There is no question that car enthusiasts love our trucks. This is because this type of vehicle offers the most power, which makes them perfect for working conditions. This release year has an outstanding collection as well, so we have a lot of tough decisions to make before choosing our perfect option. However, just because there are a ton of good trucks out there, that does not mean those bad ones are not present as well.
Thus, we will be looking at the worst truck from each manufacturer this release year. Some brands only release one truck so that we will judge them solely on their overall quality. It is a wonderful time to drive pickups, as the technological components that they possess are at an all-time high as well. It is just a matter of finding the right truck for you. Thankfully you have us to help you along the way.
Ridgeback Bodies is dedicated to looking after you and your car by providing a full range of expert services and repairs.
Chevrolet Colorado
Trouble spots: Transmission, fuel system
When the Chevy Colorado reappeared for 2015, owners reported issues with the climate system, suspension, and fuel system. In the following years, some of those problems have lingered. Hence Colorado’s below-average reliability prediction for 2019.
For 2017 and 2018, this model was among the very worst pickup trucks for reliability. It only improved slightly for the coming year.
Chevrolet K2500
Whether you drive a car or a pickup truck, there’s no doubt about the fact that it can be hard to keep your vehicle clean and drive. Of course, this can be even more difficult in a pickup truck, which is much larger and often ventures onto varied terrain in all kinds of weather.
However, unless you keep your pickup truck outside in the mud, it’s very unlikely to rust up easily – unless you buy a Chevrolet K2500. This truck was originally released in 1997, and it wasn’t long before people across the United States and further were choosing this as their truck of choice.
Yet, when customers started noticing a huge amount of rust build-up shortly after buying it, they knew that something wasn’t quite right. Most notably, this rust would appear underneath the front of the car by the front seats.
Chevy SSR
You can’t totally blame Chevrolet for thinking a pickup with some style might be something nice and spark up buyers better. But a convertible? Pickup trucks are chosen for looking strong and tough, not for a fun day driving the roads. It threw the entire shape and design of the car off massively and made it look worse. Sure, it could hit great speeds and be more reliable with its engine and suspension than some of the other models on this list. But it also has smaller trunk space and no power for any task a pickup is made for. The very idea was crazy and even worse in execution, making this one of the worst cars to hit the road this century.
1976 Dodge Ramcharger
The 1970s was a time when car and truck innovation was at its finest, and this often resulted in some weird and wonderful additions that made these vehicles so popular. Although the Dodge Ramcharger was first released in 1974, the 1976 model featured a few little quirks that resulted in its nickname as “The Rhino.”
One of the most intriguing aspects of this vehicle was the fact that the passenger seat in this pickup truck was an optional extra. While there were two seats in the front as standard, the driver could decide whether they wanted to sit on their own or have a friend with them.
Of course, people soon realized that taking out another passenger would come in handy if they wanted to haul some big loads because the 1976 Dodge Ramcharger just didn’t have enough power to do it on its own.
2006 Dodge Dakota
The Dodge Dakota has been around for decades now, but the saying “Don’t fix what isn’t broken” definitely comes into play with this one. Dodge decided to redesign their Dakota in 2006 completely, but this was not a welcome change for anyone.
Customers didn’t feel as though the original design needed changing, and all of these changes also came with problems. Customers who did take the risk and bought the truck soon realized that the whole thing would break down more often than it would run, and it just didn’t seem to float their boat.
Dodge Ram Daytona
If you’re familiar with Dodge and their pickup truck roster, you’ll know that the Dodge Ram Daytona was introduced to the world in 2005. This mean-looking machine was designed to look as cool and as rugged as possible, and they hoped that this would bring a whole new level to their customer base.
They expected these trucks to fly off the forecourts, and they added aesthetic accents to make it as desirable as possible. Unfortunately, this had the opposite effect. While there was no doubt about the fact that the Dodge Ram Daytona looked the part, the reality of this pickup truck was very different.
Underneath the hood was a weak engine that couldn’t do much. When word got around, and people learned that the Ram Daytona just looked pretty, customers began to flee, and sales began to stumble.
Fiat Fullback Cross
Will it or won’t it? That is the question regarding the Fiat Fullback Cross entering the North American market. Considering the Fiat L 500 was voted one of the most unreliable vehicles when Consumer Reports conducted a poll, the Fullback Cross will have a hard time if it enters the U.S. The Fullback Cross was unveiled at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show and is considered as the beefed-up version of Mitsubishi L-200. The standard engine is a 2.4-litre diesel that pumps out 180 horsepower.
Drivers have the option of a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic. The car has an electronic selector, allowing the driver to trigger the all-wheel drive. You can select four different modes. The central differential works with three electronically controlled clutched modes, which manage the torque to the wheels. According to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, “The Fullback Cross features a wealth of standard safety equipment including ABS with EBD, TSA (Trailer Stability Assist – a system which aids stability during towing), LDW (Lane Departure Warning), seven airbags and cruise control. Bi-Xenon headlights, front fog lights and LED daytime running lights are also included as standard.” The car’s price in Europe is just over $35000.
Ford Explorer Sport Trac
If you didn’t get a chance to witness the Ford Explorer Sport Trac for its four-year production, then you didn’t really miss much.
While the idea of turning an SUV into a pickup truck by replacing the cargo hold with a flatbed was a great idea to a few members of the public, many people just saw it as an opportunity for Ford to try and make some extra money – and that didn’t fly too well with them. Not only was the bed just too small to be useful, but Ford also hiked up the price for this vehicle.
Before too long, customers were wondering what the Explorer Sport Trac really had to offer them, and why it had even been made in the first place. It’s no wonder it lasted just four years.
GMC Canyon
When shelling out a huge amount of money for a new pickup truck, you want to ensure that it runs correctly and is as safe as possible. For that reason, more and more people are steering clear of the GMC Canyon.
While it looks sturdy enough, reviews and reports from owners have said that the opposite is true and those appearances can be seriously deceiving.
Not only has the GMC Canyon been recalled once before due to a leaky fuel line that had the potential to cause devastating fires, but it has also been noted that there are other problems. Difficulties with the fuel system, transmission, and cabin electronics have all been reported, and it seems as though this pickup is more trouble than it’s worth.
GMC Sierra 2500HD
As the GMC counterpart to the Silverado, the Sierra 2500HD shares the strengths and weaknesses of its counterpart. Owners have reported a number of issues with these models in recent years. Among them, trouble with the fuel system, minor transmission components, and body integrity stand out.
The latest poor predicted reliability rating from Consumer Reports makes four straight years for the Sierra 2500HD. Overall, its score (16%) was one of the year’s very worst.
2006 Honda Ridgeline
Honda cars have always been leaders in the motor game, but this company tried to enter into a new market in 2006. Their Ridgeline pickup truck was their first foray into the truck world, and they put a huge amount of time and effort into it.
Not only did they spend a whopping four years designing and making this vehicle to ensure that it was perfect, but they put a huge amount of money into it too. However, it seems as though their gamble didn’t work in their favour because people weren’t too fond of the 2006 Honda Ridgeline.
Many reviewers were quick to shut down what Honda’s truck supposedly had to offer, and one person even went as far as to call it an “anti-truck.” It’s been suggested that this truck just didn’t have what it took to compete with others in the truck game.
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Hummer H2 SUT
The Hummer obsession was a serious thing in the 2000s. With almost every big celebrity owning a huge pickup, many folks wanted to do the same, which led to the laughable sight of people in big cities or even suburbs fighting to find proper parking space for these monsters. The SUT was a bad addition to the Hummer lineup, with a smaller bed and it couldn’t even pull its weight. A famous story had one customer so irate at how bad his SUT was that he lit up the dealership that sold it to him. Nearly any list of the worst cars of the decade includes this model.
2002 Lincoln Blackwood
If you’re familiar with the Lincoln brand, you’ll know that these guys have made a name for themselves since their inception for their luxury cars. They have always been in strong competition with the likes of Cadillac, and they are known for their impressive Lincoln Continental.
While there’s no doubt about the fact that they have the fan base they need to be an international business, Lincoln wanted to enter the bigger mass market in 2002 with their very first pickup truck.
Their 2002 Lincoln Blackwood was a far cry from what they were used to producing – and for some fans of the brand and pickup trucks, this definitely showed. One of the biggest drawbacks of this truck was the small bed, which is a huge amount smaller than other trucks on the market. In the end, Lincoln put their own pickup dreams to bed.
Mazda B Series
Although many people in this world love pickup trucks for their aesthetics, a large portion of the people who buy these vehicles are looking for something with a bit of extra oomph. They are often used for hauling or carrying large loads, and this requires strength and speed.
However, the Mazda B Series just didn’t have that. While there was nothing wrong with the outside look of this pickup truck, beauty often lies beyond the hood of a pickup truck – and that wasn’t pretty.
It seemed as though Maza created this pickup truck for those who were looking to take kids to and from school, so they didn’t focus too much on what was lying within the engine. It lacked power and substance, and just wasn’t something that people could get excited about.
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Mazda Rotary
Mazda has produced some incredible vehicles over the years, and many of them have been top-quality motors. However, they have also produced some flunks, and there are many people out there who would say that the Mazda Rotary is one of those flunks.
Those who are familiar with the Mazda Rotary pickup will know that it was the first of its kind – and that’s definitely something that should be commended. As the very first pickup with a rotary Wankel combustion engine, it was kind of a big deal when it was released.
However, it was also one of the last pickup trucks ever to use a rotary Wankel combustion engine, because Mazda soon realized that it just wasn’t meant to be under the hood of a pickup. Alongside this, sales were also extremely slow.
2018 Mercedes Benz X-Class
The Mercedes Benz X-Class was only released last year, and normally, customers need to use their pickup trucks for a few years to grasp the feel and the reliability of the vehicle fully. However, customers needed just a few weeks to come to their conclusion – and it wasn’t a good one.
The German company was excited about the release of its 2018 Mercedes Benz X-Class and hoped that it would be a luxury premium pickup. While a huge amount of thought went into the aesthetic and making it look like a luxury vehicle, the performance of the truck isn’t quite as luxurious.
Those who have bought or tested this truck have found that the flatbed is just too small for the average worker to use daily, and the speed isn’t worth writing home about.
Mitsubishi L200
Japanese motor companies are known for providing the world with all kinds of compact and minimalist vehicles, and it seems as though Mitsubishi wanted to give smaller vehicle lovers the chance to own their very own pickup truck.
To do this, they designed and manufactured the Mitsubishi Triton, often called the Mitsubishi Forte in Japan and the Mitsubishi L200 in the United States. There was no doubt about the fact that this truck was built for those who didn’t have a huge amount to haul, but it seemed as though it was just too small for some people to handle.
As if the size of the L200 wasn’t enough, those who did decide to buy the truck soon discovered that rust would develop even quicker than the average vehicle. Any sign of water and this thing would just rust up almost instantly.
Nissan Navara
If you’re from the United States, then you might not be too familiar with the Nissan Navara. That’s because this company decided to target its pickup for those in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Of course, it has very rarely made its way across the pond with those who wanted it, but that’s not very common.
One of the main reasons for this is because the pickup truck is considered to be one of the worst in the world. Although Nissan tried to put all of their eggs into one basket with this one and market it as one of the best new pickup trucks that the world had to offer, they quickly had to admit that there were faults in the design.
The biggest fault came in the form of rust. This dangerous addition would often compromise the chassis of the truck, which is a serious health and safety issue that has put many off buying it.
Nissan Titan
If you have ever been in the market for a new pickup truck and been tempted by the Nissan Titan because of the low price and the fact that it’s often on sale, then you need to wonder whether there is a reason for that. Those in the business would say that there is.
While there’s no doubt about the fact that the general body of this truck and the flatbed itself is extremely spacious and perfect for those who want to transport heavy loads, the overall running of this truck is pretty poor.
Many owners have complained of cracks and leaks across various parts of the vehicle, and they have even suggested that pulleys, belts, and mounts have all caused them serious problems. Because of this, they have vowed to steer clear of it.
Ram 3500
Out of all the cars and trucks on the U.S. market, Consumer Reports named the Ram 3500 the least reliable vehicle you can buy. Though the list of problems with this truck is lengthy, we’ll do our best to mention them here.
On the mechanical front, owners reported trouble with the suspension, steering, fuel system, and transmission. As for fit and finish, body integrity represented another sore spot for the Ram 3500.
Though this is a powerful truck built solely for work, consumers may want to consider the other options out there with the same capability. At the very least, you should go into the purchase, expecting some trouble — and visits to the service centre — for as long as you own it.
2002 Subaru Baja
Pickup trucks are normally designed with certain people in mind. Some are designed for those with large families who want to fit everyone in one vehicle. Others are designed for workers needing to use the flatbed.
Others are made for those who want to go off-roading and seek some adventure. That’s exactly why Subaru decided to manufacture their 2002 Subaru Baja. The company likened their new addition to a large dune buggy that would give thrill-seekers the chance to explore new lands and terrain, and people were pretty excited when it was released.
However, this excitement didn’t last too long. Those who bought the pickup truck weren’t too impressed with what they bought, and sales soon began to dwindle. They dwindled so much so that production ended in 2006.
2005 Toyota Tundra
Many Toyota fans vow to stick with the company through all of their car and truck changes. Still, it’s fair to say that even the most intense Toyota fans began questioning their allegiance when the 2005 Toyota Tundra made its way onto the concourse.
The pickup truck was first released in 2000, and the design underwent various overhauls after that initial release. While some of them weren’t too bad, the 2005 model is often considered to be one of the worst of all time.
One of the main reasons for that is because of what lies beyond the hood. With a small engine that didn’t give drivers any form of power to drive fast or haul heavy loads, customers were left wanting more. Thankfully, Toyota gave them this in the 2007 model.
While reliability shouldn’t be measured solely off recall and complaint counts, these figures give valuable insight to see which trucks are facing more issues in their current form. It will continue to fluctuate as the year goes on and don’t necessarily give a definitive look at the reputation of each model, but you’re the consumer—take it as you will, maybe with a grain of salt.