It's true that you can screw up the use of make in multiple ways, but that is true of any programming system. I find make to be a useful tool.

The most common mistake, by far, is trying to use make recursively (where make calls other makes down a directory hierarchy). That's typically where "builds are too slow" come from, because you end up with a hairball of complex workarounds because no one make invocation actually has the correct dependency data.

I just create a single makefile and treat it like any other program: Add carefully, ensure that the text is clear, etc.