Mechanics know better than anyone which cars are built to last, and which ones will drain your bank account in endless repairs. In a new TikTok video from Eich Brothers Automotive, several auto repair experts shared the vehicles they’d never recommend, not even to their worst enemies.
These are the vehicles that show up in their garage the most or simply have the worst reputation among mechanics.
With so many cars to choose from, their video might narrow down your search a bit.
Chevy Cruz and Chevy Equinox
The Chevy Equinox got two anti-shout outs in this video, from the first and last mechanics interviewed.
"We have them in here almost seems like every day, with the engines going bad, leaking," said Scott.
Garrett agreed, but tied it with the Chevy Cruz.
Ford Pinto
Baby Boomers will instantly recognize this one.
"Back in the 70s, they had bad structural work on the rear end of them, so they would get rear-ended, get in collisions and literally catch fire on the road," Patrick recalled.
He went on to say that Ford settled with the families of several people who died in Pintos because it was cheaper than issuing a recall. This isn't exactly true—Ford issued a "voluntary recall" in 1978 instead of submitting to a formal recall hearing. There was at least one court case that ended with a jury ruling, with the judge reducing $127.8 million in damages to $3.5 million.
Kia or Hyundai models
"Anything Kia or Hyundai without the extended warranty," said AJ. "Unless you want to buy a transmission. Or an engine. Or both, for both of them."
These companies have drawn flak from mechanics for years due to their transmission issues. In 2022, Kia and Hyundai recalled over 120,000 vehicles due to a problem with their transmission oil pump circuit boards.
GEARS Magazine said in 2023 that the A6 transmissions in these cars have been problematic since 2009.
Yugo by Zastava Automobiles
"I'd never worked on one or drove one, but all the stories I heard about those were they were terrible, unreliable, the worst car out there," said Holden.
It's unlikely that you'll come across one of these on your car search. They stopped making them in 2008 after decades of heavy criticism. In 2016, the Yugo GV landed on TIME's "The 50 Worst Cars of All Time" list.
Watch out in the future, however. There's a revival planned for 2027.
New Ford models
"They have three-cylinder engines and they have a wet belt system that will degrade over time, blocking oil passages, causing engine failure," said Ty.
In 2024, Ford issued a recall of over 100,000 Focus and EcoSport cars due to this belt system issue. The sudden loss of oil pressure caused by the blockages Ty mentions could cause stalled engines and power-braking assist failure, potentially resulting in collisions.
According to BBC's Watchdog, however, Ford isn't agreeing to a free repair for all vehicles affected by the recall.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @eichbrothers for comment via TikTok.
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