Japanese cars have gained and maintained a well-deserved reputation for reliability and affordability. For example, the Toyota RAV4 is the fourth best-selling vehicle for 2023, according to Car & Driver’s authoritative rankings, behind only the Ford F-Series, Chevy Silverado and Dodge Ram pickup truck.
In fact, Japanese manufacturers, including Honda and Toyota, have had their share of setbacks over the decade. Experts toldwhich brands are best to avoid.
Mitsubishi Eclipse
This is a small sports car with excessive fuel consumption. Models from previous years can be purchased at a relatively affordable price. But Mitsubishis produced between 1999 and 2003 and in 2007 are not reliable. Rims and wheels tend to be easily damaged, leading to rapid tire wear. The interior is made of not very high quality materials, which is why it looks cheap. Drivers also reported problems with the automatic transmission, powertrain and steering.
Honda CRX Del Sol
Today, Honda is one of the most reliable and trusted Japanese brands. The Honda Civic and Honda Accord sedans were included in the list of bestsellers in 2023 according to Car&Driver. However, the Honda CRX Del Sol, designed to replace the beloved Honda CR-X in 1992, was a complete disappointment. The roof was leaking. The cabin was noisy. And the front brake rotors tended to warp. Luckily, Honda is making more models equivalent to the Del Sol.
Mazda RX-8
The first generation Mazda RX-8 was sold from 2004 to 2008. The car is equipped with a 4-cylinder engine with a power of 212 hp. But even worse, the car ranks only 11th in reliability out of 19 Mazda models rated by MadzaProblems.com. Drivers complain about malfunctions, power steering jerks, and excessive oil consumption.
Toyota Paseo
You are probably surprised to see such a giant as Toyota in the ranking of the worst Japanese cars. While other models like the Camry, Tacoma, RAV4 and even the Prius are some of the most popular on the market. But the Paseo was a pale glimmer in the 1990s. The subcompact Toyota Paseo was produced from 1991 to 1997. It’s not so much that the Paseo is a bad car. The car does not suffer from mechanical problems like others on this list. The model simply failed to capture the hearts of ’90s drivers, so Toyota quickly discontinued production.
Suzuki Samurai и Suzuki X-90
The 90s were a difficult decade for Japanese automakers. Suzuki launched the Suzuki Samurai SUV with boxy lines reminiscent of the Jeep Wrangler. But Consumer Reports rated the car “unacceptable.” It was prone to capsizing during sharp maneuvers. The successor Suzuki X-90 had a similar problem. However, unlike the Samurai, which at least had attractive styling, the two-seat X-90 had a surprising design. The Samurai is known as one of the worst Japanese cars ever made.
2023-12-20 02:00:00
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