Used cars: years to avoid and the most consistent models
We checked every model year from 2011 to 2022 of 109 popular cars. Each car is compared with its own other model years, so a big seller is not penalized for having more owners.
Popular cars with no standout bad year since 2011
No model year in this period had more than twice the typical complaints of the same car. This shows consistency, not that a model has few problems: a car with the same problem every year also appears here, so check its most common problems. Sorted by number of owner complaints, as a rough measure of popularity.
| Model | Best years | Typical score | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Malibu | 201920212022 | 79 | 19,367 |
| Toyota Camry | 201620172021 | 84 | 17,932 |
| Toyota Prius | - | 80 | 12,530 |
| Toyota Corolla | 201720182022 | 75 | 11,674 |
| Chevrolet Impala | 201620172018 | 88 | 10,418 |
| Ford Mustang | 202020212022 | 71 | 8,915 |
| Chevrolet Cobalt | - | 95 | 7,681 |
| Nissan Maxima | 200820112014 | 84 | 6,504 |
| Toyota Avalon | 201620182021 | 87 | 3,402 |
| Chevrolet Camaro | 201920202021 | 69 | 2,968 |
| Audi A4 | 201220132015 | 85 | 2,899 |
| Volkswagen Beetle | 200920102018 | 80 | 2,588 |
| MINI Cooper | 201420162017 | 81 | 2,237 |
| Cadillac CTS | 201520162017 | 85 | 2,220 |
| Buick Lacrosse | 201520162017 | 84 | 2,127 |
| Honda HR-V | 202020212022 | 79 | 1,890 |
| MINI Cooper S | 201220132015 | 86 | 1,783 |
| Lincoln MKZ | 201620182019 | 75 | 1,672 |
| Chrysler 300C | - | 76 | 1,258 |
| Scion XB | - | 86 | 1,049 |
| Volvo S80 | - | 88 | 954 |
| Mitsubishi Lancer | 201220142015 | 82 | 865 |
| BMW 528I | 200920142016 | 74 | 833 |
| BMW 330I | 201820192021 | 75 | 818 |
| Toyota Yaris | 201120152017 | 82 | 810 |
Car model years to avoid
Model years with the most complaints compared with a typical year of the same car.
| Car | vs typical year | Score | Main problem |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Toyota Prius V | 9.1x | 5 | Brakes |
| 2011 Hyundai Sonata | 9.0x | 5 | Steering |
| 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 | 7.8x | 5 | Engine |
| 2012 Chevrolet Sonic | 7.4x | 5 | Transmission |
| 2011 Buick Regal | 7.4x | 5 | Engine |
| 2011 Lexus ES350 | 7.0x | 5 | Airbags |
| 2013 Kia Optima | 6.5x | 5 | Engine |
| 2015 Chrysler 200 | 5.9x | 5 | Electrical |
| 2014 Chevrolet Spark | 5.9x | 7 | Engine |
| 2014 Mercedes-Benz E350 | 5.5x | 7 | Brakes |
| 2013 Nissan Altima | 5.4x | 8 | Airbags |
| 2013 Toyota Prius V | 5.2x | 15 | Brakes |
| 2013 Hyundai Sonata | 5.1x | 9 | Engine |
| 2013 Chevrolet Spark | 5.0x | 14 | Engine |
| 2013 Cadillac Ats | 5.0x | 13 | Engine |
| 2013 Hyundai Veloster | 5.0x | 16 | Engine |
| 2020 Audi A5 | 5.0x | 15 | Electrical |
| 2018 Toyota C-HR | 5.0x | 17 | Transmission |
| 2013 Hyundai Elantra | 4.9x | 15 | Brakes |
| 2012 Volvo S60 | 4.8x | 9 | Engine |
| 2015 Kia Optima | 4.7x | 17 | Engine |
| 2015 Acura TLX | 4.6x | 16 | Transmission |
| 2013 Chevrolet Sonic | 4.5x | 16 | Engine |
| 2015 Volkswagen Golf | 4.5x | 11 | Engine |
| 2013 Volkswagen Passat | 4.5x | 15 | Airbags |
| 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 | 4.4x | 19 | Airbags |
| 2014 Infiniti Q50 | 4.4x | 18 | Steering |
| 2012 Kia Optima | 4.3x | 19 | Engine |
| 2012 Fiat 500 | 4.3x | 21 | Transmission |
| 2011 Jaguar XF | 4.3x | 19 | Fuel system |
Every car we rate
Years to avoid and best years between 2011 and 2022.
How these rankings work
We do not compare raw complaint counts between models, because a car that sells ten times more gets more complaints. Each model year is compared with the other years of the same car, and only model years with at least four years on the road count.
Questions about the used cars
Which used car models have no bad years?
Among popular models, these have no model year with more than twice the usual complaints since 2011: Chevrolet Malibu, Toyota Camry, Toyota Prius, Toyota Corolla and Chevrolet Impala. That means no year stands out, not that they have no problems, so check each model's most common problems before you buy.
Which car years should I avoid?
The model years with the most complaints compared with a typical year of the same car are 2012 Toyota Prius V, 2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250, 2012 Chevrolet Sonic and 2011 Buick Regal.
Other rankings
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