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40 Cars That Break Drivers’ Budgets Just to Maintain

Cameron Eittreim May 2, 2022

6: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

The Sprinter was a surprise for Mercedes-Benz in the United States, completely changing the delivery van segment as we know it. These big diesel vans aren’t cheap to maintain, and when it comes time to repair, you will spend a large amount of cash (via Motor 1).

The most recent incarnations of the Sprinter have suffered from many transmission issues, as well as a fair share of overheating problems. Because this is a Mercedes-Benz product, you will feel that when the repair bill comes.

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5: Ford Focus

Ford tried for years to stake a claim in the compact car segment, and in 2000 the company finally made some headway with the Focus. The car was incredibly popular, and there was even a rare sport model called the Focus SVT (via Motor 1).

But all that success wasn’t enough to deter the fact that the car still has many reliability problems. The head gaskets would routinely fail in the first-generation models and the timing chain has also been a problem.

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4: Acura MDX

The MDX was the first official Acura SUV to hit the market since the previous SLX was just a badge-engineered Isuzu Trooper. The MDX brought a lot of great features to the table and the styling was a lot better than you’d expect (via Motor 1).

As the SUV ages, however, there have been many reliability issues. The timing chain tends to go out early, and the engine has also suffered from head gasket issues. The transmission is also problematic and repairing it is not cheap, as the MDX is a luxury vehicle. It’s one that also breaks drivers’ budgets to maintain.

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3: Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Grand Cherokee has been marketed as a luxury SUV since the day it hit the market. With that type of recognition comes a luxury SUV price tag and also expensive repairs (via Motor 1).

The Grand Cherokee had an especially tough time during the Daimler years, as these vehicles shared many components with Mercedes-Benz. Transmission failure was all too common, and head gasket failure was equally frustrating to owners of these SUVs.

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2: Chevrolet Cobalt

When the Cobalt hit the market, it was the replacement for the long-running Cavalier compact car. The Cavalier had been a great seller for GM and one of the most well-known cars on the road at the time. The Cobalt had some big shoes to fill and for the most part, the car was a decent offering (via Motor 1).

However there were reliability issues with the Cobalt, which makes it an expensive car to own. The coolant system has a lot of faults and it tends to be an expensive repair. The AC system is yet another expensive repair on the Cobalt, making this Chevy model one that wrecks drivers’ budgets to keep on the road.

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1: Ford Explorer

There is no denying that the Explorer is one of the most influential SUV models that has hit the market. There are millions of them on the road right now and it continues to be a sales success as time goes on (via Motor 1).

However, numerous issues happen to the Explorer models as time goes on, and many of these are very expensive to repair. The main issues that happen to the older Explorer models are the suspension going out and the transmission starting to slip. These repairs are crucial to the driving quality of the vehicle.

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40 Cars That Break Drivers’ Budgets Just to Maintain

6: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

5: Ford Focus

4: Acura MDX

3: Jeep Grand Cherokee

2: Chevrolet Cobalt

1: Ford Explorer

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