Although most pickup trucks look impressive, they are not all made equal. To get the most truck for your money, you really need to know which rigs do not measure up in the end. That’s truly difficult to know without key industry insights.
Which used truck models should you skip during your car buying journey?
According to #savagescotty, the pickup trucks that will let you down more often than not include:
- Dodge Ram Daytona
- Hummer H2
- Honda Ridgeline
- Chevy SSR
- Mercedes X-Class
Why are these trucks worth avoiding? Mechanic Scotty Kilmer is going to explain all that, so you can put your money toward a vehicle that will last. Here’s an overview of those troublesome trucks.
Dodge Ram Daytona
Flashy spoiler? Check. Racing stripes? Check. True workhorse attitude? Sorry, no. The Dodge Ram Daytona is anything but a work truck. The spoiler alone prevents you from loading up the bed and hauling all your gear from place to place.
The powerful Hemi V8 will get you down the quarter-mile in a hurry, but that’s not likely why you want a truck. If you’re looking for reliability, forget it. As is the Dodge tradition, many parts are prone to breaking, such as the ball joints and the A/C system.
Hummer H2
The Hummer H2 doesn’t hold a candle to the H1, which Kilmer points out was quite the solid machine. Instead, it’s merely a cheap copy with an identity issue. With its small bed, it doesn’t quite fulfill the role of a pickup truck. Despite that, it’s still far from a functional SUV.
The failure rate is dismal as well, promising to leave you stranded more often than not. Electronic problems are common, as are issues with the starting system and everything in between.
Honda Ridgeline
Honda tried to break into the pickup truck world with the Ridgeline but couldn’t get past its history as a small car manufacturer. As Scotty reveals, Honda had many growing pains in developing this truck, and only really started to hit its stride in 2018.
Out of all his customers with Ridgelines, none were 100% happy with their purchase, and for good reason. Their engines are prone to blowing up and failing at the most inopportune times. And even when they do run right, their powerplant doesn’t have enough oomph to haul a lot of stuff.
Beyond that, they are sold with Honda’s notoriously unreliable automatic transmissions. So, if the engine didn’t fail, the transmission likely would.
Chevy SSR
Kilmer is not a fan of the Chevy SSR either, deeming it a miserable failure. The design keeps you guessing at what Chevrolet was aiming for in its creation, and not in a good way either.
The SSR may have come out as a neat convertible show truck, the first in its class. But it turned out to be a huge flop.
The narrow bed prevents you from hauling around much of anything at all. Despite being so small, the build was too heavy and incredibly expensive from the start.
Mercedes X-Class
Although they were not originally sold in the United States, Scotty urges you to avoid the Mercedes X-Class pickup trucks at all costs. They look far too fancy for their own good, yet it is all a farce.
Under that swanky façade, it’s a Nissan through and through. The engine, automatic transmission, and all the rest are the very same found on the Tundra, Titan, and the like. But with a much higher price tag.
Listen to Scotty — Skip These Trucks to Avoid Buyer’s Remorse
Beyond listening to Scotty and avoiding the most problematic trucks on the lot, it’s important to look into the Vehicle History of each pickup you might want to buy. With a glance into their past, you can rule out trucks with a history of collisions and other major issues, including branded titles.
