The Worst Car You Ever Had: Name & Shame 'em
 

OK guys,

let's hear it. What IS the worst car you ever had and why?

Here's my vote:

1994 Land Rover Discovery TDiS (the diesel powered one)

WHY?
1. Awful electrics, blown bulbs etc.
2. Weak engine, couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding
3. Crappy brakes: Fred Flintstone could slow down faster
4. Roof height: wouldn't go into parking structures thanks to popemobile roof
5. "Chelsea Farmer" image

I remember dreading the change from Green to Amber. I'd be driving along thinking: "Do I brake and end up half way through the junction, or do I gas it and end up T-boning the first guy pulling away on his green?!"

1987 Chevorlet Carpice Classic

1. Had to pump the gas about 50 times(not lieing) to get this thing started, but after it was warmed up it ran ok
2. The frame from before the back wheels was cracked badly from a rearend accident(this car had a traler hitch on it and thats what got hit first)
3. The 305 Engine drank oil faster then gas(and the engine didn't leak)
4. The radio that came stock didn't work to well if it didn't work, punch it, that made it come on:D
5. It slammed into every gear(cold or warm)
6. Gold Colour was..........Oh WTF it was gold colour:eek:
7. heater controls would go from warm to hot..(the slidder was getting stuck on something up inside the dash
8. A/C made the worst noise ever, and it didn't even work
9. The cracked frame(number 2) was make a clicking noise everytime you hit a big enough dump(speed dumps where the worst)
10. and to top it off the rear bumper fell off and it had a cracked tall light)

This thing had way to many problems to even try and save it, I would have fixed it but why try it need the frame fixed and a new engine....right there your into $4,000+. So me and my dad said fuck it...we still got 50 dollars for it:D

1984 Ford Thunder

This was my college beater from 1991-1994.
- 2 Automatic Transmission failures
- Heater Core leaked (over $1k repair)
- AC quit (over $1k repair)
- Every part of the charging system failed
- Lost the U-Joints on the HWY
- Broke the cam shaft clean in half
- Bent some valves when the cam broke
- 13-16 MPG at any time, guzzled gas
- Gear indicator dial was off a step
- Front strut mount bolts seized and had to be torched out
- That is all I can recall at the moment but I am sure I left out something


This on a vehicle that never saw 100k miles. So when I traded the car on a 1995 Honda Civic EX, I thought I had just won the lottery. When traded, the car had no working heat or AC. What a POS that car was, but as crippled as it was, it sort of got me through college for transportation.

1971 Sunbeam Arrow - owned it from 1975 to 1978.

Everything went wrong with this car. The electronics and the hydraulics (brakes and clutch) failed constantly. Although only 4 years old when I bought it, it was already rusting. 2 1/2 years later it was a total rustbucket. I blew the engine towards the end of my tour and abandoned it to the Army when I left.

Kia Sephia, it was a terrible car! One by one everything fell apart. The worst part was when I took it in to the dealership (it was under warranty) they came up with excuse after excuse for why each and every thing wasn't covered.

I've never owned a bad car (2 Honda Accords and an Acura TL) but I will speak for my sister:

1998 Chevrolet Silverado Z71, 12" lift and tons of offroad mods.
-In the shop every other week
-Fuel injectors would fail and need to be cleaned
-Engine's electrical wiring had to be replaced twice
-Could not fit into a conventional parking space.
-14mpg
-Despite it's size, this thing could no tow her horse trailer

Geo Metro. Its pretty much a death trap on wheels, a little gust of wind made driving really interesting.

I once bought a 1978 Toyota Tercel, it cost me a brand new copy of a video game.

Exhaust system vented into the interior, no windows other than the windshield, no heat or air conditioning, Seats were foam with no covers...

Bleh!

Death to Chevrolet!
 

'78 Chevy Monza. Never met a water pump it could get along with.

'78 Chevy Impala. Ex cop car, with bad steering, electricals. Liked that v-8 though. Back seat big enough for a threesome though. heh Good times Good times. Bad Car.

70 Impala

The front fender was completely bondo.
Paint gun blew up on the trunk...lots of bubbles.
Backseat smelled like pee.
Color was terrible...nickname 'The Terd'
Switch under the dashboard to turn the heater on.
Only played 8 tracks.
The car that would never die...lasted through high school and beyond.

I didn't own it, but I learned to drive in it...

1986 Plymouth Reliant stationwagon

The main problem was that it was the year they had quality problems with the camshaft. By around 50k miles, the cams wore down enough to screw up the timing. It would start to knock like a mother as soon as you put the slightest strain on the engine. The power was pretty miserable, too. It was like 0-60... eventually.

'89 Yugo [B]- my wife (at the time) thought it was cute and wouldn't listen to logic. Then her sister bought her a phone. That phone almost cost her life.

1997 Buick Park Avenue

- failed plastic intake manifold resulted in a seized engine at 122,000 km costing $4,500
- trunk that leaks water and regularly fills up with 10" of standing water
- wonkie transmission
- power steering rack failed
- leaky power steering pump
- AC compressor that grinds (bearing) if it is not engaged.
- rear rotors that warp every 35,000 km.
- an electrical system that would put any Lucas electrical system to shame.
- broken fuel gage
- cracked (p)leather seats
- broken heated seat
- cracked door panel
- broken door handle (more plastic)
- door lock switch that fell in the door
- rear window defroster that caught on fire and still doesn't work properly after fixing
- horn (alarm) that honks as I am driving down the street!!!
- burned out (irreplaceable) dash lights everywhere
- 3 alternators
- 3 batteries
- holes in the stainless steel exhaust system.
- rust on the front valence
- rear power windows that just decide they don't want to open any more.
- broken centre consol lid
- front wheel bearing
- steering wheel that is slowly crumbling to bits (more bad plastic)


Do I win?

1969 VW Beetle

- no seat belts
- instead of radio, a hole where gas fumes poured in
- leaky gas tank
- floor boards missing, hitting a puddle = wet feet
- freeway? never go there with a beetle.
- school children laughing at my car for having missing fenders
- no breaks one time, almost making me crash through restaurant
- stick shift that uses magic instead of gears
- windows rolled down, but not up
- no AC, just gas fumes

Other than that, it was a good car.

1978 - Austin Marina:
And it rocked.. Check out http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/index.htm?ado28indexf.htm for similar pics.. Obviously mine wasnt as posh looking as those beasts as it had more rust on it than the Forth bridge and several flavours of mould throughout.. It also had air conditioning on the front nearside wheel (hole in the wheel arch.. ahem..) and would also jump out of 2nd if you went around a corner..

I also had a Fiesta which lost some of the engine mounting bolts so that everytime you pulled away you could 'feel' and hear the engine smacking against the bonnet..

Oh the joys.. :D

1990' Buick Model 98'

A/C Crapped out on me in the middle of summer, (98 degrees or more outside), so i'd constantly show up @ my class or home w/ heat stroke...

Engine needed to be revved really high when it started up, or else it'd immediately die and sputter

Check engine light always on

It'd randomly stall at turns or when i try to start up at lights.

But, it was a loaner from one of my dad's friends, a mechanic no less. My parents got me my stang after that, which i'm grateful for :)

'73 Chevy Vega -- similar platform to the Monza that rabelais complained about before. Handled well enough, drove well enough, but the main problem was the crappy aluminum-block engine. When it overheated, the block would soften just enough for the weight of the head to deform it microscopically. By the time I had 40,000 miles on the thing, it was burning a quart of oil every 200 miles, and got worse from there. Had the engine replaced at 50,000 with a rebuilt job with steel sleeves. One of the sleeves let go at 95,000 on the freeway and the resulting plume of cloud and smoke was spectacular. And most Vegas didn't even make it that far. I left it at the gas station, sold to a kid for the price of declaring it dead.

Oh yeah, and it was practically impossible to change the oil filter. You couldn't get the damned thing out from above, and if you unscrewed it from below, it would drop out and get hung up on the steering struts or whatever they were. You had to go back into the cab and turn the wheels back and forth until you heard the filter drop out with a clunk onto the ground.

Sadly, that's still a "feature" on GM's today. The first time I changed the oil in my '98 Grand Prix, I was trying to sneak the filter out from above the front suspension and my fingers slipped. I ended up wearing a filter-full of hot, nasty oil. :mad:

What? Automatic transmission failure in a Ford? That's almost as rare as plastic intake manifold failure on GM's.

1987 Renault Alliance

it's french... nuff said.

Yeah; the Vega was my first and last American car. Followed it with an '81 Plymouth Champ (aka Mitsubishi), which was more reliable but prone to weird and recurring electrical problems. After that, it's been Honda all the way -- which have their own weird quirks, but at least the average Honda mechanic knows what they are and how to fix them. Nobody knew from Mitsubishi in those days.

my 1986 'Vette ... boiuight brand new.

This thing could not go uphill if the radio was on, and couldn't get above 55 if the air conditioner was on. It couldn't handle in snow. I think she (her name was Babette) had a crush on the service manager because she was in the shop every other week with transmission problems. Smartest thing I ever did was buy the extended warranty when I bought the car, otherwise I would have been in the poorhouse after a few months.

This car was truly a lemon, but for some reason, even with a lawyer father, didn't qualify under the lemon laws for the state of New Jersey.

This car was great in an accident though, I was going thru a green light, and some bozo ran a red light and hit me broadside-- car still drove, it shimmied but it drove...

Damn piece of crap... than god they discontinued them... Chevettes sucked the big one.. Now my '91 Celica that was a honey, so was the '70 Opel GT that I drove thru high school and college.. dream car...

my first car was also my worst:

99 sunfire gt.

1. the lower heat never worked, tried to get it fixed by the dealership twice, both times leaving the problem unresolved.
2. The mileage gauge got stuck on the tripodometer setting, requiring them to keep my car for 7 business day to take apart the dash and troubleshoot.
3. air-flow sensors kept getting messed up causing a check engine light to go on, resulting in more trips to the dealer.
4. the brakes were absolutely terrible and the pads needed replacing at 30,000 kms (and the rotors needed machining= more money).

Thank god i leased it. I now drive an Acura Integra and the only domestic vehicle i would ever consider buying would have to be a truck.

'Vette usually means corvette... i was reading this and thinkin wtf... corvette shouldnt have these problems... then you said it was a Chevette :crazy:

im still driving my first car... its a 93 Ford explorer
-had a handful of transmission problems... (transmission died halfway between california and texas...)
-cant hold anything greater then 65 going uphill on the highway
-shitty gas mileage
-fuel guage doesnt work... its good the tripometer does...
-arm rest is broke...
-stereo pops when changing the volume...
-autolocking 4x4 system sucks...

--but dispite all that i do love her...
--the clearance/4x4 has been nice on a few climbing/camping trips
--and i can just pile all my stuff in when im moving... i can fit a full size couch in and close the gate...
--just lay down the back seats and toss down a blanket and instant place to have sex :thumbsup:

Meh, I don't have a real "horror" story, but I did own a P.O.S. 1988 Ford Escort EXP. It was one of the "flaming fords" and did have scorch marks on the underside of the hood (alternator blew up and melted). Seemed to attract flats like a magnet. Motor mounts broke leaving the engine sort of hanging/propped in the compartment. Had to replace the computer. Air conditioning blew up. Headlight switch failed, but I could keep them "on" by driving with the level pulled all the way back. This was supposed to momentarily flash the brights, but if you held it they would stay on, and the light covers were so foggy and crappy that the "brights" were anything but. So I drove it one-handed at night. Power steering fluid poured out. Finally got rid of it and 6 months after it was sold to someone *else* who didn't have any money- it blew a gasket. Wasn't worth fixing and I'm sure died a quick and unremarkable death.

I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things. God what a pile of crap, man do I love my new Honda. Work sucks- but havin' money don't.

I know that silly... It was the only time in my life that I owned some sort of 'vette -- it's still fun with play with people.... :D

I was thinking "COR-vette" also. I was thinking, hmm, my buddy had an 86 corvette and it was a rocket.

Then I read CHEV-ette, and it all made sense.

This BMW that I'm in right now is breaking my balls, as we speak. I made the mistake of buying an X-5 the year of their debut, and I would say that I've probably spent, since it slipped out of warranty last year (I drive a lot), six or seven thousand fixing various things. The computer blew, the air conditioning died, the rear windshield wiper fell off...Its an awful car. Before it was out of warranty, it lived at the dealership, where it was in a constant state of needing to be repaired. Never making the mistake of buying a BMW again!

I think I'm going to win.

1992 Plymouth Voyager -

At 66k, the automatic transmission went. ($2k)
At 75k, the heater wouldn't pump through the floor vents. ($300)
At 80k, all the stock speakers blew within a month of each other. ($100)
At 85k, the fifth cylinder began to constantly misfire ($2k)
At 90k, the automatic transmission went. ($2k)
At 100k, the both front rotar calipers ceased working - while I was on the highway. ($900)
At 110k, the automatic transmission went. (under warranty)
At 130k, the water pump died. ($2.5k)
At 135k, the automatic transmission went. ($2k)
At 140k, the front driver's side seat broke a rod. The seat back would not stay up (so I was driving without a backrest). ($100)
At 160k, the power steering went. ($1k)
At 165k, the automatic transmission went. (under warranty)
At 180k, the automatic transmission went. (we junked the van)

No lie - 6 transmissions over the course of 12 years. I'd have gotten rid of it, but it was my parents' car, and my dad just kept pouring money into it. Idiot.

thats why I drive a 82, 350 chevy...the oil filter is right there...no problem getting on of off :thumbsup:

Well, I too was quite confused at first, sounded like one crappy vette, then I got quite a laugh when I got to the part that said Chevette. I'm glad you lived through the accident cause they have always just looked like little death pods to me.

Chevy Nova

So much for buying an American made economy car. Constant problems small and large from day one. The kicker was it had virtually NO resale value after only 1 1/2 years. I was stunned and went back to buying Hondas and Toyotas. I'd like to be patriot and buy american made cars, but its is my hard earned money!!

At least chevy's have torque :D

'81 Pontiac Phoenix.

It had the mushiest suspension you can imagine, and body-rolled like you would not believe. The worst part was the starter though. The starter went tits up one day so I went to the parts store to get another. Said starter didn't match mine, so I tried it anyway, no go. Took it back and wound up having the guy look through every starter they had to find one that fit. Found one that looked right (off an S-10 or something completely unrelated), and it wouldn't turn. So I wound up cracking open the old starter and rebuilding it by hand. I salvaged some brushes from another starter and put it back together, only to find that the pawl was not engaging the flywheel at all. Took it out again. Turns out the pawl engagement arm was cracked down the center. Out comes the bailing wire. I wired the bitch back together and got it running, though I did have to manually start the engine from under the hood by arcing the contacts with a piece of angle iron. Yeah, every fucking time I started the car, I had to turn the ignition on, open the hood, and arc the contacts by hand, all while avoiding the fan blade.

Well, as you can imagine, the bailing wire didn't last long. I got to the point where I could drop the starter, crack it open, rewrap the arm, and have it back in all inside of 35 minutes. Kept the tools in the car so I could do it anywhere, and can say that I've rebuilt starters all over the city I live in

Hated that fucking car.

Sad part is that I sold it to a friend of a friend who stiffed me on the money for it. Then three months later I get a call from the police at 3am asking me why my car had been involved in a convenience store robbery and a hit and run after, and where I was throughout all this.

HATED that fucking car.

1967 MGB convertible. Always had to push-start it.

Thats weird my parent have to same van(I drive it sometimes) and the auto tranny went at 200K and the van is almost at 300K and it is still running ok, but I think this one is ready to let go! only other problem was the water pump. Besides the shit loads of rust the van has been a good little van!

1975 Toyota Celica

1975 Toyota Celica - Missing front left fender. had it during college and made for some interesting looks when I picked up dates at their house. The thing also had a bent front end so it burned through front left tires in about 1,000 miles. Lot sof used $10 tires installed

1988 grand am
I loved the car....it had the quad 4 engine and no rev limiter so i could bounce the needle off the bottom of the gauge all day long......BUT......
1 tranny
3 head gaskets(13 hrs flate rate repair)
2 bottom end rebuilds(didn't bother the third time)
2 oil pumps
1 water pump
radio just up an' died 1 day in the middle of a 15 hr trip

My ex had a 70s-something Datsun 710 coupe. I think I worked on that damn thing as much as she drove it. The emissions system was designed by monkeys on crack, and it actually ran better with improved mileage when I defeated all that crap. But, the body went to hell, so I bought her a Chrysler Cordoba. Mileage wasn't better, but it was a tank. Between her car and my 77 Grand Fury Brougham, there was enough steel in the driveway to make a fleet of Yugos. :cool: