Breaking up is hard to do unless it’s with a car, truck or SUV that doesn’t live up to expectations. Whether its buyer’s remorse, high ownership costs, reliability issues or maybe the reality it just didn’t live up to the hype, a surprising amount of new car buyers part ways with their purchase within the first year of ownership. Econo-boxes aren’t exclusive to this list and high-end European marques hold a large number of spots, meaning that luxury may have its limits. Here are some of the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people trade-in or sell before their first year of ownership is complete, according to data.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
BMW 3-Series
Land Rover Discovery Sport
Land Rover Evoque
Porsche 911
MINI Clubman
BMW X1
BMW X3
Nissan Versa Note
Jaguar XF
Nissan Versa
Porsche Cayenne
Mercedes-Benz GLA
Nissan Rogue Sport
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
Nissan Titan XD
Nissan 370Z
Nissan Titan
Chevrolet Corvette
Dodge Challenger
Nissan Frontier
Ford Mustang
Chevrolet Camaro
Porsche Macan
Mazda CX-3
GMC Canyon
Toyota Tundra
Toyota Tacoma
Ram Pickup 1500
GMC Sierra 1500
Chevrolet Colorado
BMW
For all vehicles among all brands, there is a 3.4 percent rate on first year vehicles. Not all brands were created equal however, meaning one company has the most returned vehicles in year one.
That company is BMW, who has 7.9 percent of their luxury automobiles returned or resold. That doesn’t mean BMW is a bad auto maker. The truth is actually the opposite. As you’ll see from the following brands, luxury cars just have worse luck in their first year than non-luxury brands.
Porsche
In 2018, Porsche had 7.6 percent of first year vehicles returned or resold. While there could be many reasons for this, we want to point one one very clear one; the cost of maintenance.
When you purchase a luxury car, you must be aware of what the cost to maintain the vehicle will be. That $40,000 or more you paid for the vehicle will only grow and repairs stack up. And as you know, while that happens, your car will depreciate by around half its value.
Mercedes-Benz
Are you sensing a trend yet? Not only are luxury brands heavily returned by first year owners, but German manufacturers are especially hard hit. Mercedes comes in third for this, seeing a 7.4 percent rate.
Like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz has a reputation for making high quality cars with even higher maintenance costs. If you fail to take proper care of your care, its health bill will set you back more than a pretty penny. Perhaps this realization is causing buyers remorse so quickly.
Land Rover
Moving onto the next brand we have Land Rover. In 2018, the company that produces several iconic cars saw 6.5 percent of them returned or resold. This wouldn’t be so shocking if Land Rover produced SUVs for a broader market.
The luxury SUV built its reputation on off terrain driving with a smooth ride. You can take these cars anywhere roads weren’t built to go. Keeping them on the freeway, though, has proven to be easier said than done.
Jaguar
Continuing our luxury theme is Jaguar, who sees 6.4 percent of new vehicles returned or resold in the first year. Like so many brands, the reasons are mostly unclear. Aside from the already listed maintenance costs, luxury cars tend to be well made and reliable vehicles.
Jaguar is also one of the most fun luxury cars to drive. If you’ve ever been behind the wheel of one on the freeway you can attest to this.
MINI
MINI has been around a very long time, building it’s business around one small auto model. In recent years, however, the brand has brought new, larger models to the world, and it is these models that are leading to so many first year returns.
The Clubman was earlier on this list, and it is the main reason MINI sees a 6.2 percent return rate. It seems that although consumers think they might want a larger MINI, the novelty of the car is lost with time.
FIAT
An auto brand that has seen a resurgence in the United States recently is also one of the most returned first year automobiles. FIAT, for as fun as their cars are to drive, may have rushed their product to the market.
The major complaint about is the cars unreliability, “As a brand, FIATs are plagued by the reputation of being unreliable and the FIAT 500 has been a mainstay on unreliable vehicle lists by JD Power and Consumer Reports.”
Next
Audi
Audi makes seven of the top eight most returned vehicles luxury brands, with all of them coming from Europe. We guarantee the next car on the list is neither of those things.
Audi, like it’s European counterparts, is noted for having a high depreciation value and high cost of maintenance. Personally, neither of those things sound a like good recipe to create customer loyalty. Proof of our theory lies in the 5.1 percent return rate for Audi in the United States.
Nissan
The first true consumer brand on this section of the list is Nissan. Known in the United States as a reliable foreign car, the facts show a much different story. Nissan’s are surprisingly unreliable, which surprised us!
According to JD Power and Consumer Reports, “Nissan regularly finishes near the bottom for Consumer Reports brand reliability rankings and models like the Pathfinder and the Sentra consistently earn the lowest possible scores for owner satisfaction ratings.” Oops!
Dodge Dart
In a study in 2019 conducted by iSeeCars, the Dodge Dart was listed as one of the cars buyers are most likely to get rid of after one year of ownership. The Dart, which was revived by Dodge in 2012, initially was a hit.
Issues common with other cars on this list hampered consumers’ overall satisfaction with the Dart, which not only led to a quick turnaround but also decreased sales. As a result, Dodge discontinued the vehicle in 2016 with a plan to focus on more popular models.
BMW 4-Series
BMW makes the list again with the 4 Series. It’s not surprising to see luxury makers have so many cars returned in one year. Maintenance tends to be expensive, and automakers like BMW don’t always have the best reputations for quality.
Buyers get fooled by the idea of buying a luxury car when the overall cost winds up not being worth it. Just under four percent of 4-Series are resold in the first year, which is an alarming number for BMW.
Chrysler 200
In 2019, a study revealed that 3.8 percent of Chrysler 200s are resold or returned by owners in the first year. The 200 was first introduced by the automaker in 2010 and was in production for six years before being discontinued in 2016.
At the peak of its popularity, the Chrystler 200 was selling more than 120,000 units per year. As owners decided to return the vehicle, sales predictably declined as well.
Subaru WRX
Subaru generally has a reputation for producing some of the best vehicles on the market. It appears that not as much care was put into the WRX as other models though, considering the high first-year return/resell rate.
A rally car for commuters, Car and Driver writes, “The steering is quick, the ride firm, and the grins it provides are many—as long as you are willing to forgo a quiet ride and refined interior in exchange for performance and thrills.”
Mercedes E-Class
According to J.D. Power and Associates, the Mercedes E-Class is one of the least reliable cars on the road. It was given a two out of five reliability rating by the respected organization.
That lack of reliability plus the high cost of maintenance are just a few of the reasons so many owners turn their backs on E-Class in the first year. The initial price tag of $55,000 is also a major turn-off.
Buick Regal
Before buying a Buick Regal you should be warned about the resale value of the vehicle. After one year of ownership, the Regal will lose roughly 32 percent of its initial value. That’s not a great number for a car you likely won’t want to keep after one year.
Of course, Buick has made efforts in recent years to change the reputation of their vehicle lineup. Will the “buyer beware” label be changed as well?
Chrysler 300
The Chrysler 300 saw a massive rise in popularity when it was featured on the TV show Breaking Bad. Driven by the main character Walter White, fans who could afford the luxury vehicle rushed to their local dealers.
After that first year, they learned that it may have been a mistake. Like other Chryslers, the 300 never got a reputation for reliability. Combine that with a depreciation of 32 percent in the first year, and this car was better left on the lot instead of being returned there after a few short months.
Cadillac ATS
When you buy a Cadillac, you probably aren’t planning to return it in the first year of ownership. When you buy an ATS, that is more likely to happen than with other models, though.
The ATS depreciates quite a bit during the first year and isn’t trustworthy. According to U.S. News, it “ranks poorly among luxury small cars. Its performance chops are strong, but it has a below-average predicted reliability rating and an unimpressive cabin quality, and its seating and trunk space are tight.”
Lincoln MKZ
The MKZ is Lincoln’s best selling sedan. High sales figures don’t always mean satisfied customers, however. The MKZ, despite the sales, is no longer a focus of the automaker and overall quality has fallen as a result.
Car and Driver reports, “those who want a comfortable cruiser with desirable features and options should keep reading… The standard four-cylinder engine is unremarkable. Every 2020 MKZ is equipped with a cozy cabin and generous driver-assistance technology; we only wish the whole experience were as compelling as the automaker’s other offerings.”
Nissan Maxima
The Nissan Maxima sold 42,000 units in 2019. In 2020, that number dipped below 20,000, showing just how much drivers distrust the car. If you know you might return the car in the first year, why even buy it in the first place?
In their review of the Maxima, Car and Driver noted, “The continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT)… detracts from the Maxima’s sports-sedan mission… The suspension is nicely damped and firm to the point of being perhaps too stiff for the class.”
Now that you've read the list pick ones you called or ones that surprise you and tell us why you think people have such dislike for them after such a short time.