutting measures compromising its build. NHTSA is currently investigating the death of a California family of four riding in a VinFast model.

The engineer who sadly was eventually fired for his whistleblowing came out claiming that he believed VinFast was not just compromising quality but was actually endangering lives.

The Video That Tells All About the 2025 Models to Avoid

To get all the details not covered in the summary, here is the tell-all video posted below with additional information you should know before going car shopping for a 2025 model.

Most Unreliable Cars Designed To Fail By 60,000 Miles

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair" for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

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