7-Year Sales Failures: 13 Cars You Might Regret Buying

Not every car is built to be a hit and some models leave buyers regretting their choice. From lackluster designs to poor reliability, these 13 cars struggled to find buyers over the past seven years. Whether you’re a car enthusiast or a casual driver, knowing which vehicles underperformed can help you avoid costly mistakes and make smarter decisions next time you hit the dealership.

Fiat 500L

Oh, man. Where to even start. The regular Fiat 500 is kinda cute, right? So they made this… bigger, taller, weirdly proportioned version. And it’s just not good. The driving position is strange, like you’re sitting on a barstool, and the reliability… uh, it’s not great. Not great at all. You see these for sale for like, $8,000 and they’re only a few years old and you think “Bargain!” but it’s a bargain for a reason. It’s like buying a cheap, cute pair of shoes that give you blisters immediately.

Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

This one is just… why? Who asked for a convertible SUV? And not even a nice one. It’s a Murano, which is fine, but then they chopped the top off and it got all wobbly and heavy and it looks… so bizarre. It’s a car that answers a question nobody ever asked. I think they were like $50,000 new? Now you can find them for $15,000 and honestly, I still don’t think it’s worth it. It’s a novelty. A not-very-good novelty.

Cadillac ELR

So, take the brilliant Chevy Volt powertrain… and then put it in a super fancy, coupe body and charge twice as much for it. That’s the ELR. It was like $75,000 new! For a car that was fundamentally a Volt. It’s actually kinda pretty, and it’s quiet and comfortable, but for that money? No one bought it. Now they’re like, $20,000 used and it’s still a weird buy because it’s this luxury car with a very… practical, eco-friendly heart. It just never made sense.

Chrysler 200

This car had so many commercials. And it’s… fine? It’s just so aggressively average. And then the reliability issues started piling up. The transmission, especially, it’s just not smooth, it’s jerky. And they depreciated like a rock thrown in a lake. You can get a 2017 for like, $12,000 now, but there’s a reason you see so many of them on used lots. It’s a car that makes you wish you’d just gotten a Camry.

BMW i3

This one is gonna be controversial. Some people love this car. And I get it! It’s carbon fiber, it’s funky, the doors open backwards… but the range is super low on the older ones, and the tiny range-extender motorcycle engine is… not exactly relaxing on the highway. And those skinny tires are expensive to replace! A used one is cheap, maybe $15,000, but it’s a very, very specific tool for a very specific life. For most people, it’s just too weird.

Lincoln MKT

It looks like a hearse. I’m sorry, but it does. It’s this giant, bulbous wagon-thing. The EcoBoost version is actually really fast, which is hilarious, but… it’s just so… much. The infotainment system in these was a nightmare, just a wall of buttons. They were expensive new and now they’re like $12,000 and you feel like you’re driving a mobile conference room from 2012.

Mitsubishi Mirage

Okay, the Mirage is… it’s cheap. That’s its only selling point. It’s new-car cheap and used-car even cheaper. You can find one for like, $9,000 with low miles. But you get what you pay for. It has like, 78 horsepower, it’s loud on the highway, it feels incredibly flimsy. It’s transportation in its most basic, soul-crushing form. It’ll probably run, but you won’t enjoy a single second of it.

Jaguar XF (older ones)

A used Jaguar is always a tempting, beautiful mistake. They look fantastic, they drive wonderfully… when they work. But the electrical gremlins in the older ones, like the first-gen XF, are legendary. It’s a lottery. You might get a good one, or you might get one where the windows go down on their own in the rain. You can buy one for $10,000 now that was $60,000 new, but that repair bill is still for a $60,000 car.

Dodge Journey

The Journey is the king of the “bad used car buy.” It was cheap when it was new, and it’s cheap now for a reason. The interior is made of the hardest, shiniest plastics known to man, the powertrains are outdated and thirsty, and the build quality is just not there. They use them in rental fleets for a reason. You’ll see them for $8,000 all day long and it’s a trap. Just… just walk away.

Ford C-Max

It’s a tall, kinda goofy-looking hybrid. It was supposed to get 47 MPG, but then there was a whole thing where they had to revise the numbers down because it didn’t actually get that in real life. So it’s a hybrid that’s not even that great on gas. And it’s just… blah. It doesn’t do anything well. It’s not efficient enough, not practical enough, not nice enough. They’re super cheap now, like $11,000, but you’re better off with a Prius.

Chevrolet SS

Wait, no, this one is actually awesome. It’s a sleeper sedan with a Corvette V8 and it’s brilliant. But it’s a sales failure! Nobody bought it because it looked like a Malibu and cost like $50,000. So I’m putting it here as a reverse one—you might regret NOT buying one of these while they were somewhat affordable. Because now used prices are going up, up, up. It’s the one regret on this list that’s for missing out.

Buick Cascada

It’s a convertible! It’s kinda pretty! It’s… actually just a rebadged Opel from Europe. And it’s fine. It’s just… fine. But it’s not particularly reliable, it’s not fun to drive, and it feels old the second it came out. It was like $35,000 new and now it’s $16,000 and you’re still probably overpaying. It’s a convertible for someone who doesn’t actually like cars.

Smart Fortwo

The ultimate city car. And in a dense city, I guess it makes sense. But anywhere else? It’s terrifying on the highway, the automated manual transmission is jerky and awful, and it’s just not… good. They’re cheap, like $7,000, but you’re so much better off with a used Honda Fit. The Fit can do everything the Smart can do, but also carry four people and your groceries without making you feel like you’re about to be blown off the road.