What was the worst car you ever owned? Mine was a Rambler. Stopped whenever it pleased.--on bridges. hills. flat roads.

[debm55]

[Turbineguy]

1. Any English car

using Lucas electrical junk.

[debm55]

7. TY, Turbineguy.

[barbaraann]

9. Some of my relatives who used to be in the car business had a saying

that went something like---German cars use a steel bolt, American cars use a screw, British cars use a wooden peg.

Also, they were always shocked when a Jaguar was actually working!

[Turbineguy]

74. My Jag broke down on the second day.

[barbaraann]

75. Hey, it made it ONE day!

Isn't that pretty good for a Jag?

[cloudbase]

62. You just have to carry spare smoke with you.

Lucas refrigerators are the reason the British drink warm beer.

[Shermann]

134. I had a Buick Century which spontaneously caught fire in the engine compartment

I had to get a salvage wiring harness replacement. Fortunately, my insurance covered fire damage.

Also that was my worst car.

[Hotler]

70. Isn't that the reason they drink warm beer? Lucas made refridgerators. nt

[Conjuay]

210. I had a friend working on a '59 Jag, just scream out,

"THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO INVENTED RADAR?"
God, that was sixty years ago, and it still makes me laugh.

[hydrolastic]

97. Does anyone understand why British car electrical systems are so bad?

This is my experience of working on old British cars. in the early days of most cars/boats / industrial equipment the engine would be wired with the positive wire to the chassis This would cause corrosion of the grounds. like in your car when you see the positive terminal of your battery has white stuff on it. In the 40's American cars changed to negative ground. Which left the grounds good but the positive side (Battery terminal) would corrode. Interesting thing is with corrosion, if the item just quits I check the positive side. If it has glowing or intermittent problems it is usually the grounds. Other than cheaply made sometimes, Lucas products are just like American stuff. They just suffered with the positive ground issue into the 70's because the British refused to change it. As far as worst car I had was a eighties ford escort. Beige 4 door it had a hybrid carb/ fuel injection that was just a piece of crap and it was embarrassing to drive to boot!

[onethatcares]

133. in a word

Xenier diodes. Even their motorcycles were prone to weird shit. As a proud owner of a Triumph Bonneville, 1963 vintage, first thing I replaced was the two sets of points and the capacitor that fired them eliminating the credo: Lucas the man that invented darkness.

[XanaDUer2]

2. Ancient Dodge Dart Swinger

Money pit and smelled. But we were poor

[debm55]

8. I had a Rambler that smelled also. Thank you XanaDUer2

[XanaDUer2]

10. :)

[DUgosh]

22. Agree

I had the plain dodge dart, with rusted floor boards I lined with cardboard and no trunk lock… just some rope tied to keep it closed

[XanaDUer2]

30. Did yours leak?

Mine flooded in the rain. Also, some weird mutant plant grew out of the back dash once overnight

[brush]

82. I had a Dodge Dart too, same rusted floor, but that Slant 6 engine never stopped running.

Most reliable engine I ever had. Drove that car thru many NY winters over years of snow, ice and road salt until all the rocker panels and floor were rusted out.

Drove it to the junk yard finally, left the keys in...but the engine was still running like a top.

[Freddie]

126. Dad bought a '63 Dart when I was 6

Almost new. Great car - no AC, had the smallest 6 and didn’t like hills, but it started every morning and was our family workhorse for years, til my brother (with a brand new license) rear-ended someone and Dad traded it in. Folks long gone, brother and I are still fond of Chrysler products. I traded my very used PT Cruiser for a less used Dodge Caliber.

[Arne]

136. Mom and Dad

each had matching base model Darts.
Many years later my wife and I had matching base
model PTs.

[Squaredeal]

34. My future mother-in-law wanted to buy a Dart for her daughter,, who then was starting college in 1973.

Her aunt was pushing for the Dart so she could get a special price from the dealer for two. My future wife held out for a Karmann Ghia, which was about 20PC more in price than the Dart, When I met my wife in 1980, the Gia was still going strong, without any maintenance, while her aunt’s Dart was just a distant memory by then.

[underpants]

3. Probably the Buick I bought for $200

Don’t remember the year or model. Two toned tan and the roofing inside was so bad I had to just rip it out.

Big backseat though.

[debm55]

11. HAHAHa. Well, that will be a plus? TY underpants.

[Thunderbeast]

4. 1994 Volvo 945 Turbo

Hoping for Volvo reliability, I got a 4 cylinder wagon that got 13 mpg and cost 50 cents a mile in repairs!

[debm55]

13. Gee, did you get rid of it? TY Thunderbeast,

Last edited Mon Mar 11, 2024, 04:00 PM - Edit history (1)

[Ocelot II]

5. An old, used Datsun - something was always going wrong with it.

Sometimes it would just stop running and I'd have to pull over, take off the air filter and stick a screwdriver into the air intake on top of the carburetor because it would keep snapping shut. Once the throttle cable stuck and I could only stop the car by turning off the ignition. When you're a poor student you often end up with shitty cars (if any), but I sure learned a lot about the innards of cars from that one.

My ex had an old Ford Fairlane that he swore was possessed and that intentionally malfunctioned just to spite him. It really was a terrible car.

[debm55]

15. My Rambler was like that. Would stop for no reason. I was frightened when it stopped on a bridge. It wasn't the battery,

Right now I forget what the heck made it stop. New care was no better, They had just come out with front wheel drive. Driving around the hills in Pittsburgh, I would fishtail down my hill. TY Ocelot II

[snpsmom]

63. The Rambler we had when I was a kid

Was so bad that my dad could drop the transmission by the side of the road, repair it in a couple of hours and put it back together. We drove across country like that. SMH

[debm55]

141. Ty snpsmom. I agree about the Rambler,

[Freddie]

129. I can still hear my Dad cursing

Driving our powder-blue 1960 Rambler wagon on long trips.

[debm55]

142. Ty Freddie, mine was a light blue Rambler too. Flooor boads came out, It was like driving the Flinstone's car.

[Conjuay]

211. I donno, my rambler was a champ.

The test drive was interesting because the guy I bought it from had removed the front bench seat at some point and had forgotten to bolt it back in.
So when I released the clutch I ended up looking at the headliner.
It was a '69 and by then AMC had gotten most of the squirrels out from under the hood.

[lastlib]

23. My dad had a piece-of-crap Ford before I was born......

I told many people that I was 12 before I discovered that the brand-name wasn't "DamnFord".

He was cussing that car every time he thought about it! (I cuss that car every time I think about him cussing that car. )

[Upthevibe]

57. lastlib...

I had a Ford at one time. I'd heard FORD meant Fix Or Repair Daily. It was a piece of junk. I don't remember the exact make....

[lastlib]

59. The other one was "Found On Road Dead".....

[EverHopeful]

87. My uncle said Ford stood for

Fix or repair daily.

Also had a friend who said Fiat stood for feeble Italian attempt at technology.

[Freddie]

130. I thought Fiat was "Fix it again, Tony"

[debm55]

143. TY. lastlib, that is funny.

[relayerbob]

6. Chevy S10 mid 90s

Utter crap

[debm55]

144. So sorry, relayerbob.

[relayerbob]

206. Thanks. Yep, traded it in after a year at a significant loss of money

But, frankly, it was a money pit and probably dangerous.

[CanonRay]

12. A Datsun 1200, can't recall the year.

Ridiculously underpowered, couldn't bet a loaded brick truck off the line.

[debm55]

145. Sorry CanonRay.

[House of Roberts]

14. 1978 Ford Fairmont

The only car I ever had (or worked on for others) that blew a head gasket without being overheated.

I sold it to some guy for $75 and he drove it home knowing it had antifreeze in the oil, you could see it on the dipstick.

[debm55]

146. Good you got rid of it. so sorry that happened, House of Roberts.

[Arne]

16. Chevy Vega

Looked cool but did not do hills.
Up or down.

[BOSSHOG]

71. We had its cousin

76 Pontiac Astre. Looked Cool. Period. The two would probably be a hit today at car shows.

[debm55]

147. That was like my Saturn. When it died, I still owed 4000 to the credit union for it. Thank you Arne

[REPUguy]

17. 1984 Pontiac Trans Am

We bought it new and the engine died at 17,500 miles.

[debm55]

148. I feel for you REPUguy. I hope , unlike me you had it paid off.

[patphil]

18. 1971 AMC Hornet

It rusted like crazy, had all sorts of ignition problems, and the doors (2 dr) sagged.

[debm55]

149. So sorry for you patphil. My doors sagged too. I had to get in the passenger's door to drive as the driver's side door

tied shut.

[patphil]

151. My doors had to be re-hung, and the strike plate on one side had to be repaired due to rust.

I wanted so much to like this car, but it let me down time and time again.
It's no wonder AMC went under.

[debm55]

157. I agree.Ty patphil

[central scrutinizer]

19. '59 VW bus

Taillights the size of a quarter paired with a 6 volt battery - was almost invisible at night. Drove it over Berthoud Pass in Colorado at 10 miles an hour.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

41. Those VW busses were seriously underpowered.

My mom drove one, same year I think, from NYS to Tucson, AZ in 1962. Going through Cloudcroft, NM (which is above 8,000 feet) that car wouldn't go above 25mph, and Mom was concerned she'd have to stop for repair. As soon as we crested the top of the pass and started going down, no problems.

[calguy]

54. Not much power, but they had indescribable soul

I owned a 1963 camper bus I drove for fifteen years. They were simple and easy to work on, and my forty-horse engine got me cruising at 57 mph.

I loved that thing more than any vehicle I ever owned. The only reason I traded it in was because I got married and when we had a baby, I was concerned about our baby's safety if I ever got in an accident.

Another reason was that parts were getting hard to come by in the late 1980's.

[WestMichRad]

65. I'll second this!

I had two VW Buses, both early’70s vintage. Good vehicles, but if you were looking for high performance, you chose something else.

Driving them in Michigan winters was a trip. Had to keep an ice scraper handy for the inside of the windshield, plus keep the front window vent cracked open. Heater? Forget it!

[Conjuay]

213. I had to drive my boss's

You could out pace it on foot when it was in first gear.

I've heard a theory that the only reason ANY of them are still around is because the speed limit was lowered to 55 MPH during the oil embargo. They would blow engines at higher speeds.

[EverHopeful]

88. But put a bus engine in a fastback

My fastback with a bus engine was one of my favorite cars ever.

[debm55]

150. Gee, that sounds scary So sorry, central scrutinizer.

[debm55]

158. so sorry, central scrutinizer.

[lastlib]

20. I was given grandparents' 1966 Bel Air when I went to college.....

It had 165,000 miles and a hole in the gas tank. This was in 1975, when 165K was a lot of miles on an engine. I nicknamed it "Wildfire," after the song that was popular at the time--but I had to change the name to "Backfire," because that was mostly what it did. It didn't last through my freshman year.

[debm55]

152. Sorry, lastlib. My Father had a beige 66 Bel Air. and it backfired too.

[lpbk2713]

21. 76 Ford Pinto wagon. No doubt it was the worst.

First engine locked up. Second engine leaked oil like crazy from a place that couldn't be reached and repaired without removing the engine. Floor board was rusted out from a leak around the windshield. Had no choice but to drive it for a while. It was right after divorce and didn't have two dimes to rub together. Couldn't afford to buy a replacement.

[Upthevibe]

58. lpbk2713 ............

I believe that Pintos were the cars that exploded if they were rear-ended....Yikes....

[EverHopeful]

89. Yes they were

Once saw a pinto with a custom paint job of the rear end engulfed in flames. Guess the paint job was more affordable than replacing the car. Maybe they meant it as a warning

[Prairie_Seagull]

99. Sound like you ran into (don't do this) a boom boom pinto.

Can't remember the exact year but they where know to get hit in the rear and explode or catch fire due to a problem with the gas tank filler nozzle as I recall. I think it was a 73/74. I had one I wrecked in a Portland Or. Ice storm. Did not explode but totaled it and a international scout. That cost me a pretty penny at the time.

[debm55]

160. So sorry, lpbk2713,

[av8rdave]

24. A two way tie

1984 Pontiac Fiero (I know, I know…my ex and I bought it when we thought it looked cool). Fit and finish were terrible, the clutch was grabby, the engine overheated regularly, and the braking effectiveness was a gamble every time your foot touched the pedal.

1979 Pontiac Trans Am. Nice looking (even I looked good in it), powerful, fun to drive. At 40K miles, anything that could break did. The fit and finish were terrible, and it became a noise, squeaky rattly car. Pontiac thought they’d built an airplane, judging by the price of parts.

I shed no tears when GM ended Pontiac production.

[Haggard Celine]

36. I had a Fiero for about a year. Stayed in the shop.

I also had a Ford Escort wagon that was always breaking down. The wagon looked nice and it had an almost perfect interior. I wish that car could have lasted longer. Big disappointment!

[debm55]

162. Sorry, av8dave. Two duds.

Last edited Wed Mar 13, 2024, 06:50 PM - Edit history (1)

[ret5hd]

25. 197? AMC Hornet hatchback...

with one broken rear shock mount.

Driving down the road to work or back, people would laugh and mock at the way it bounced.

To minimize pulling hard to one side, i had to keep one front tire way underinflated.

You had to pump the brakes for them to work.

The fuel lines would spring random leaks.

The wipers didn’t work.

The heater worked, but no AC.

One day it died. I left it there.

[debm55]

163. Wow, I feel so sorry that happened. My Rambler --AMC was a POS too as was my Saturn.

[ret5hd]

179. you took the wrong "takeaway"...

it was a HILARIOUSLY bad car…i wouldn’t trade the experience for anything!

Multiple times i wrote something like “please don’t tow. will return tomorrow” in the dirt on the rear window.

i remember one time, driving to work with a friend, terribly shitty/snowy/slushy day, probably about 6:00 AM…a totally sloshed off-duty security guard sideswiped us…when we finally got him stopped he denied ever hitting us till we showed him the paint scrapes on both our cars. He asked what we wanted him to do…neither of us wanted the cops.

i shook my finger at him and said “just don’t do it again!”

you can’t do that in a NICE car!

[debm55]

180. You had a Saturn? JUNK

[doc03]

26. A new 1977 Chevy Blazer. I only had it for 3 years and about 36000 miles. I had it rustproofed

and both rear quarter panels rusted through in 14 months. Things I replaced brakes, radiator, fuel pump,
2 windshield washer pumps, universal joints, front cv joints, battery, alternator and probably more I don't remember.
At the time I traded it in the rocker panels and front fenders had rust. It also got 8 mpg. Never bought another GM vehicle until
2011 when I got a Chevy Cruze, it was pretty good car although a little underpowered. The Blazer was the only truly bad
car I ever had.

[Demovictory9]

46. I barely made it past 70k on cars before the 2000s..now they last forever

[doc03]

93. I get a kick out of all the people that brag about the great cars from

50 years ago. The fit and finish was nothing to brag about. They talk about how they were made out of steel,
like they were indestructible. They were like a coffin on wheels, you wrecked you went through the windshield
or were carved up like a turkey on the steel dashboard. When you hit about 70k it was replace parts from then on.
They get 1/3 the gas milage cars get today. They were easy to work on, sure but an AM radio and heater was
called fully loaded. They were a pile of rust in 3 years.

[bedazzled]

107. I do miss manual windows

Nothing but trouble with power windows in hot as hell florida. The windows on my rotten town and country fell down five times

[debm55]

183. Me too

[debm55]

165. Sorry, doc03, You put alot into it.

[rsdsharp]

27. 1978 Datsun 200SX, called the Silvia in Japan.

It really wasn’t a bad car, just cheap. It rattled, the suspension sucked, the dash split, and so did the vinyl seats.

[debm55]

166. Sorry, rsdsharp.

[Aristus]

28. A 1976 Datsun B-210.

I bought it in 1987. It has three previous owners, a history of at least a few collisions, and a body that was mostly Bondo by that point. Sold it quickly after two years, right before I went into the Army and traded up for an M1 Abrams-series tank.

[debm55]

167. So sorry, Aristus. and thank you for your service to our country.

[Vinca]

29. I had an old Rambler and I must have been lucky because it was very reliable. Before that

I had a 1960's something giant Oldsmobile that stalled out on a hill one time and nearly rolled back into a cop car. One of the first vehicles my husband and I owned together was a Ford pickup truck, early 1970's. It was brand new, but it rattled. Come to find out half the nuts were loose on the bolts. It was a piece of junk. I think that's when we started buying Toyotas and we've bought Toyotas ever since.

[bedazzled]

108. I had a huge olds omega. It was a real boat

My boyfriend at the time turned it into a subcompact by hitting a trailer, so I never knew how it would have lasted....

[debm55]

168. You were lucky that you were not hurt. So sorry for you. After the Saturn, I bought a Subaru. We have stayed with them.

[sinkingfeeling]

31. 1978 or 79 Jeep Cherokee. Had to replace the transmission, but needed the all wheel drive in

Minnesota. I honestly can't recall what I did with it when we moved to Texas.

All of my other cars were complaint free.

[debm55]

169. So sorry sinkingfeeling. I understand. I live in Pittsburgh and with the hills, you need the AWD.

[spooky3]

32. Fix Or Repair Daily

74 Mustang

[debm55]

170. So true, I will even say that for the latter versions. My husband had one.

[mucifer]

33. Ford escort. It ate transmissions

[debm55]

171. So sorry, mucifer. Transmissions aren't cheap

[pdxflyboy]

35. My first brand new car...

1977 Chevrolet Chevette. The engine died at about 50000 miles, even with timely oil changes. A piece of junk.

[Freddie]

131. My first and last brand new car - 1981 Chevette

Or the “Shove-it” as DH called it. Only had it a couple months when the starter died at a gas station. The new-car smell was not worth it and have bought young (or old, depending on our bank account) ever since.

[debm55]

172. So Sorry, pdxflyboy.

[mike_c]

37. hands down, a Fiat Spider

I bought it used in the mid-1970s. I think I paid about $500 dollars for it "as is." It drove off the lot and I was a happy young man.

Let's see, the ragtop leaked, so I had to bail out the floor whenever it rained. The passenger side window rolled itself down spontaneously whenever the car was on the road. The brake pedal assembly rusted solid, so I used the parking brake lever by hand instead. The gas pedal was semi rusted, I could mash it down to speed up, but had to stick my toes under it to pull back up and decelerate. It was a real bear to shift gears. I found out later that an engine mount was broken so the transmission was at an odd angle. No heat. Dashboard indicators didn't work so I estimated my speed by comparison with other cars and carried a can of gasoline in case I misjudged my gas tank. Fifty years later I still get anxious when my gas gage falls below half full.

It was fun to drive, despite the problems. I had to junk it a couple years later when finding a replacement distributor took months, and I got tired of hoofing it everywhere.

[debm55]

173. So sorry, mike_c. That's a lot to go wrong with a car.

[Pachamama]

201. Same here!!!!

1979 Fiat Spider 2000- white exterior and Red interior and Black top....it was beautiful....

Mine cost a lot more....and had a new top....

But all the things you were describing....had them happen too. Electrical problems too. No heat - when I needed it. Or car overheating in summer and then needing to turn heat full blast to cool the car engine down.

Then end came when I was driving one day in a summer rain storm and the water on the road hit the bottom of the car and the entire floor below where the gas and brake and clutch were came shooting up full blast at me with a stream of water. Had to drive home seeing the asphalt below and scared to death the seat was going to fall.

[wcmagumba]

38. 1978 Mercury Bobcat (Pinto)

The timing chain broke within the first 3 years, the shifting handle came loose and out of its socket one day while driving (this was a standard shift) the rear full window gas supports quit working and I had to use a broom handle (cut down) to hold the rear hatch open...various other defects...

[debm55]

174. So sorry, wcmagumba. My cousin gave me a Pinto in college. Sold it for 50 dollars. I could barely afford let alone

replacing parts.

[northoftheborder]

39. 1951? Studebaker

Gears always sticking requiring stopping in middle of street, opening hood, and manually unsticking.. it also slipped out of emergency brake and rolled down the hill in middle of the night. Aargh

[debm55]

175. So sorry. northoftheborder. Glad no one got hurt.

[Lunabell]

40. 2018 Kia Soul.

Burned oil and even though I kept the correct oil level up, the engine blew out and bent a rod. Some may remember me gofundme I posted here recently to help me with a down-payment for a new car. I am still so very appreciative of all the help my DUers gave to me!!!!! My gently used Hyundai Santa Fe is wonderful!!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

43. My sister has a Soul and needs to check the oil

every day.

[Lunabell]

45. It is a POS!

I was on my way to work, half way there, accelerated and all of a sudden it blew. I had just checked the oil a few days before. Horrible car.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

207. She is utterly convinved that everyone should be checking their oil every day.

My car, a Honda Fit, tells me when I need an oil change. Hmm. Dare I suggest she made a bad choice when when she purchased her Soul?

[debm55]

176. So sorry Lunabell. Glad your new car is so much better. I remember that gofundme.

[Lunabell]

185. My gently used Santa Fe is fabulous!

And I owe it all to my generous and kind DU friends!! I am still so overwhelmed at how many people were able to help out an old lady in her time of need. I will be forever grateful!! ❤️ 💙 💜 💖

[beemerphill]

42. Jeep Liberty

I only had it for a year, but got hit by other cars 3 times. It spent more time in the body shop than on the road. I looked hard, but could not find the bullseye on it. Every time I went on the road it was one close call after another, and three times they got me. One of the happiest days of my life was when I traded that pig in. Lost my ass money-wise, but probably saved my life by getting rid of the jinx.

[debm55]

60. I had a Bright red Jeep Liberty. Only had 35.000 miles on it and things started to go--heater, AC, brakes, etc. I gave

to my cousin for free. She still says the Jeep had four balled tires. Which is false because it past inspection a month before I gave it to her,

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

44. Notice that the vast majority of the cars named

here are American cars. Hmmmm.

I've never had a bad car, and I've only ever driven VWs (two bugs), Subarus (two), an Infiniti, and several Hondas. Never a problem. All very reliable.

For what it's worth, I only ever drive a stick shift.

[debm55]

178. I had a Saturn--Japanese car. When you bought a new one they would all come out and clap. I soon knew why--hey here is

sucker. Engine blew while I still owed 4000 on it. Had to have AAA tow it to the Sabaru dealership. I bought an Impreza and stayed with it and the brand. I think Saturn was a fluke.

[Onthefly]

47. '69 Dodge Dart Swinger

Transmission and rough idle. Sold it and got a Ford Fiesta in 1977, a good and cheap car that ran for 10 years. It got 46 mpg! The Dodge Dart got 15 mpg with a 340cu V8.

[Squaredeal]

48. Any American-made car in the 70,s was crap..

My dad had a 1973 Toyota Corona, and that car ran like a champ, unlike any of the unreliable American vehicles then. I had 1968 VW bug at the time. Always started right up in the coldest of weather and ran great through the snow. Things would wear out but I could fix the car on the road. I’d carry cheap spare parts from Mexico in my trunk for emergency repairs. Great mileage, fun to drive.
All of my subsequent vehicles have been Toyotas and Hondas.

[debm55]

181. TY Squaredeal

[Prof. P.E. Name]

49. 196x Dodge Dart w/slant six engine

Years ago I just needed a car for a one-way trip to get from Washington, DC to the Wisconsin to start a new job before I moved the family out. Brother-in-law sold me this thing for $75. Over 175,000 miles before speedo stopped working. Got to new city where Local police promptly ticketed me for having studded tires on the car in month of July.
Three speed stick would get stuck in first gear for no apparent reason....in traffic. Had to put car in neutral, put a brick behind the rear wheel, pop the hood, get the single yellow latex glove (which came with the car), reach in to release the greasy shift arm from the steering wheel shaft....then wave off to the line of cars behind me that everything was going great.
I good at bargaining, but after much dickering I sold it to some mechanically inclined teens for $75 plus a stick of gum so I broke even.
Weeks later went to a friend's house party and asked who owned the Dodge Dart in the driveway. A guy said he did and told me he just got a bargain from some teens for $150.
I told him I thought it was gonna need a new latex glove.

[AllaN01Bear]

50. i didnt own it, mom did . datuson b210 horrid thing.

[WhiteTara]

51. an Opal. if it rained, it would not start.

what a misery that car was.

[debm55]

187. Wow, how did they fix that? So sorry for you.

[WhiteTara]

196. they quit making the car was the fix!

I think they made this car for one year. Hilarious, isn't it? I learned how to dry the distributor cap.

[debm55]

198. HAHAHAHAH. Thank you White Tara.

[OAITW r.2.0]

52. Bought a '71 CJ5 (ragtop, NO roll bar) in 76.

Can't tell you how many times I thought I'd roll it when I got sideways on a 10 degree incline. High center of gravity and extremely short wheelbase. Before I bought it, I took it to the family mechanic and he told me that he wouldn't recommend as the engine compression was such that I'd soon need a complete ring job. Within 2 months it was in the shop for a ringjob that cost me 2x what I paid for the vehicle.

[debm55]

184. So sorry for you. OAITW r.2,0

[OAITW r.2.0]

200. Life lessons learned.

[madamesilverspurs]

53. 1960s Ford station wagon

Should have known what I was in for, previous owner had repainted it - with a brush (brush strokes on all the window edges was kind of a dead giveaway). But when you're poor, esthetics aren't the main concern. At one point I was on my way to work when the hood unlatched and rose up to block my view, fortunately in light traffic and other cars got out of my way as I eased over to the side of the road; one of the guys rigged a bicycle chain and lock to keep the hood down. Then, one winter day, I turned on the heater and it blew snow in my face. Drove into town to the garage where my friendly mechanic worked, and as I turned into his driveway the steering wheel came off in my hands. He was almost in tears as he begged me to give it up; sold it for $25 and bought a bicycle.


.

[claudette]

55. Mine was

a Plymouth Fury. Horrible

[dameatball]

56. Fiat 131, bought it used back around 78. Don't recall the year, maybe 74-76?

[Upthevibe]

61. debm55..............

A Chevrolet Chevette........ HORRIBLE! It left me stranded more times than I can count. It had electrical issues that were never resolved.

[debm55]

64. The second worse car was a Saturn. It was icy and I had a high climb to reach the school. The car had this button

that gave you extra power in the wheels.At the bottom of the hill, I knew, I still had to have a running start to makie it.When I made the right turn to go up the hill, a SOB in front of me started sliding down the hill toward me. I hit the gas so i could get out of his way. I did.But in doing so the I had to come out of my safe spot without a running start. The car slide across the road blocking the way to go up and down.I hit the gas again an got the car straightened out. I floored it . Never made it to the top . Half way up I burned the engine out as i found a drive way to pull into. I had recently bought it and owed the Credit Union 4,000 dollars on it. it had to towed to Care Dealer. Think I got 100 dollars for it. Bought a new Subaru in addition to paying off the Saturn.

[debm55]

188. Sorry Upthevibe, What did you do with it?

[WestMichRad]

66. We had a Dodge Caravan that I called the Deer Magnet.

‘84, I think, that we bought used. Seller (a friend) warned us that the van had experienced 3 collisions with deer (all repaired). We got to enjoy 2 more deer hits with it before we sold it.

None of the drivers in the family have ever hit a deer with any other vehicle (so far, anyway; fingers crossed), nor has my friend who sold it to us.

[BlueKota]

67. My Mom bought a Ford Crown Victoria the first year

it was introduced with money my Uncle left her. My Dad wasn't happy about it. He was a mechanic, and always preferred used cars, but he said it was her money, so she could do what she wanted. A friend also a mechanic told her not to buy any car the first year it came out.

She ignored both of them. It wasn't very long before the starter started going bad. My Dad was actually having to hit it with a stone to get it to work, while the dealership waited for a new one to be shipped. One day when they picked me up at work my boss saw my Dad doing that . He turns to me, and says, Linda isn't that a brand new car. I replied yep! He laughed and he said, I bet your Mom is hearing a lot of I told you so, from your Dad, I said yep.

We also spun out a few times, because it had horrible traction. A few years later she traded it for a Ford Tarus and she loved that car and stuck with that model until she passed away. Those were very nice.

[Wicked Blue]

68. Dodge Caravan. Went through five transmissions

Can't remember what year, but it was horrible.

[bedazzled]

83. My mom's town and country was the more expensive version of that

My mom had a caravan. She started to have trouble so she bought a more expensive version. Argh!

[Wicked Blue]

98. Apparently there was a manufacturing flaw that left bits of metal in the transmissions

The replacement transmissions had the same flaw.

[bedazzled]

103. Nightmare car

I told her to get a Toyota but she wouldn't listen ...

[Wicked Blue]

106. We've had Toyotas ever since

[bedazzled]

109. Smart!

I got a Honda and hope it lasts...

[LudwigPastorius]

69. 1985 Chevy Blazer

Underpowered, rough ride, Turbo-Crapomatic™ transmission, and it had tendency for the main seal to self destruct...

The latter happened to me on the freeway one day, but I had no idea what was happening because it didn't have an oil pressure gauge, just an idiot light that never came on.

One new short block later the transmission went out. I later found out that GM knew there were inherent problems with it, and had redesigned a new version, but decided to go ahead and put all the leftover bad transmissions in their cars.

That SUV was a POS.

[bedazzled]

72. My mom's car ... 2005 town and country

Power steering went if you went through a puddle. Stopped in the middle of intersections and wouldn't start. I truly hated that car and am glad it is no more

[surfered]

73. I ALMOST owned a 1965 Chevy Corsair...

...the only rear-mounted, air-cooled engine to be mass produced. A mechanic talked my father out of it and recommended the Plymouth Valiant with a 70,000 mile warranty. I got 12 years out of it. Luckily, after that near miss, none of the cars I've owned were bad experiences.

[ret5hd]

76. question: wasn't the VW bug...

rear engine and air cooled?

[grumpyduck]

79. Yup. I had a 1971 Super Beetle

for thirteen years and loved it. Of course things got worn out, but the car was awesome otherwise. Had so much fun in it.

[surfered]

94. You are correct.

I left out “the only American rear engine, air cooled.” Sorry about that. I am obviously not a mechanic.

[EverHopeful]

90. My Dad loved Corvairs

He'd get used ones cheap and work on them sort of as a hobby. If ever your junker car died you could go to Dad's and pick a Corvair. Then calculate how many miles-per-gallon of oil you were getting.

[oasis]

77. Plymouth Volare. Late 70s. JUNK.

[bedazzled]

84. I had one too!

Let's just say I wasn't proud to drive it. Thing barely stayed together

[debm55]

164. Sorry, oasis. Sounds like my Ramblers. Drivers side door tied withe rope so it wouldn.t fall off. no floor boards on the

passenger side==We called it the Flintstone car.

[brush]

78. An old Chevy "beater." Had a long commute and used it to drive to work...

everyday instead of putting all those miles on my good car. Had recap tires on it...remember those? Problem is when that recapped thread peeled off...look out and hope you're not on the freeway as the car became hard to control.

And of course that happened to me one day. The car veered off to the right, and lucky for me, off into an open field.

Taught me a lesson, no more recaps.

[debm55]

159. So sorry for you, brush . However, I am glad you survived what could have been a serious accident. I do remember recaps;

[Bayard]

80. Used Jeep Cherokee

It had obviously been used hard and put up wet in its past life. Used to break down all the time. Once, I was driving down the interstate and a rear window blew out. At least it didn't hit anybody.

[debm55]

194. So sorry, Bayard. Yes could have been very dangerous.

[radical noodle]

81. Dodge Phoenix with push button transmission

I forget the year, but it was early 1960s.

[debm55]

161. So sorry, radical noodle. My Saturn had a button for traction. It was a POS

[radical noodle]

192. The Phoenix died young

and did not rise again.

[debm55]

193. Did you have one? Ty radical noodle. Your reply was funny.

[pansypoo53219]

85. my dad gave me a 1984 olds delta 88 w/ a lot of miles that he thought he got a deal on. FM not worth it.

he's a mechanic.i found a 72 olds delta 88 1st. ss victoria made it 4 yrs w/ 1 piston sticky. trans issue. then i found a 73 olds delta. sweet pea made it 4+ yrs. hadn't turned 100k yet when i had to sell her.

also drove amc reliant. it did make me sit as far back from the steering wheel as i could.

[debm55]

124. Sorry, pansypoo53219,

[NBachers]

86. A Rambler and a Saab

Poor, young, and working, I bought the Rambler cheap when my other car died. One thing after another went, and I didn't have the money to get it fixed properly. I tried fixing it myself, but had no idea what I was doing. Too broke. I jacked it up to change one flat tire, and the tire on the opposite end popped on me. I left it by the railroad tracks to get new tires to put on it and someone broke into it and stole my lifetime record collection. My life was in a downward spiral with everything going wrong, and the car beat me black 'n' blue along with the other vicissitudes of life.

The Saab was 99L. I let a Saab enthusiast talk me into buying one he'd "fixed up." After a series of problems, I took it to an actual Saab dealer, and they told me it was worth maybe one-third of what I'd paid for it. I went back and let the seller know what I thought of him, but there wasn't much I could do about it. Another car that was a curse upon my life. Working, poor, and desperate is a horrible place to be.

[debm55]

123. So sorry about your cars. TY for posting about them.Nbachers.

[EverHopeful]

91. An ex had a Chevy Vega

Apparently aluminum block with no cylinder sleeves(?) was a bad idea.

[debm55]

122. Agree, TY EverHopeful.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

92. Everything made by Giggling Monkeys (aka General Motors).

[debm55]

121. HAHAHAHAH TY Hermit-The-Prog.

[Chipper Chat]

95. AMC PACER

Repairs daily.

[debm55]

120. So Sorry, Chipper Chat.

[Niagara]

96. The majority of them.

The only vehicle that didn't money hustle me was a 1982 Cutlass Calais.

There was a brief time where I thought the transmission was slipping but it turned out to be a $2 transmission seal replacement. That's right, a $2 fix.


I miss that car.

[debm55]

119. TY Niagara, At least you didn't have to have expensive work done to it!

[Prairie_Seagull]

100. Maybe I should not brag about this but.

Hands down the worst car and lets face it what we mean generally is the least mechanically sound car I have owned was a 1976 Mercury Capri. I loved how this car looked and being a car guy figured I would just fix what ailed it. I got the car for peanuts. Over the coming year I must have sank 2500. in it at least. This was 82 or83 Just one thing after another.

Fucking expensive peanuts.

[debm55]

118. Sorry, Prarie_Seagull

[bif]

101. Dastsun B210

Total piece of shit.

[debm55]

117. So sorry. bif.

[Joinfortmill]

102. Chevy Malibu. Horrid.

[debm55]

116. Sorry, Joinfortmill.

[malthaussen]

104. '72 Capri

Only used car I ever bought, also the first car I bought. Thing had constant problems, and eventually the muffler and a good part of the exhaust system just decided to fall off the chassis into the middle of the road.

I've only owned three cars (I drive them to destruction), and that one didn't last more than a couple of years.

-- Mal

[debm55]

115. Thank you, Mal

[jdadd]

105. 014 Dodge Neon

... I drove O Reiley auto parts store crazy, on their lifetime replacement guarantee ... It ate camshaft position sensors, I'd carry a spare. It was the Bic lighter of automobiles!

[debm55]

114. TY jdadd

[ProfessorGAC]

110. Can't Say That I've Had A Bad Car...

...but in '73, I was going to buy a Super Beetle.
My dad really hated the idea because he thought they were unsafe.
So he took my money, added about $600 more & bought a brand new Pinto.
Much safer!
A few years later we started hearing about Pintos bursting into flames & the tires on it (Firestone 500) had massive recalls over the belts cutting through the sidewalls.!
I never let my dad forget (light-heartedly) that he substituted an "unsafe" car for a death trap!

[debm55]

113. Thank you, ProfessorGAC.

[demosincebirth]

111. 1980 Ford Escort

[debm55]

112. TY demosincebirth.

[Mad_Dem_X]

125. When I was in my 20's, I had a Ford Escort

that was nothing but trouble from Day One. Couldn't wait to get rid of it.

[debm55]

128. Sorry Mad_Dem_x

[orangecrush]

127. Best and worst

81 AMC Eagle SX4

Jeep engine, kind of like a 4WD Gremlin. 2 door
Broke down constantly, but more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

73 Dodge Charger 400 magnum with 727 torque flight trans. 150 mph all day long. Her name was Roxanne (like the song) Silver with black interior. Largest diameter piston bore Mopar ever made. I was in my 20's, lucky not to be roadkill.

[NBachers]

132. I'm glad you lived through the Charger!

[orangecrush]

195. I have seen the dotted white line turn solid

And was bathed in the white light of a thousand high beams, with the voices of the Beach Boys singing like the angels choir

[debm55]

140. Ty orangecrush. I liked my jeep too.

[orangecrush]

197. Cantankerous

But fun.

[debm55]

199. Agree

[CrispyQ]

135. A Lancia.

Only two places in town worked on them & one was a crook. One of the happiest days of my life was the day we got traded in that car.

[debm55]

139. Sorry that happened to you, CrispyQ.

[Luciferous]

137. My parents had a Rambler when I

was a kid. I hated that car.

Worst car I ever owned was a Ford Escape. Finally got rid of it after it stalled out on the highway at 2 in the morning.

[debm55]

138. So sorry, Luciferous. I hated when the Rambler stalled. It can be very dangerous when that happens.

[ColinC]

153. I honestly think I could say I've never owned a bad car

I once had a ford escorts engine seize on me once. But that was not the cars fault… it was actually a really good car but like any car, the oil does need to be changed eventually…

[debm55]

155. You are lucky ColinC. TY

[Bo Zarts]

154. #1: '65 Simca - Total POS

#2: '74 Chevy Vega - Total POS, but not quite as bad as the Simca

[debm55]

156. BoZarts, who made the Simca? I am sorry you got stuck with two bad cars.

[Bo Zarts]

182. Simca was a French company

Simca cars were sold in the USA by Crysler in the 1960s.

[debm55]

191. TY

[SARose]

177. Plymouth Cricket

My first new car. Awful awful awful. My first car was a used Rambler - ran the wheels off!

[debm55]

190. So sorry, SARose.

[Best_man23]

186. Mine was my first, a 1976 Ford Granada

I called it "The Granola" because it was so badly rusted, it would crumble as it drove down the road. It had a wicked pull to the left. Only had it for a year before the frame literally came apart and dropped the engine on the road (fortunately, it did this at a stop light.

As a former auto technician, I have the tools and skill set to keep all but the biggest POS relatively road worthy. That said, I can recount many of the POS cars I had to work on as a tech, namely:

-Pontiac Fieros (the final 1988 model year was the best year for this car)
-The 1988-1990 Pontiac LeMans (these were REAL turds)
-First generation Hyundai Excels, especially the ones that came in after the South Korean Army forced striking Hyundai factory workers back to the plant. I was pulling loose bolts and empty bottles out of door interiors at least once a week for about 4-5 months.
-Late 80s and early 90s Mitsubishi (all of them), but especially the Eclipse.

[debm55]

189. Thank you for your honest post. As an auto technician, you have seen the POS cars. Can I ask you ---what did you think

of the Saturn and it's traction alert button ?

[Best_man23]

208. Haven't worked on Saturns, but here's my thoughts on TCS systems as a whole

The Traction Control System (TCS) has its pluses, and one minus that in some conditions, TCS can actually work against the driver.

Pluses: TCS can help in normal driving given the increased horsepower and torque in today's engines. In slightly wet, rainy conditions it allows drivers to get off to controlled starts without excessive wheel spin. It does this through selective application of the brakes through the ABS system, throttle control, and selective application and shifting of transmission clutches. Drivers of high horsepower cars like the Challenger and the Mustang refer to the TCS as the "nanny button".

Minus: The one time where TCS can actually work against the driver is in situations where having some wheel spin can get you out of a limited traction situation. Limited traction situations are going up snow covered hills and hills where there is loose dirt or rock. In this situation, TCS limiting wheel spin can prevent a car from getting enough momentum to move forward. Turning off the TCS in these situations may allow a driver to gain sufficient momentum to get up a slick hill by permitting the drive wheels to spin.

Sorry that I can speak specifically to the Saturn TCS button.

[debm55]

209. Thank you for post, It explains alot of what happen that day,

[RainCaster]

202. Ford Taurus

The EFI computer in that POS would die every few days while I was in rush hour traffic. All I could do is shut it off, open the hood and wait for it to cool down. Then start again and continue on my way. I will never buy another Ford. Never.

[debm55]

205. Oh my, RainCaster. I am very sorry.

[Aussie105]

203. A 1964 VW.

The bug, my first car.

I rebuilt that flat 4 air cooled engine so many times over the years I owned it, I built a spare and could swap them around in a weekend.
And fix the problem engine in my spare time for a swap, which was definitely going to happen.

The fact it was bought from a Toyota dealership dirt cheap and was left there by a travelling salesman should have been a hint, but I was young and foolish I guess.

Parked it after I drove through flood waters and cracked both heads.

Then I got sick, couldn't get back to it soon enough - it was parked in a country town 250 miles away.
Parents got rid of it.

Now modern cars are so much better. I haven't needed to rebuild an engine for many decades.

[debm55]

204. Ty Aussie105. Sorry about your VW.

[Conjuay]

212. Saab 96

Three cylinder, two stroke engine with THREE carburetors.
You had a set of 'cold' sparkplugs for highway, and a set of hot plugs for city driving - otherwise the spark plugs would foul from the oil in the gas.
It had rubber grommets for drive train transaxles which constantly tore up.
But you could run the engine backwards because it had ports instead of valves.
Great car for confusing stoners, because with the engine running backwards you had four reverse gears and one forward.
I did that trick several times to friends- it was both the suckiest car and the most amazing car at the same time.

[debm55]

214. Ty Conjuay.