5 Japanese cars you should not buy

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 of 2023, according to the authoritative Car & Driver ratings, behind only the Ford F-Series, Chevy Silverado, and Dodge Ram pickup truck.

In fact, Japanese manufacturers, including Honda and Toyota, have had some setbacks over the decades. Experts told us which brands are best avoided.

Mitsubishi Eclipse

Mitsubishi Eclipse is a small sports car with high fuel consumption. Models from previous years can be purchased at a relatively affordable price. However, Mitsubishi's produced between 1999 and 2003 and in 2007 are not reliable. The rims and wheels tend to be easily damaged, which leads to rapid tire wear. The interior is made of low-quality materials, which makes it look cheap. Drivers also reported problems with the automatic transmission, power train, 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 made the Car & Driver bestseller list in 2023. However, the Honda CRX Del Sol, designed to replace the beloved Honda CR-X in 1992, was a total disappointment. The roof was leaking, the interior was noisy, and the front brake rotors tended to warp. Fortunately, Honda no longer produces models equivalent to the Del Sol.

Mazda RX-8

The first generation of the Mazda RX-8 was sold from 2004 to 2008. The car is equipped with a 4-cylinder engine with a power of 212 hp. Moreover, the car ranks only 11th in terms of reliability out of 19 Mazda models evaluated by MadzaProblems.com. Drivers complain about malfunctions, jerks in the power steering, and excessive oil consumption.

Toyota Paseo

You may be surprised to see a giant like Toyota in the ranking of the worst Japanese cars. Other models such as the Camry, Tacoma, RAV4, and even the Prius are currently among the most popular on the market, but the Paseo model was a pale and unremarkable glimpse in the 1990s. Small Toyota Paseos were 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 the others on this list. The model simply failed to win the hearts of 90s drivers, so Toyota quickly stopped production.

Suzuki Samurai and Suzuki X-90

The 90s were a difficult decade for Japanese automakers. Suzuki launched the Suzuki Samurai SUV with square lines reminiscent of the Jeep Wrangler, but Consumer Reports rated the car as "unacceptable". It was prone to rollover during sharp maneuvers. Its successor, Suzuki X-90, had a similar problem. However, unlike the Samurai, which at least had attractive styling, the two-seater X-90 had a strange design. The Samurai is known as one of the worst Japanese cars ever made.

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