What's the worst car you ever owned?
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
'89 Volkswagon Jetta Loved that car -- it was peppy (5 speed manual transmission, not automatic) and hugged the road -- a true pleasure to drive. I drove it far faster than was wise. ;P At the 5 year mark the electrical problems started and for the next 4 years it nickled-n-dimed me with constant, semi-trivial repairs. I finally gave up and bought Toyota ...
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
'86 Pontiac 6000 - not because the car was bad per se, but because I didn't maintain it. Near the end: - The brake cylinder lost pressure so you had to pump the brakes once before they'd catch (except 1 in 100 times when they caught the first time and sent you to a screeching halt) - The engine would not idle, but would sputter and die when coming to a stop - Power steering would occasionally step out for a break When coming to a stop-light, I would have to pump the brake with the left foot, put the tranny in neutral while gently pumping the gas to avoid a stall.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend; inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. -- Groucho Marx
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A Simca Matra Bagheera. The only thing that did not rust was the plastic body (epoxy fiberglass) Matra Bagheera - Wikipedia[^]
It does not solve my Problem, but it answers my question
Hey it looked :cool:!
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That's what one of my sons thought and got a new leaf, nice car but not for someone that regularly does 130+ mile journeys and found he couldn't complete the journey without a charge cycle on the way if it was cold, raining..... Longer trips needed more than one charge in a day and you are only supposed to do 1 fast charge per day For a while he viewed it as a challenge to plan journeys around charge points but explaining to fellow passengers that you were going to sit in a service area for 40 minutes became boring and eventually he handed it back and went back to diesel When battery technology improves they will be great and other than range the car was really good
I currently drive a chevy astro cargo van with our company banner on it just around town. So an EV cargo van like the Nissan ENV200 would be perfect. With a license that says E Ticket and a frame that says We goin' to Electric Avenue. I have it all planned out and 220 VAC (Level 2) in my garage
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We can close the thread now. I owned, and for some bizarre reason loved, a [Trabant 601 Kombi](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fájl:Trabant\_601\_Kombi\_(front).JPG). Stupid car but a joy nonetheless.
veni bibi saltavi
Yup, you Win. i rember Robbie Coltrane taking the engine out of one those with a Leather Man multitool and brute strength!
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
Depends how you define 'worst'. Performance-wise, it was my first car, a 73 VW Beetle. However, it was reliable, chugged along, pretty indestructible and relatively easy to repair. The next car was one of those late-80s Mustang hatchbacks (88 I think). A better car in terms of performance and comfort, but it was just another generic car--Mustang in name only. So, in a way, it was worse--a new car (especially one with the Mustang name) should've been much better than that. I guess I've been pretty lucky overall, all my vehicles have kept running o.k. for long periods until an accident (so far).
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
I forget the year but it was sometime in the 80's it was a Ford Probe. I believe the transmission fell out one day when my wife was backing it out of the driveway... :sigh:
A car for me is just basic transportation.
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
A Ford Taurus wagon- used with low mileage (30k?). Shortly after I got it, when I was stopped at a light the car would jump like it had been hit from behind. I found out the transmissions were junk and Ford never bothered to fix the problem. When you type "ford taurus t" in a search engine, the suggested search is "ford taurus transmission problems" with a long list of sites.
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10 years old and 33K miles? Oh you must tell more! There is a story here, I can smell it. ;P
Charlie Gilley <italic>Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape... "Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783 “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
I bought a Nova from a neighbor with a weird noise. They said it was the exhaust pipe rattling. Nope it was a Rod Bearing. I threw that rod through the side of the car, ON PROM NIGHT, coming home from finding out they had no TUX for me, because the lady wrote the pickup and drop off dates backwards. They had to piece together a TUX for me from the sample try on stuff, and give me shoes that were 2 sizes to small. Oh what a Joy! But that rod blew, and white smoke came out, I put 2 quarts of oil in it and made it the last 5 miles home, destroyed the car. Had to borrow dads car to get to prom. Later I learned that Nova = No Go in spanish, and I cried inside!
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
1986 Nissan Stanza Wagon. That thing was a death trap. It was heavy in all the wrong places: up high and up front. Slab sides that caught crosswinds like sails. It had the worst handling characteristics of anything I have ever driven, and it's one of the reasons why I won't drive SUVs or other top-heavy vehicles to this day. I once had to do an emergency lane change in that thing at highway speeds. The front suspension overloaded to the left and then bounced back to the right, and I had to countersteer and rock the front suspension back and forth a bit until it stabilized, while the front end was doing a reverse fishtail. It just about spun and rolled, and all it took was having to hit the brakes and change lanes suddenly. As soon as the weight transferred to the front and I turned the wheel all hell broke loose immediately, it was scary. I drive small Mazdas now.
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
The worst car I ever owned was a gently used 1968 Toyota Corona I bought in the mid 70s. Styling-wise think Soviet era Lada, but because it was a Japanese car it always ran. That is until I made the mistake of letting one of my brother-in-laws borrow it. At some point in the evening he was driving back home on the freeway when the engine light came on, and the temperature gauge max'd out. Of course, he was bound and determined to get home. It finally gave out about 15 or so miles later. He left it on the side of the road, angry that I let him borrow such a clunker! My other (good) brother-in-law helped me rebuild it. It lasted another 3 months. Turns out knuckle-head managed to warp the crank shaft (and we hadn't thought to check that before our rebuild). :laugh: Now a-days I carefully vet anyone who wants to drive any vehicle I own, and usually decline.
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A 1967 Dodge Dart with 6 cylinder motor. It was 1983? We were kids and the 67 chevelle we had as our first car got rear ended and with unibody construction was done for. The dart had a weird issue that when the dry Santa Anna winds of So. Cal would blow, that thing would not start. So yeah on the most "beautiful" dry smog free days I was late for work - try to explain this to your boss, that on nice days your car wouldn't start. One dark night we were coming back from visiting my parents in seal beach on the 22 fwy at speed when the bolt that held the fan to the crankshaft left. The spinning fan jumped into the radiator with alternator belt attached and I don't have to tell you what that sounded like to go from cruising peace to all hell breaking loose in an instant. After weeks went by, we eventually got the POS back on the road and traded in for a Toyota Corolla hatchback that was a very good car. The 4 x 4 trailblazer we just got rid of comes in a close second but it was a 2003 and we drove it for all it was worth. Except for 3 transfer case explosions, countless ignition coil replacements and the interior plastic breaking left and right it was a pretty decent vehicle.
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
Before we got married, me ex-wife had the brilliant idea to purchase a Ford Tempo. It drank more oil than gas, ended up using 20/50 to keep the consumption to less than a quart weekly.
Director of Transmogrification Services Shinobi of Query Language Master of Yoda Conditional
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
1980 something Chrysler LeBaron Turbo. Bought it from my grandmother in law (took it and gave money, cuz she couldn't see at night and still drove by following the white lines on the side of the road) with 32k miles in 1997. Drove in such a way as to never engage the turbo cuz the car shook like crazy when under acceleration. Parked in the garage one night shortly after having bought it. 15 minutes later our garage was on fire. The fuel line had broken and dripped onto something hot and ignited. Burned the garage and part of the kitchen. The grandmother in law, when she found out we got more in insurance for the car than what we paid her, wanted the extra money. She was a piece of work too.
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
"Ambassador - Mark IV". Made in India. The only part that was quiet and never made noise was the horn.
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
Dodge Intrepid, which was constantly stalling, had to have both the transmission and rack & pinyon steering replaced after the 36,000 mile warranty ran out and before it hit 40,000 miles. Second worst: Mitsubishi Lancer GT Manual. The clutch went at 30K miles. I replaced it with another standard transmission car where the clutch was still going strong after 100,000 miles when it was totaled by hail.
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
Every Ford and Jeep I've ever owned, and I've had two of each. Never, ever again will I buy anything other than a Toyota. I drove my '99 Taco for 15 years and almost 400,000 miles, nothing ever broke on it, ever, until the AC compressor finally gave out at mile 393,000 and something. My 2015 now has nearly 80,000 on it and again, no problems whatsoever (knocking on wood as I type).
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP.
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We can close the thread now. I owned, and for some bizarre reason loved, a [Trabant 601 Kombi](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fájl:Trabant\_601\_Kombi\_(front).JPG). Stupid car but a joy nonetheless.
veni bibi saltavi
Disagree. Not the worst car ever, it was well adjusted to the circumstances. Built according to the principle that what does not exist doesn't break.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
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Mine was a Renault 14. Weird offset rear wheels, engine canted back at 78 degrees, practically needed to remove the engine to change the spark plugs, automatic gearbox exploded/disintegrated after a year. The only good news was I bought it at a heavy discount price because it was a dealer demo car even though it had all the bells and whistles being the top model version. Also, the gearbox was replaced under guarantee. It still put me off automatics for a long time. Renault 14 - Wikipedia[^]
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
My Ferrari FXXK. Every time I come out of the store, there are four or five super-models around it, and the cab is quite compact so I can never get more than two in the passenger seat at a time. How can so many people think that we wealthy folks' lives are always perfect.
Explorans limites defectum
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