The 10 SUVs You NEED To Avoid In 2026

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What are the worst new SUVs you should avoid for 2026? That’s what we’re going to find out.

Welcome to Car Help Corner, where we help you, the consumer, master the process of car buying and car ownership. I’m going to share the top 10 worst new SUVs of 2026 that are poorly designed, lack good safety ratings, are not very well made, and are a complete waste of your money. If you want to avoid buyer’s remorse, stay away from any of these SUVs.

Let’s get started with the vehicles that come in the number 10 spot.

10. GMC Terrain / Chevrolet Equinox (gas models)

Tied in the number 10 spot are the GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox. In gas form, these two are basically the same vehicle and share the same issues.

First off, there’s the drivetrain: a small 1.5L turbocharged engine that’s noisy, underpowered, and not very fuel efficient. It’s a total disappointment, and you’re stuck with it because GM does not offer a hybrid or a more powerful engine option.

“Disappointing” sums up these two SUVs quite well. The interiors are typical GM: cheap-feeling and not worthy of the price. The technology isn’t terrible, but any bright spot is wiped out when you see the pricing, which is absurd for two such mediocre SUVs with poor resale value and below-average reliability.

There’s just no compelling reason to consider either of these, so why bother?

9. Ford Bronco Sport / Ford Escape (EcoBoost)

The next pair on the list are another tie between two very similar vehicles: the Ford Bronco Sport and Ford Escape with the EcoBoost engine.

Both are mechanically identical and share the same major problem: the drivetrain. The Bronco Sport and Escape come standard with a tiny 1.5L turbo three-cylinder engine, which is simply too overstressed and underpowered for vehicles of this size. It’s not very fuel efficient and not very reliable either.

Engine and transmission issues are very common, and both models have been recalled several times for serious problems. Like the GM pair above, there’s very little these two excel at, especially at their prices.

Just skip them. They’re not worth the trouble.

8. Kia Seltos (2.0L engine)

Reliability concerns are the main reason to stay away from the next SUV in the number eight spot: the Kia Seltos.

The fatal flaw here is the standard 2.0L four-cylinder engine. This engine is known for manufacturing defects, including bad piston rings, connecting rods, and bearings, which can cause the engine to consume oil, seize, and completely fail.

About 138,000 cars were recalled in February 2025 and nearly 150,000 more back in 2021, with millions more Hyundai and Kia vehicles using this engine family over the past decade, including the Kia Soul. There have also been major class actions and fines from NHTSA against Hyundai and Kia.

Do not buy one of these vehicles. They basically have no value once the warranty period is up, because at that point the engine is just a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. Who wants to get stuck with that? Just stay away.

7. Volkswagen Taos

Next up in the number seven spot is the Volkswagen Taos.

Although all the SUVs on this list have poor owner satisfaction ratings, none of them tops the Taos, which has been one of the lowest-rated vehicles by Consumer Reports for owner satisfaction since its launch—and it’s not hard to see why.

The Taos doesn’t have much going for it. It’s unpleasant to drive, the performance is mediocre, it’s overpriced, and it doesn’t have a strong safety rating. Its reliability is well below average.

Volkswagens tend to be mediocre for reliability in general, but the Taos is worse than most, with common electrical and engine problems.

The only reason it isn’t ranked even higher (worse) is that Volkswagen did make some effort to improve it for 2025 by replacing the awful dual-clutch transmission with a conventional automatic that shifts more smoothly. Even so, it’s not enough to make the Taos worth a look.

Don’t bother.

6. Chevrolet Trailblazer

In the number six spot, we have another GM vehicle: the Chevrolet Trailblazer.

The Trailblazer is another mediocre, underwhelming GM crossover that simply isn’t good enough for what you pay. It uses a tiny three-cylinder turbo engine with questionable longevity, the pricing is far too high, and the overall value just isn’t there.

GM is really a hit-or-miss company. They either build excellent, high-effort vehicles like the Corvette or even the Equinox EV, or they completely phone it in with zero effort, like the gas-powered Equinox and Trailblazer.

Here’s a tip: if for some reason you absolutely have to get a small Chevy crossover, skip the Trailblazer and get the Trax instead, which is almost the exact same vehicle for thousands of dollars less.

5. Nissan Rogue

In the number five spot we have the Nissan Rogue.

What’s frustrating about the Rogue is that it’s actually a very nicely designed SUV with a comfortable ride, a pleasant interior, and good tech. The problem is its poor reliability with the three-cylinder turbocharged engine and CVT.

Recently, Nissan was forced to recall nearly half a million vehicles with the VC-Turbo engine for potential engine failure due to defective bearings. Putting a tiny three-cylinder turbo engine in a vehicle of this size is just asking for trouble—especially when paired with Nissan’s Jatco CVT, a transmission notorious for poor quality and premature failure.

Unless you’re getting an incredible lease deal and plan to return it before the warranty expires, the Rogue just has too many potential problems. It’s best to avoid it.

4. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

In the number four spot, we have the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.

It’s safe to say this is the weakest vehicle in Mitsubishi’s lineup—which is already incredibly underwhelming to begin with. Compared to the cheaper Outlander Sport (RVR in Canada), the Eclipse Cross offers very little extra for its higher price.

It’s not a particularly well-designed or impressive vehicle in any way. Worst of all, it has one of the worst safety scores of any vehicle, according to the IIHS, which alone is enough reason to avoid it.

On top of that, you get the usual Mitsubishi headaches: a small dealer network, poor parts supply, and lousy customer service.

Enough said.

3. Jeep Grand Cherokee

Now we’re into the top three worst SUVs of 2026, starting with the Jeep Grand Cherokee in the number three spot.

Buying a Stellantis product in 2026 is risky enough given the company’s issues, but buying a Grand Cherokee is just asking for major headaches.

Jeep build quality is known to be poor in general, but the Grand Cherokee takes unreliability to another level—especially the 4xe plug-in hybrid version, which is a total repair nightmare and doesn’t even offer particularly refined performance.

Despite endless problems, the pricing remains outrageously high. You’d have to be out of your mind to pay luxury-vehicle money for a Grand Cherokee. Any redeeming qualities it has are not worth the potential headaches.

2. Jeep Compass

As bad as the Grand Cherokee is, it’s still not as bad as the next Jeep product in the number two spot: the Jeep Compass.

This is unquestionably the worst product Jeep currently makes, and it’s baffling how anyone could still consider buying one in 2026.

When it comes to quality, value for money, and the resulting product you get for the price, it’s hard to find a worse vehicle in the small SUV segment than the Compass. It underperforms and underdelivers in just about every possible way.

Anyone who buys one is truly getting one of the worst SUVs that money can buy.

That is, unless you buy this next one.

1. Dodge Hornet

In the number one spot, the worst SUV of 2026 is the Dodge Hornet.

Easily one of the worst vehicles on sale today, the Hornet is a textbook example of how to do almost everything wrong. It’s a tiny yet overpriced small crossover with poor build quality, cobbled together from Alfa Romeo and Fiat parts, making it a guaranteed repair nightmare.

It’s built in Italy alongside its equally bad Alfa Romeo twin, the Tonale. It’s no surprise they suffer from awful depreciation, given that they’re ridiculously overpriced tiny SUVs that almost nobody wants.

Dealers struggle to move these even with massive discounts, which really says it all. Its days seem to be numbered—which is a good thing. It’s time for Dodge to put this one out of its misery and move on.

So there you have it: the worst new SUVs you can buy for 2026.

If you enjoyed this breakdown, make sure to like and subscribe. And if you’re planning to purchase a vehicle and you live in Ontario, know that OMVIC is the vehicle sales regulator responsible for administering and enforcing the rules that dealerships must follow. To learn more about your consumer protection rights, visit omvic.ca.

If you need additional car-buying advice, recommendations, or help getting a great deal on your next new car purchase, make sure to visit carhelpcanada.com.

Thanks so much for watching, and see you next time.

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