Used car years to avoid

Model-by-model breakdowns of which years to skip, why they fail, and what the repair actually costs at a U.S. shop. Every guide also flags the years that go the distance.

• Honda CR-V: years to avoid

  The CR-V is one of the safest used-SUV buys in America — but three specific generations drag the average down. Here are the model years to skip, the failures that made them famous, and what a repair actually costs.

• Toyota Camry: years to avoid

  The Camry is deservedly the default reliable sedan — but a handful of years carry the 2AZ-FE oil-burner engine or a first-year 6-speed automatic with known valve-body issues. Skip these, buy anything else.

• Ford F-150: years to avoid

  The best-selling truck in America has a few generations that are genuinely reliable and a few that will keep a mechanic in business. Watch out for the first-gen EcoBoost, the 2004 tow-hitch/valve-seat era, and the 10R80 transmission's first two model years.

• Honda Civic: years to avoid

  Most Civics are the used-car gold standard, but two eras stand out for real, expensive problems: the 2001–2005 automatic-transmission failures and the 8th-gen (2006–2009) cracked-engine-block recall on 1.8L R18 engines.

• Nissan Altima: years to avoid

  The Altima is one of the cheapest ways into a midsize sedan — mostly because the CVT (continuously variable transmission) is one of the least reliable automatics of the last 20 years. Two model-year windows are genuinely bad.

• Jeep Grand Cherokee: years to avoid

  The Grand Cherokee is capable and comfortable, but three specific model-year windows carry chronic electrical, transmission, and engine problems. Skip them and the rest of the lineup is a reasonable buy.