What breaks, and what to watch.
Every make has its known weak points. Here's what commonly goes wrong on the vehicles Calgary drives — so you know what to be ready for before you buy, and what to keep an eye on if you already own one. No scare tactics, just what we actually see in the shop.
Toyota
One of the most reliable brands made — here's the short list of what still goes wrong, and what to watch.
Toyota common problems →Honda
Reliable cars with a few specific things to know — including one that matters more in Calgary's cold.
Honda common problems →Nissan
Good cars with one headline issue you need to understand before you buy: the CVT.
Nissan common problems →Mazda
Reliable, fun-to-drive cars with a short list of things to watch.
Mazda common problems →Subaru
Great AWD for Alberta winters, with a couple of boxer-engine issues to know.
Subaru common problems →Lexus
Toyota reliability with luxury — few issues, mostly on older or air-suspension models.
Lexus common problems →Acura
Honda dependability with more tech — a few shared engine and transmission items to know.
Acura common problems →Infiniti
Nissan-based luxury — strong VQ engines, with a few known items to watch.
Infiniti common problems →Mitsubishi
Value and long warranties, with a few things to keep an eye on.
Mitsubishi common problems →Hyundai
Strong value and warranty, with a couple of important things to know before you buy.
Hyundai common problems →Kia
Great value and warranty — with the same couple of items to check as its Hyundai cousins.
Kia common problems →Genesis
Hyundai's luxury brand — strong value, generally reliable, with luxury complexity to note.
Genesis common problems →Ford
Popular trucks and SUVs with a handful of well-known items to check.
Ford common problems →Chevrolet
Capable trucks and SUVs — with one V8 issue that's worth understanding before you buy.
Chevrolet common problems →GMC
GM's trucks and SUVs in premium trim — same capable hardware, same items to check.
GMC common problems →RAM
Comfortable, capable trucks — with a few engine and front-end items to know.
RAM common problems →Jeep
Capable and fun off-road, with a few well-known items to keep in mind.
Jeep common problems →Dodge
Characterful performance and family haulers — sharing engines (and items) with RAM and Chrysler.
Dodge common problems →Chrysler
The 300 and the Pacifica minivan — comfortable, with a few shared items to know.
Chrysler common problems →Cadillac
GM luxury — sharing hardware with its trucks, plus luxury-feature complexity.
Cadillac common problems →Buick
GM's comfortable near-luxury brand — generally dependable, with a few items to know.
Buick common problems →Lincoln
Ford's luxury brand — shared hardware, plus luxury-feature complexity.
Lincoln common problems →Tesla
No engine or transmission — a different set of items, and an honest note on what we can help with.
Tesla common problems →BMW
Great to drive, specific to maintain — here's what goes wrong and what to be ready for.
BMW common problems →Mercedes-Benz
Superb when maintained — here's what goes wrong when they're not, and what to watch.
Mercedes-Benz common problems →Audi
Strong turbo engines that reward specific care — here's what to watch for.
Audi common problems →Volkswagen
Great cars when maintained to interval — here's what to keep an eye on.
Volkswagen common problems →Porsche
Durable when serviced right — here are the model-specific items to know.
Porsche common problems →Volvo
Safe, comfortable and generally solid — with a few items worth knowing.
Volvo common problems →MINI
Fun to drive, with a handful of BMW-related engine items to know.
MINI common problems →Land Rover
Capable and luxurious — but go in clear-eyed about the known issues.
Land Rover common problems →Jaguar
Beautiful to drive, sharing JLR engineering — know the items before you buy.
Jaguar common problems →Fiat
Characterful city cars — with a couple of items and an honest parts-availability note.
Fiat common problems →We're a European specialist, so BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche also have dedicated service pages. For how-to advice, see our guides.