During the car-buying process, you may turn to trusted research firms like Consumer Reports, who nominated BMW, Honda, Acura, and Mazda as their top vehicle brands of 2024. But it’s also worth checking in with auto repair pros, whose expertise runs the gamut from budget cars to luxury automobiles and includes everything from fuel economy and resale value to comfort features and maintenance needs. As for which car brands you shouldn’t drive off the lot, one mechanic has some words to the wise.
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Royalty Auto Service (@royaltyautoservice), an auto shop based in Georgia, often posts videos on TikTok offering sage car-buying advice and helpful car part reviews. In a recent clip, the shop’s founding mechanic lists what he believes to be the top three most “problematic” cars, including their red flags.
First on his list? Hyundai models.
“There’s just so many problems with these cars,” said the mechanic, who has over 40 years of auto repair experience under his belt.
“Here’s the thing, why would I want to drive a Hyundai? They’re not really inexpensive. They might be a few thousand dollars cheaper than their competitors, but they’re not $2,000 to $3,000 in line. They’re probably $20,000 cheaper in what I would consider quality,” he explained.
Secondly, the mechanic said he would never get behind the wheel of a Kia for the same reasons.
“It’s just another Hydunai basically,” added his son, who is also a mechanic.
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For his third “problematic” car, the honorable mention goes to Jaguar Land Rover, also known as JLR.
“As far as I drive vehicles, which is I buy them and I keep them for a long time, I wouldn’t buy one of those,” he explained.
However, there are some instances where he would consider driving a JLR vehicle: “There’s some really cool-looking Jaguars out there, and there’s some really cool Land Rovers, too. So, the footnote would be: If I just had tons of money and I didn’t care, and I was like, ‘I’m going to drive this car for three years and then turn it in,’ then I would probably get a Jaguar or Land Rover.”
Although the mechanic doesn’t typically recommend leasing a car, he said a three-year lease on a JLR-branded vehicle isn’t the worst thing. Out of the three cars he listed, he said JLR is the least problematic.
“But a Hyundai or Kia, why would I want to? What’s the cool factor on them? They don’t last long, they’re not really good,” he shared.
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In Sept. 2023, Hyundai and Kia issued a “park outside” recall for more than 3.3 million vehicles. According to a report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the companies warned owners that “fires can happen while the vehicle is parked and turned off or while driving.”
Since 2010, Hyundai and Kia have recalled 13 million cars due to engine fires, per PBS News.
“They’re just so problematic and for the price of them you think they wouldn’t be,” said the mechanic.
However, he would recommend Acura, Lexus, and Mercedes cars.
