Like the Detroit Big Three, Chevrolet itself played a crucial role in the development of the American automotive industry with extremely popular models such as the Silverado, Camaro, and of course, the Corvette. That said, even Chevrolet can mess up big time, and make cars that have sullied the brand’s name rather than keep it safe.
It's not as if Chevrolet wanted to make bad cars; it's just that sometimes, competition is so tough, mistakes are made and new cars end up being less than stellar. Sometimes, it’s the fact that these are new cars and aren’t that well tested before being launched. When this happens, the new cars that are covered under warranties are still okay, but buying them used can create more pain for the end consumer.
So here are 10 Chevrolet cars that should not be bought used at all because they are likely to have and create many problems for you as the owner.
10 2011-2013 Chevrolet Cruze: Bad Reliability Scores
via Road&Track
The Chevrolet Cruze is mostly a good car, and the recent examples are pretty steady in reliability. However, being more practical than something that creates excitement is not necessarily something to take home to mom about.
via Autoweek
But the 2011 to 2013 examples of this car came with plenty of unreliability issues that included but were not limited to engine cooling, climate control, and even bodies that were not very strong. The Cruze had bad ratings for these years so buying them used is not a good idea at all. In fact, thousands of 2016-2018 Cruze LS models were recalled over a possible fire risk.
9 2018-2019 Chevrolet Volt: The Beginning Of The End
via KBB
The Chevrolet Volt came with a bang in 2011, and its fresh appeal impressed everyone who drove or owned one. It was something new and exciting and seemed pretty reliable. But by 2018, things were spiraling down for the Volt.
via CarsDirect
The 2019 model was badly received with a stagnated design and pretty much the worst reliability scores for its segment, lower than the likes of the Toyota Prius and the BMW i3. The power equipment would fail and electric problems were more common than not, presenting reason enough it was soon discontinued.
8 2005-2007 Chevrolet Colorado: Size Did Not Matter Here
via NorthwestMotorsport
Chevrolet’s Colorado seemed like a great answer to the time when gas prices were on a high and the smaller pickup was becoming popular. Initially, Colorado had a great run, with decent handling and great fuel economy.
via TopSpeed
Sadly, the Chevrolet Colorado's weak engine, poor towing capacity, and innumerable other problems soon gave it a bad tag. The heater seemed possessed and engine start failures were very common. The final straw was the rusting and water leakage. Of course, the later years of Colorado were no better, so perhaps this is one car to be avoided altogether.
7 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer: A Misnomer Of An SUV
via Autoblog
This SUV was so not named right, with that atrocious ride quality it came with from the start, back in 2002. A mid-size SUV that offered decent space at a limited budget, what came in the way of the Trailblazer's success was the fact that this was a truck-based SUV.
via CarGurus
The Trailblazer may have gone places, but it never went there comfortably and neither did its passengers. Based on an aging platform, the Trailblazer seemed like a half-hearted attempt by Chevy, and by 2009 it was out. Buying one used is likely to give you back problems, period.
6 2002-2008 Chevrolet Avalanche: A Disastrous Number Of Years
via Pinterest
Actually, a 2006 Avalanche is still okay, if you have to buy this one used. It didn’t seem all that bad at launch, coming with a lower tow rating than its competitors. But its midgate design was pretty nifty and let this SUV turn into a pickup.
via Carsforsale
The 2002-2005 models had paint problems and came with a faulty speedometer that caused many unintentional speeding tickets to be issued to Avalanche owners. The 2007-2009 models turned out to be guzzlers and rather troublesome to boot. It's best avoided.
5 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD: A Surprising Entry
via TruckTrend
Surprised to see this one on the list, right? The Silverado comes highly rated and is one of the best-selling products from Chevy, so having the heavy-duty one on this list of not-to-buy Chevrolets seems strange.
via Autoblog
But it's only the 2015 model that rang in more than a few consumer complaints like bad suspension and power equipment failures. The cabin was noisy plus this year the Silverado seemed to have many mystery leaks, so it's best to give the 2015 model a skip and go for the other years instead. Reliability is back to shining from 2017 onwards.
4 All Years Chevrolet Aveo: Cheap And Then Some
via Pinterest
All the model years of the Chevy Aveo are, well, unimpressive. It’s a small car, cheaply made and comes cheap. Sadly, it feels cheap from start to end. Most experts brush the Aveo away because all of them seemed to have some build issue or the other.
via Carsforsale
Mechanics have a love-hate relationship with the Aveo. They end up fixing one or the other all the time, but it's hardly ever fixed, and while it earns them money, customers end up hating on the mechanics. Reliability falls wayside, with websites giving it a maximum of 2 points out of 5.
3 2010 Chevrolet Camaro: Just A Bad Year
via Autosavant
We just mentioned the Camaro as a good Chevrolet car in the introduction, and yet here we are, listing out one Camaro as a car not to buy used. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, right?
via YouTube
The Camaro has been in production, with a break in between, since 1966. The 2010 model of the Camaro comes with several complaints though, with the primary complaint being the engine. Another issue was the premature wearing of the timing chain, and much more. Not the best year of this model.
2 1979 Chevrolet Corvette: A Blot On The Vette
via CorvSport
Another stalwart, the Corvette has been a cool car throughout its generations and has gained fame as America’s most popular sports car. In 2020, the Corvette went mid-engined for some additional cool factor.
via CarandDriver
However, the 1970 Corvette is a blot on the car’s name, often considered too badly built with no special editions and engine options that could best be called wimpy. The maximum output this year was 225 horses, and as compared to the rivals, it underperformed in every way. Not a classic at all.
1 All Years Chevrolet Captiva: Just Too Fleet
via Autocar
The Chevrolet Captiva earned its living as a fleet vehicle and the ones floating around in the market today, used, are basically the run-to-ground models of this car, and definitely not worth buying at all. The ride quality was bad and it came with a cheap feel.
via AutoExpress
While it can be had on a pretty tight budget, this is not the kind of car you want to buy used unless your hobby is to spend all of your free time and money maintaining a car that is not worth it. There are plenty of other cars that could be had for much cheaper and will cause less grief.
Sources: ConsumerReports, AutoWise
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