Worst car (or truck) you ever had
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My worst was an '86 VW Golf. Bought new, treated reasonably well. Dimed and dollared me for 147K miles. This was from the Pennsylvania plant that cost ONE BILLION to put up, and was closed ten years later. Had a "hencho en Mexico" motor, Brazilian rims, German rotors, and Canadian calipers. Driver's seat cushion shifted under the cloth just enough to annoy me till it finally broke in again. Thrown together by someone who lost a bet.
Had a distorted windshield from the beginning, would give you headaches on hilly roads as you looked through the "waves". Replaced under warranty, and the second was nearly as bad. They had me select and approve the THIRD windshield, and it was distorted on the passenger side. Strangely bad CV joint that defied initial diagnosis by two different shops, shook everything, which eventually led to A/C condenser failure, and later, radiator failure, because the stupid condenser is bolted to the plastic shell/ends of the radiator. By the time I gave it away to charity, it had a cracked windshield (stress), a seized right rear brake adjuster, an inoperable RR door, the shifter joint under the console broke apart leaving 2-3 inches of slack in the shifter, leaking coolant tank, and was on its third set of struts (the first set was shot before 7 thousand miles). Oh yeah-and it cost me $300 to have a shop do my (second) cam belt 'cos one bolt on the crank nose froze up and stripped the allen head out. All tolled, it cost me $3000+ in shop costs for an $8500 car.
Had a distorted windshield from the beginning, would give you headaches on hilly roads as you looked through the "waves". Replaced under warranty, and the second was nearly as bad. They had me select and approve the THIRD windshield, and it was distorted on the passenger side. Strangely bad CV joint that defied initial diagnosis by two different shops, shook everything, which eventually led to A/C condenser failure, and later, radiator failure, because the stupid condenser is bolted to the plastic shell/ends of the radiator. By the time I gave it away to charity, it had a cracked windshield (stress), a seized right rear brake adjuster, an inoperable RR door, the shifter joint under the console broke apart leaving 2-3 inches of slack in the shifter, leaking coolant tank, and was on its third set of struts (the first set was shot before 7 thousand miles). Oh yeah-and it cost me $300 to have a shop do my (second) cam belt 'cos one bolt on the crank nose froze up and stripped the allen head out. All tolled, it cost me $3000+ in shop costs for an $8500 car.
Worst car: 95 Chevy Caprice Classic 4.3L V8, I hated it, seeing where the distributor cap and rotor were locted was a real treat. Designs like that are probably reasons GM is in the shape they're in. I couldn't wait to get rid of it.
Worst Truck/Van, 1979 Dogde van with the beloved Slant 6. It would never start in the rain, and had no power at all. I know the engines were supposed to be the best, and maybe they were, mine suuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccccccccccccccckkkked. Now the 318, that engine was awesome.
Worst Truck/Van, 1979 Dogde van with the beloved Slant 6. It would never start in the rain, and had no power at all. I know the engines were supposed to be the best, and maybe they were, mine suuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccccccccccccccckkkked. Now the 318, that engine was awesome.
2003 Chevy Trailblazer LT bought new and maintained well until traded at 50k miles:
-intermittantly could not move shifter out of Park, never fixed
-whistling rear axle bearing, replaced by dealer
-dash gauges would intermittantly flash berzerkly, never fixed
-battery slowly failed inexplicably, requiring replacement
-fan clutch failed just before we traded it, never fixed
-drive line vibration at 60mph, repeatable
-on challenging roads, the closed doors would flex out of their openings, extremely scary
-and the final corker was the letter from GM warning us that the engine could fail at any time without warning, something to do with the cylinder liners IIRC
-intermittantly could not move shifter out of Park, never fixed
-whistling rear axle bearing, replaced by dealer
-dash gauges would intermittantly flash berzerkly, never fixed
-battery slowly failed inexplicably, requiring replacement
-fan clutch failed just before we traded it, never fixed
-drive line vibration at 60mph, repeatable
-on challenging roads, the closed doors would flex out of their openings, extremely scary
-and the final corker was the letter from GM warning us that the engine could fail at any time without warning, something to do with the cylinder liners IIRC
As much as I really liked this car I'll have to say my 1991 Caddy Eldorado Touring Coupe that I purchased used with about 60,000 miles on it. Beautiful car with white paint and tan leather interior. It was basically a technological nightmare.
It also was the 1st year of many Caddy items including the -
1) 4.9L V-8 engine
2) Electronically controlled transaxle
3) Computer Command Ride Suspension
I will say that it never failed to start or left me stranded but luckily I purchased a warranty with it.
Let's see what went wrong.......
1) Engine started making odd noises pretty much when I picked it up. Figured out dealer must have had heavy oil in it to mask problems. Turns out the main bearings were bad and I could hear a rod knock under load. So, the car needed a main bearing job at 60k.
2) Factory bose sound system didn't work most of the time.
3) Computer Command Ride system had numerous issues. For those that don't know the system, the struts had electronic dampers that would adjust the firmness of the ride according to driving conditions. Just to make it more fun, the rear struts also acted as air shocks. When I bought the car, there was an error on the driver information center. Took several tries to get it fixed and finally after getting the warranty company to agree to pay for replacment of all the struts, it was ok for a little while.
4) Same CCR system would give me errors anytime I drove the car in heavy rain or in snow. I guess water was getting into something and shorting it out.
5) Lots of fluid leaks! Maybe not at the same time but it was rare when the car wouldn't leave it's mark on the driveway. Valve cover gaskets, timing cover, oil pan, seals, trans pan, head gaskets, etc.
6) Starter had a dead spot in it that would act up at random times. Finally happened to the mechanic when he had it so it was replaced under warranty.
7) Had random torque converter lockup issues. Basically you'd be at a steady cruising speed and the coverter would unlock and trip the SES light. The transmission "expert" supposedly fixed it by changing the torque converter. Problem came back though.
8) EGR valve went bad which caused horrible pinging issues. Was able to change it myself but even the removal of two bolts on that engine was a challenge. I had to remove the thermostat neck just to be able to get a special universal joint socket on one of the bolts.
9) I noticed right before I got rid of it, the engine started to develop a slight piston slap noise during warm up.
Had the car for 3 years and I couldn't take it anymore.
I sold the car to a used car dealer for cash. I hope he wholesaled it.
Ed B.
It also was the 1st year of many Caddy items including the -
1) 4.9L V-8 engine
2) Electronically controlled transaxle
3) Computer Command Ride Suspension
I will say that it never failed to start or left me stranded but luckily I purchased a warranty with it.
Let's see what went wrong.......
1) Engine started making odd noises pretty much when I picked it up. Figured out dealer must have had heavy oil in it to mask problems. Turns out the main bearings were bad and I could hear a rod knock under load. So, the car needed a main bearing job at 60k.
2) Factory bose sound system didn't work most of the time.
3) Computer Command Ride system had numerous issues. For those that don't know the system, the struts had electronic dampers that would adjust the firmness of the ride according to driving conditions. Just to make it more fun, the rear struts also acted as air shocks. When I bought the car, there was an error on the driver information center. Took several tries to get it fixed and finally after getting the warranty company to agree to pay for replacment of all the struts, it was ok for a little while.
4) Same CCR system would give me errors anytime I drove the car in heavy rain or in snow. I guess water was getting into something and shorting it out.
5) Lots of fluid leaks! Maybe not at the same time but it was rare when the car wouldn't leave it's mark on the driveway. Valve cover gaskets, timing cover, oil pan, seals, trans pan, head gaskets, etc.
6) Starter had a dead spot in it that would act up at random times. Finally happened to the mechanic when he had it so it was replaced under warranty.
7) Had random torque converter lockup issues. Basically you'd be at a steady cruising speed and the coverter would unlock and trip the SES light. The transmission "expert" supposedly fixed it by changing the torque converter. Problem came back though.
8) EGR valve went bad which caused horrible pinging issues. Was able to change it myself but even the removal of two bolts on that engine was a challenge. I had to remove the thermostat neck just to be able to get a special universal joint socket on one of the bolts.
9) I noticed right before I got rid of it, the engine started to develop a slight piston slap noise during warm up.
Had the car for 3 years and I couldn't take it anymore.
I sold the car to a used car dealer for cash. I hope he wholesaled it.
Ed B.
Originally Posted By: GMFan
In our family, it was a 1992 Chrysler Town & Country (fully loaded).
Picture
It seemed like every month, something would fail after it hit 80k miles.
that describes my exact experience with a '93 oldsmobile 98! Perfectly fine car until 80k then, wow, talk about planned obsolescence! My dad felt pretty bad since I bought the car off of him...
In our family, it was a 1992 Chrysler Town & Country (fully loaded).
Picture
It seemed like every month, something would fail after it hit 80k miles.
that describes my exact experience with a '93 oldsmobile 98! Perfectly fine car until 80k then, wow, talk about planned obsolescence! My dad felt pretty bad since I bought the car off of him...
1991 Ford Taurus bought brand new. High idle speed due to throttle body, TPS. Defective motor mounts, Bad tie rod ends, faulty ignition switch, water pump bearing failed, A/C compressor froze. Automatic transmission blew up just before the 60,000 mile warranty, so it was covered.
One day my wife came home with our family with smoke pouring out of the hood because the starter was still running due to a stuck solenoid. Fortunately I was home and able to yank the battery cables off, almost burning my hands in the process. If it weren't for my family that I wanted to save, I would have been tempted to let it burn to the ground.
Absolutely the worst car I ever owned. I have AAA towing. Between this car and another Ford, we were using it all the time. Since I have switched to Chevys, I've only used my AAA towing twice. And it's been 10 years since that Taurus was gone.
The final straw was when the right front axle was vibrating. I took it to a transmission shop and they could see it moving from side to side and couldn't tell if it was the axle or transmission. I drove it that way for two more months and finally died to a cylinder that lost compression. I didn't know if it was the cylinder head, gasket, piston, or rings. I didn't care at that point. I donated it to charity and was glad to see it go. No more Fords for me.
One day my wife came home with our family with smoke pouring out of the hood because the starter was still running due to a stuck solenoid. Fortunately I was home and able to yank the battery cables off, almost burning my hands in the process. If it weren't for my family that I wanted to save, I would have been tempted to let it burn to the ground.
Absolutely the worst car I ever owned. I have AAA towing. Between this car and another Ford, we were using it all the time. Since I have switched to Chevys, I've only used my AAA towing twice. And it's been 10 years since that Taurus was gone.
The final straw was when the right front axle was vibrating. I took it to a transmission shop and they could see it moving from side to side and couldn't tell if it was the axle or transmission. I drove it that way for two more months and finally died to a cylinder that lost compression. I didn't know if it was the cylinder head, gasket, piston, or rings. I didn't care at that point. I donated it to charity and was glad to see it go. No more Fords for me.
1987 Ford Ranger 2.3 5 speed.
1980 Datsun 720 p/u.
1980 Datsun 720 p/u.
1990 Plymouth Grand Caravan
The problems:
-The front disc brakes had a catastrophic premature breakdown to the point where the front wheels would barely turn.
-head gasket blew on the V6 engine. Odd how this happened *just* past the warranty coverage and the dealer would not budge on coverage.
-wires in the wiring harness between the doors and body started fraying causing intermittent operational issues with the power locks and windows.
-coolant pipes to the rear AC/Heater unit started leaking prematurely
-all sorts of electrical gremlins... it was so bad that I started carrying a spare battery in the back. When it would not start... a simple swap of the battery would get it going. Alternator always tested out ok.
This was a loaded vehicle with every conceivable option Chrysler could throw at it. At the end of my ownership I was so fed-up with it that I traded it for a new bare-ones Toyota Tercel. I wanted nothing to do with all the bells 'n whistles... just basic reliable transportation. The Tercel provided that for 200,000 miles with nothing other than scheduled maintenance.
Swore I would never own another Chrysler product... but I'm now rolling in a 2001 Chrysler Neon. Put a fair bit into it in terms of replacing wear items to keep it going. At this point the plan is to keep it a bit longer to get the value out of my repairs and then pickup something newer in a documented reliable vehicle.
The problems:
-The front disc brakes had a catastrophic premature breakdown to the point where the front wheels would barely turn.
-head gasket blew on the V6 engine. Odd how this happened *just* past the warranty coverage and the dealer would not budge on coverage.
-wires in the wiring harness between the doors and body started fraying causing intermittent operational issues with the power locks and windows.
-coolant pipes to the rear AC/Heater unit started leaking prematurely
-all sorts of electrical gremlins... it was so bad that I started carrying a spare battery in the back. When it would not start... a simple swap of the battery would get it going. Alternator always tested out ok.
This was a loaded vehicle with every conceivable option Chrysler could throw at it. At the end of my ownership I was so fed-up with it that I traded it for a new bare-ones Toyota Tercel. I wanted nothing to do with all the bells 'n whistles... just basic reliable transportation. The Tercel provided that for 200,000 miles with nothing other than scheduled maintenance.
Swore I would never own another Chrysler product... but I'm now rolling in a 2001 Chrysler Neon. Put a fair bit into it in terms of replacing wear items to keep it going. At this point the plan is to keep it a bit longer to get the value out of my repairs and then pickup something newer in a documented reliable vehicle.
Every GM and Ford product I've ever owned! Total craaaap.
John
John
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
1974 Ford Courier. When it ran it was a decent little truck. But it wouldn't start when it was below about 25 degrees outside. Had valve issues by 40K miles. Tranmission issues by about 50K. I sold it cheap when it started having transmission issues just to get rid of it.
They didn't get any better- My all-time worst experience was with a 1979 Mazda B-2000 (aka Ford Courier under the Mazda nameplate). Couldn't keep the front-end intact for anything, the Mikuni carb was the most over-complicated and dysfunctional non-electronic device I've ever seen, and it rusted without ever getting NEAR salt.
Second-worst was an 84 Chevy Cavalier. My wife was very proud of it as it was her first car and she bought it brand new with her own money. I married into it, and it was a mess with only 85k miles on it. The transmission had gone by then, we replaced it. The AC quit and was repaired repeatedly. When we sold it the steering rack was leaking like a sieve. The engine was never any real trouble, although even the most minor service (like changing the oil filter) was an exercise in pain.
Third-worst was a 1978 Plymouth Horizon. Most of the Chrysler parts did OK, with the exception of the transaxle which blew up and was replaced under warranty by a re-designed version that never gave any more trouble. But the VW-based engine was a disaster. Finally died of a repeatedly blown head gasket.
1974 Ford Courier. When it ran it was a decent little truck. But it wouldn't start when it was below about 25 degrees outside. Had valve issues by 40K miles. Tranmission issues by about 50K. I sold it cheap when it started having transmission issues just to get rid of it.
They didn't get any better- My all-time worst experience was with a 1979 Mazda B-2000 (aka Ford Courier under the Mazda nameplate). Couldn't keep the front-end intact for anything, the Mikuni carb was the most over-complicated and dysfunctional non-electronic device I've ever seen, and it rusted without ever getting NEAR salt.
Second-worst was an 84 Chevy Cavalier. My wife was very proud of it as it was her first car and she bought it brand new with her own money. I married into it, and it was a mess with only 85k miles on it. The transmission had gone by then, we replaced it. The AC quit and was repaired repeatedly. When we sold it the steering rack was leaking like a sieve. The engine was never any real trouble, although even the most minor service (like changing the oil filter) was an exercise in pain.
Third-worst was a 1978 Plymouth Horizon. Most of the Chrysler parts did OK, with the exception of the transaxle which blew up and was replaced under warranty by a re-designed version that never gave any more trouble. But the VW-based engine was a disaster. Finally died of a repeatedly blown head gasket.
1998 Ford Countour.... In the shop more than on the road. after 18,000 got rid of it....
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