What is the worst car you've ever owned?

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prgtexas921@reddit

I too had a 75 gremlin x with door hinge issues. V8 with a 22 gallon gas tank and an AC with a “dessert only” setting. Very unique car. The transmission wound up failing at about 80k miles. Classic American car quality at the time

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West-Combination6685@reddit

licorice dispenser?

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ZaporozhianCossack@reddit

304 engine?

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prgtexas921@reddit

Yes

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Cambren1@reddit

Datsun 510

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titanicdiamond@reddit

My dad has a story about dropping a 350 in a Gremlin with a buddy. Ended ok, but pants were burned and brake parts were purchased.

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Hot-Development-9036@reddit

1985 Pontiac Grand Prix. It had a gutless V6. Transmission failed - twice. Leaked oil constantly. It was my first car and it looked kinda cool but very unreliable. Put me off GMs for life.

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JunkMilesDavis@reddit

99 Pontiac Grand Am GT. Nice looking car, very fun to drive, but everything that could go wrong went wrong. Water pump, two alternators, transmission cooler lines, lower intake manifold gasket (leaked coolant into the oil,) blower motor resistor, radio volume knob, skipping CD player, power moonroof, shocks, broken suspension springs, multiple failed wheel bearings, seized brake calipers, exhaust leak, weird shifting issues with the auto transmission, bubbling dashboard, peeling armrests, and some mystery coolant loss that finally convinced me to get out while it still ran. I'm sure I forgot to mention a few more. This was not a high-mileage vehicle either, I bought it with 30k miles, and dumped it with about 95k.

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Youcants1tw1thus@reddit

Volkswagen Passat 1.8t

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Cranks_No_Start@reddit

82 Renault LeCar. My neighbor gave it to me as she decided to stop driving. I drove it to the car wash and back and it never ran again.

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Rough_Cancel7265@reddit

V70R. Owned 5 other cars from the mid 2000s that had similar mileage or more. Nothing came close to breaking as much as that did.

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Cranks_No_Start@reddit

While I loved the R imho the T5 had most of the power and ability but without the super expensive brakes and suspension.

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_MadSuburbanDad_@reddit

I still have one. It's broken.

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Embarrassed_Gur8769@reddit

Suzuki Samurai. It rode like a buck board wagon. Sounded like a one man band. Didn't have enough power to go anywhere on an uphill ramp. So embarrassing.

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Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

'19 Fiat 500

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Embarrassed_Gur8769@reddit

Fiat (Fix It Again, Tony)

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thyperson69@reddit

Early 2000's Dodge stratus... the battery is only accessible by taking off the driver side tire and wheel shroud. It takes a specialized coolant. Horriffic blind spots. Just a pile of finicky shit.

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Due-Emotion-6789@reddit

Ford Pinto or Toyota Corona: The pinto had automatic transmission and power steering but it was so slow! I used it for a daily driver and would go up and down hills after school and on the weekends, it could handle and steer well. The Corona had a 1.4 and stick shift. Me and a friend tried to drive it to Modesto from San Jose and it died on the Livermore/Altamont highway.

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FightForLSU@reddit

2016 Chevy Cruze LTZ. Twice in the five years I’ve had it, I had to spend $4000+ to get things repaired. Traded it in with a coolant leak and when the oil pressure light came on and left me on the side of the road. Had enough.

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NeuroguyNC@reddit

2002 Jaguar X-Type. Was in the shop 3 of the 6 months I owned it for warranty work. The dealership sucked, too. They once gave me a Chevy S-10 pickup for a loaner.

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ThirdSunRising@reddit

You say that as though the S-10 were a downgrade. But it was capable of traveling from place to place without the assistance of a tow truck.

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pdxoski@reddit

An 85 Mitsubishi Galant

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TraditionalTackle1@reddit

Not me but my dad had a 77 Granada, it was a shitbox on wheels.

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Timdawg919@reddit (OP)

Actually I always wanted a Grenada/Monarch.

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ThirdSunRising@reddit

The best time to buy one was 1993. The second best time is now.

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adjusterjackc@reddit

You got a year out of your Gremlin for $400.

I got two months out of a 1958 Ford sedan that I bought for $100 in 1967.

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Fuzzy_Yossarian@reddit

People mistake it for a Mercedes in the driveway...

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ThirdSunRising@reddit

Lmao I still cannot believe they attempted to sell it with that

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GrumpyCatStevens@reddit

Allegedlys.

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RealBigDickBrannigan@reddit

I thought it was a Cadillac Seville...

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BackgroundGrass429@reddit

78 Ford Fiesta. No power at all. 4 speed manual and was in 4th at 30. Also need to mention it was orange. With an orange interior.

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Professional_Bat9174@reddit

No power at all? Considering the Orange/orange, sounds like that thing was almost of muscle car when it came to star power lol

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ThirdSunRising@reddit

Wherever he went, there was a fiesta

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ApprehensiveArt2813@reddit

We had a teal one. I feel your pain😂😂

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Timdawg919@reddit (OP)

Ugh orange interior 😔

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Due_Government4387@reddit

2005 Jag X type. Had it for 2 years an it’s been operational for 1

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GrumpyCatStevens@reddit

1982 Audi Coupe. I bought it for $1400 in 1994 with over 200K on the odometer. Stupid me didn't realize how expensive a cheap European car could be.

The seller said the car was "non-op'ed"; I found out when I went to transfer title that he had actually let the registration lapse. He also did not disclose that the car had a salvage title. Life with that car was a never-ending litany of electrical gremlins. I was not the least bit sad to see it go.

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Bleades@reddit

2006 Mazda 6. Not because it was a bad car I just buy good cars. My 73 MGB might tie it since it rarely works and I'm constantly fixing it but when it does work I can't stop smiling. The Mazda didn't break, it was reliable, but just handled okay and was exactly exciting. 98 Camry absolute blast, 96 Integra was amazing, 14 Focus ST makes me giggle like a school girl. 06 F150 was just a fantastic work truck.

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RealBigDickBrannigan@reddit

I had a '72 MGB for one year back in the late 80's. I got tired of fixing something every week before I could drive it (usually Lucas electrical related). But as you say, it was a blast to cruise in with the top down... looking UP at Honda Civics ;)

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Willing_Sink_3623@reddit

2012 mini cooper s. That is the only car I have owned that outwardly refused to be repaired.

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njaneardude@reddit

I've owned so many cars, and so many were bad. It might have been a 1982 Jeep CJ7 Golden Eagle hardtop. Yeah, cool in appearance, but with a 304 V8 and 3 speed manual transmission, it drank gas just starting it. I was getting single digit gas mileage. I got rid of it.

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Blu_yello_husky@reddit

2001 buick lesabre. Bought for 600 bucks with a blown tranny. Normally I stay away from newer cars, but everyone i talked to swears by the buick 3800, so I figured, with this one at just 120k miles, I would be stupid not to buy it. So I bought it and swapped the tranny, and guess what...

Worst pile of shit car ive ever owned. I KNEW i should have trusted my gut and not bought a modern car, I just knew it. But no, I had to go and listen to people who i thought were trustworthy. Last time I buy a car based off recommendation only.

The engine always had a misfire in could bever figure out, cruise control never worked, the heat didnt work, and the car overheated all the time. "3800s are bulletproof" MY ASS. And outside of engine, the interior felt cheap, numorous accesory lights didnt work, half the luxury features didnt work properly or at all, and the car rode like shit. Most disappointing car ive ever had the displeasure of owning.

10/10 would never recommend. Ill stick with what I know from now on, 70s and 80s cars. Never again will I ever own a modern car. What a trainwreck.

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Total-Improvement535@reddit

2016 Fiat 500

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ReceptionUnhappy2545@reddit

2011 BMW 328I. Every week check engine light.....

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UnderwhelmingAF@reddit

1994 Ford Aspire. Slow as hell with 90’s Kia reliability.

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crookedledder@reddit

1994 Chevy Corsica.

Radiator leaked. Intake gaskets leaked. Valve covers leaked. Power steering pump failed three times. Motor mount broke. A/C compressor leaked.

Something under the dash would leak when it rained. Window switch failed. Interior pieces fell apart. Cruise control wiring failed. Cruise control switch failed. Cruise control vacuum lines failed.

The clear coat and paint were peeling. A wheel bearing failed. The right side transmission output shaft seal leaked.

Finally around 190,000 miles, the transmission failed in Bumfuck Kentucky. Needing a replacement vehicle was kindof a relief.

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OtterCreek_Andrew@reddit

Dodge avenger

It was my wife’s car in college. It was in the shop almost as much as it was on the road. Just a total lemon of a car. We finally got tired of it and decided we’d get it fixed one last time and drive it STRAIGHT to the dealership to trade it in. The salesman went out to start it before finalizing the trade in and it wouldn’t start. They offered us $500 and we took it. It gave us one final fuck you before getting rid of it. 13 years later we still have a chuckle about it anytime we see one on the road.

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scottwax@reddit

1979 Pontiac Sunturd. Anemic 110 HP 3.8 V6. Even with a 4 speed manual it was a slug. At 80,000 miles everything electrical started to go bad.

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d3m01iti0n@reddit

2006 Nissan Altima SE-R. I always wanted a Maxima, but ended up with this for the extra HP, lighter weight and exclusivity of the badge.

What a pile of crap. Passenger floor rotted out. Timing chain tensioner squeaked constantly. Struts imnediately blew out.

I've always been a diehard Ford guy but wanted to try Nissan. Never again.

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New-Job1761@reddit

57 Ford convertible purchased in 61 and traded off in 66. Beautiful car but an absolute lemony horror. Ford outsold Chevy in 1957 but look around. Lot of 57 Chevys still about. Seen a 57 Ford lately? I’m 86 and I never owned a vehicle as bad as that one. Neon came close but no cigar. Pulled into a welding shop and before I opened my mouth, they said upper rear shock brackets. They were dead on. Got an average of one 57 Ford a week. Replaced parts I had never heard of. Drifted right even with front end alignment. New neighbor owned a shop. He said it’s probably ( get this) the right side inner, outer, upper control arm bushing. Goes bad on the 57. Thought he was jiving until he showed me in the book. He replaced it and all was fine. I replaced every thing from the radiator to the differential and everything in between.

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artest1111@reddit

06 Audi a4

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profaniKel@reddit

Mustang II

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_MadSuburbanDad_@reddit

Boredom Zero.

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_MadSuburbanDad_@reddit

So, so many...

Had a mid-70s Plymouth Valiant with a bad carb that would flood and stall on hard left turns. I used to make three rights to turn left in some instances. The cherry on the shit sundae was that it had been sideswiped on the drivers side so the driver's door wouldn't open. I had to slide in across the bench seat from the passenger side.

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H8HumanServices@reddit

2006 Pontiac gto.

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Brixmis51@reddit

Was that one of the rebadged Holdens?

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Gen_Ecks@reddit

Yep

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ThirdSunRising@reddit

It was bad? What went wrong? Cause I’ve never heard anything bad about those

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arbakken@reddit

Wow, your bar is much higher than mine

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Gen_Ecks@reddit

1967 Pontiac GTO. Bought it in 1983 in high school. Owned it a year and only bought $8 of gas the entire time. It was a total piece of shit that 16 yr old me thought he was going to fix up. Lolz.

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all_bullspit@reddit

72 Ford Galaxy 500. 351 Windsor. Was told it was a Cleveland. Rust holes so big I could fit my head thru into the trunk. Traded my nearly pristine 81 Datsun 200sx... Dumb trade. But worst of the worst... Traded my Mazda b2600i for a crapolac (Cadillac)... Every part that got taken... WhAtever was behind it was in worse shape. I'll never buy another Cadillac

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International-Pen940@reddit

Plymouth Horizon (‘78 I think), my first car. It drove pretty well for a while but the build quality was bad—the door mechanisms kept breaking and at one point most doors opened either from the inside or the outside, not both. Toward the end it overheated and I had to turn the heat on in summer to make it up hills. Replaced it with a Ford Escort that had a lot less acceleration and a clunky four-speed manual, but it didn’t fall apart.

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windmill09@reddit

2011 BMW 335i. That car was maintained by BMW at every service internal. It was only used for commuting to work. Somehow, it still broke down every couple months after the odometer reached 55k miles, including high pressure fuel pump, melted charge pipe, and broken wastegate. I've owned a ton of different cars, including Porsche, Nissan, Mazda, Infiniti, and Lexus sports cars. None of them had an issue until well past 100k miles. I never owned another BMW again. I heard the B58 engines are much improved, but yea no way I'm gambling on that sht again.

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lococommotion@reddit

2002 opel astra station wagon. Was an absolute POS and left me stranded twice

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Hungry-Job-3198@reddit

The door falling off the OPs gremlin reminds of a story a coworker told me. I started working in automotive in the mid to late 90s. I was working at a dealership in the service department. An older salesman told me a story about a dealership he worked at who started selling yugos when they first came to America. He said a young couple made an appt to look at one and showed up to see them. He walked them over and was showing them the car. Went to open the driver’s door to show them the interior and the drivers door fell off lol. You should have heard this salesman talk about yugos with the deepest disgust. Every time he talked about it I would die laughing.

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OTPguy@reddit

General Motors - after having three of their vehicles over the course of 20+ years, I said never again. The last 20 or so years has been Ford and Honda. Honda's is darn near bulletproof flawless awesome, even when the car is like 10 years old. And the Ford is decent too.

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SirWillae@reddit

1996 Ford Taurus

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DoubleWrongdoer1540@reddit

Dodge Intrepid

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Altruistic-Rip4364@reddit

I had a 94 intrepid. Whatever wasn’t broken was just waiting in line to do so. Garbage.

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banananas_are_sick24@reddit

The stupid 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Limited. It looks bad, the throttle has a noticeable delay, the suspension feels awful, it constantly breaks, and it doesn’t even make up for it by being fast, easily the slowest 300 hp car I’ve ever driven.

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Mrofcourse@reddit

98 dodge Dakota sport. It left me stranded multiple times, I have a lot of fond memories because it was my first car but that thing was awful!

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Monster51915@reddit

My dad had a Dodge Dakota in similar years and he says it was trash around when he met my mom. He owned it for a couple years, did maintenance all the time on the dime and then eventually the transmission blew up on the road. He then got a Subaru legacy Wagon and that was their car for me when I was an infant and that was great.

I will say that I kinda enjoyed the looks of the Dakota and think it’d be cool for Dodge to bring back a midsized truck but knowing them it’ll either have lots of reliability issues, or be too expensive.

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Mrofcourse@reddit

What did mine in was a spun bearing. I let like before that something would leave me stranded or limping every few months. Every once in awhile I’ll see one on the road and be shocked that they are still around.

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Monster51915@reddit

Same, and saw one a couple weeks ago and it looks nice but I’ve mainly only heard bad things about them sadly.

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NuclearHateLizard@reddit

2001 vw Jetta tdi. Loved the drivetrain, and it probably would have driven the shitbox of a car to 1 mil miles easily. She made it half way there, interior deteriorating along the way. One winter morning all the door locks seized and broke, so I took out my frustrations on the body work and sent it for scrap

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AnthropoligizeThree@reddit

87 T-Bird, couch on wheels, knuckle busting 302 V8 …. I thought the digital Speedo was slick when I was 16

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GrinderMonkey@reddit

Had a 98 Ford Explorer that was a real piece of shit. Ive never had a car where I had to count times stranded per month.

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the_real_MBAPROF@reddit

I bought a new 1974 Mustang II back that year. Horrible car. Kept it for 4 months and sold it. What was Ford thinking? A Pinto platform and calling it a Mustang? POS.

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Tuques@reddit

13 vw jetta hands down

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SurlyJohn009@reddit

I owned 3 VWs, all were money pits. Electrical gremlins like no other make.

Switched me to start buying Japanese vehicles, which I have 3 of now.

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SurlyJohn009@reddit

I had a 1981 Ford Escort passed down to me. Was a terrible example of the lean years for Ford, and that is being so overly nice.

Transmission was a nightmare, failed. Eventually after every type of work I could do to it to keep it alive, it blew the head gasket on I-5 going about 65 mph. It died at 79k. Such a turd.

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I paid $400 for the car in the mid 80's. It lasted a little over a year until my stepfather/mechanic got me a 78 Pontiac Catalina.

\~$33/mo for that bad boy, sounds like a great car

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Timdawg919@reddit (OP)

Ugh orange interior 😔