I'm a Mechanic: 5 Money Pit SUVs to Avoid in 2026
There's a car's sticker price — and then there's the actual cost of ownership, from repairs and maintenance to insurance, fuel and depreciation.
Some SUVs look appealing at first glance, but turn out to cost a small fortune to own. Watch out for these infamous money-pit SUVs.
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Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Sure, the Range Rover combines luxury with ruggedness. And it'll cost you. "The Range Rover Sport experiences regular suspension breakdowns, electrical system malfunctions and cooling system failures," said Alan Gelfand, mechanic of the German Car Depot.
In fact, CarEdge gives it an "F" value rating, citing a $141,424 total cost of ownership in the first five years.
Whatever your budget, you can do better elsewhere.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Buyers also love Jeeps for their rugged image, and also get burned on ownership costs.
While the Grand Cherokee doesn't cost as much as a Range Rover Sport, it still comes with massive ownership costs. CarEdge grades it a "D," costing $59,767 over the first five years.
Jeep also ranks consistently among the worst brands for reliability. Consumer Reports ranks them 24th for dependability out of 26 total car brands.
Volkswagen Atlas
Think German engineering will help you avoid high maintenance costs? Think again.
Volkswagen ranks dead last in J.D. Power's latest reliability rankings, experiencing 285 problems per 100 vehicles.
"Owners experience frequent problems with its cooling system and electrical components, and braking and suspension parts need early replacement," said Gelfand. Sure enough, CarEdge grades it a "C-," and pegs the average five-year cost of ownership at $56,928.
Chevrolet Traverse
Chevrolet also suffers from a bad reputation for reliability. Consumer Reports ranks it 17th for dependability, 22nd in road tests and 24th overall. Yikes.
Gelfand points to the Traverse as a money pit to avoid in 2026. "Transmission problems and timing chain issues add doubt to the car's long-term lifespan."
CarEdge pans it too, with a "D" grade for value and a five-year ownership cost of $62,124.
Cadillac Lyriq
The Cadillac Lyriq topped U.S. News and World Reports' list of least reliable cars in 2026. They cite J.D. Power's atrocious reliability score of 66/100, marking it as an undeniable money pit.
It doesn't get much better from there. CarEdge ranks Cadillac the second least reliable car brand, and grades the Lyriq a "D+" on value, costing $67,433 over five years.
Consumer Reports also gives a thumbs-down, ranking Cadillac 18th out of 26 brands for reliability.
Skip these money pit SUVs in 2026 and look to models like the Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4 or Hyundai Santa Fe for better value and reliability, or the Lexus RX for a luxury midsize SUV.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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