Worst or most problematic car you've owned?

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Thought I'd chimed in on this but didn't see that I had. For me, it's an easy one...

2003 Mercedes Benz C320 sedan

Bought it new (cash from mom's life insurance). It was just a bit more than the Passat's, Altima's, and GM products that I looked at. It was a nice car and I rationalized the extra because I could keep if for decades based on the 'legendary Merc reliability'. Wow was I wrong. Bought it on Valentines day, the next morning I got in and the gear shifter came of in my hand - not the knob but the entire linkage assembly. Dealer said that was 'normal' and it took them 4 months to convince them otherwise. In the eight months I owned the POS it had 5 laser key replacements. The last straw was the traction control trying to kill me every time it rained.

The service was the only thing worse. The one and only time I got the 'loaner' in all the trips in to service it was filthy and smelled horrible.

Runner up was the 2003 Chevy Trailblazer we got just before that. The trim kept falling off and it made horrible but 'normal' sounds every time we put it in 4 wheel drive.
 
Quote:
Way to lead off a "for sale" ad!


"Like new low miles daily driver, reliable."
smile.gif


You must not be familiar with Craigslist!
lol.gif
 
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
Thought I'd chimed in on this but didn't see that I had. For me, it's an easy one...

2003 Mercedes Benz C320 sedan

Bought it new (cash from mom's life insurance). It was just a bit more than the Passat's, Altima's, and GM products that I looked at. It was a nice car and I rationalized the extra because I could keep if for decades based on the 'legendary Merc reliability'. Wow was I wrong. Bought it on Valentines day, the next morning I got in and the gear shifter came of in my hand - not the knob but the entire linkage assembly. Dealer said that was 'normal' and it took them 4 months to convince them otherwise. In the eight months I owned the POS it had 5 laser key replacements. The last straw was the traction control trying to kill me every time it rained.

The service was the only thing worse. The one and only time I got the 'loaner' in all the trips in to service it was filthy and smelled horrible.

Runner up was the 2003 Chevy Trailblazer we got just before that. The trim kept falling off and it made horrible but 'normal' sounds every time we put it in 4 wheel drive.


The linkage breaking is normal? Yeah, I think that happens about every 5,000 miles!
15.gif


John
 
Originally Posted By: John_K
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
Thought I'd chimed in on this but didn't see that I had. For me, it's an easy one...

2003 Mercedes Benz C320 sedan

Bought it new (cash from mom's life insurance). It was just a bit more than the Passat's, Altima's, and GM products that I looked at. It was a nice car and I rationalized the extra because I could keep if for decades based on the 'legendary Merc reliability'. Wow was I wrong. Bought it on Valentines day, the next morning I got in and the gear shifter came of in my hand - not the knob but the entire linkage assembly. Dealer said that was 'normal' and it took them 4 months to convince them otherwise. In the eight months I owned the POS it had 5 laser key replacements. The last straw was the traction control trying to kill me every time it rained.

The service was the only thing worse. The one and only time I got the 'loaner' in all the trips in to service it was filthy and smelled horrible.

Runner up was the 2003 Chevy Trailblazer we got just before that. The trim kept falling off and it made horrible but 'normal' sounds every time we put it in 4 wheel drive.


The linkage breaking is normal? Yeah, I think that happens about every 5,000 miles!
15.gif


John


More like once a day and I did not drive 5,000 miles. That daily Lubbock, Tx rush must have been harder than I thought
wink.gif
 
Plymouth horizon my family bought it new for my grandma it was so bad the local tow truck driver was number two on speed dial. It was awful. My worst car would have to have been the 88 Mercedes 190e with the 2.6 it was an expensive money pit. My 90 accord sucked to Tranny issues electrical door handles broke it sucked.
 
One of the worst problems that happened was that the clutch didn't engage on my 04 Ford F250 while standing in heavy traffic. I blame it on my uncle as he was the previous owner and he would ride the clutch/take off in 2nd gear.
 
My dad had an aweful time with the 1978 Chevrolet Malibu he bought brand-new in June, 1978.

I don't know the details for sure, but I've heard in the first year, he had it re-painted and the tranny replaced from defects.

In later years, it carboned-up so bad it would barely run, coughing out black smoke and dieseling all the time.

He was SO angry with GM that he would openly insult owners of GM vehicles as ignorant idiots. He just shook his head at my Skyhawk, but still took it for a drive, LOL.
 
2001 pt cruiser. bought it in 08 with 45k on it. broke a tie rod in 2010 around 65k. TCM went out in dec 2010 at around 70k miles.

Had an 04 ford ranger. clutch went out at 60k rear end went out at 65k. Thing had an appetite for fan belts too.
 
For our family, probably a hand-me-down 1977 Granada. 351 was the miles in between repairs.

For me, not a bad car, but my 1992 LeSabre gave up in a bit short of probably 180K, burnt valve and transaxle rumble. The car looked great, leather, everything worked except AC; I had hoped to get a lot more out of it mileage wise.
 
1986 Buick Skyhawk Turbo 1.8 Coupe

In the six months I owned it I replaced the Transmission, then a cracked cylinder head, then it threw a main bearing, and a few months later the turbo went out. Thing got extraordinary mileage back when gas was under a buck a gallon so I kept it going. Gave up when the electrical system went weird. Id hit the brake and the rear defroster would come on.

Second worst car I have owned was my 86 Monte Carlo SS. Thing nickels and dimes me to death lately, but it is 26 years old.
 
Originally Posted By: Gene K
Ive never had a car I considered problematic that was stock. But then Ive owned mostly American Vehicles.


You would be surprised how many "American Vehicles" are made in Canada, Mexico, Korea, or Japan.
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Originally Posted By: Gene K
Ive never had a car I considered problematic that was stock. But then Ive owned mostly American Vehicles.


You would be surprised how many "American Vehicles" are made in Canada, Mexico, Korea, or Japan.


He didn't say "American made". Didn't even imply it.
 
So a 80's Chevy Nova is American even though its basically a Corolla with different trim?

For me American means its entirely made or at least assembled in America.
 
Most Problematic of all the new cars:

2002 Mazda Protege5. Rear brake issues, lotsa broken/squeaky sway bar links.

Still, I love the car. It is a riot to drive. Still have it.

Most Problematic of all the old cars:

1984 Chevrolet C10 Deluxe. Everything. I replaced pretty much all of it. Rear end clunked, fixed it, clucnked more in 20,000 miles. Gas tank in bad spot for resisting corrosion. Replaced once. Leaked several years later. Sold it. Kinda miss it, but gimme 5 minutes behind the wheel and that would go away.
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
So a 80's Chevy Nova is American even though its basically a Corolla with different trim?

For me American means its entirely made or at least assembled in America.


21.gif
It was made in California (NUMMI) So it was at least assembled in the United States.

Throughout the '90s it was not uncommon to see a Corolla built at NUMMI with a GM Delco CS-series alternator. But initially it was just the Chevrolet Nova version of the Corolla being built there.
 
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
So a 80's Chevy Nova is American even though its basically a Corolla with different trim?

For me American means its entirely made or at least assembled in America.


21.gif
It was made in California (NUMMI) So it was at least assembled in the United States.

Throughout the '90s it was not uncommon to see a Corolla built at NUMMI with a GM Delco CS-series alternator. But initially it was just the Chevrolet Nova version of the Corolla being built there.

Some of the ones with ABS used a variant of the gear driven ABS module found in other GM cars, although the module was located outside the brake master cylinder.

I don't know why they use the Delco CS alternator, those things were far more troublesome than the Denso unit found on typical Toyotas.
 
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