"what’s the worst car you’ve ever owned”

[BoldonLad]

Absolute worst was a Roots Group, Talbot Sunbeam (I think that was the model) around late 70s. Mechanically and bodywork, total rubbish.

Closely followed by BMW320D (2002), bought new and ditched at 80,000 miles and 4 years, when turbo disintegrated and engine wrecked.

Absolutely most reliable cars, a series of Mazdas (3F, MX5, Mazda2, Mazda3) everyone of of them ran faultlessly for the whole time I owned them.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Probably my first car, a 1992 VW Polo. It was a great car at first but I used to drive from Plymouth to Portsmouth every fortnite, and also commuted from outer Portsmouth into Gosport for work. Frequently in the cold weather the petrol would freeze in the carb and I would grind to a halt. I think it happened about 6 times before we figured out what it was. Some sort of valve that switched between ambient air intake and warm air intake from near the engine had broken. My Dad fixed it but I never felt confident in the car after that. My Dad part-exed it for his van and they gave me a Nissan Sunny which was terrible but reliable at least

 

[Smokin Joe]

I'd now like to nominate my Fiat Panda, which started misfiring like crazy this morning. I don't think I've ever had a car that's spent so much time in the garage.

 

[fossyant]

I'd now like to nominate my Fiat Panda, which started misfiring like crazy this morning. I don't think I've ever had a car that's spent so much time in the garage.

Check coil packs.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Check coil packs.

Spark plugs as it turned out. A job I'd normally do myself but I was within half a mile of the garage with a car full of deliveries (Some frozen) so Mrs SJ had to come out and run me round.

 

[gbb]

Actually, despite my earlier post, a mini van was the worst for me.
My FIL brought it for us, our previous car was dead and he kindly brought us banger...
And what a banger it was. This would be late 1970s and it could already be considered a banger. It was noisy, sat low, had very poor power on hills and was very rusty, so much so I had to bodge a headlamp that kept falling out, rust had eaten away the mounts. Bodged fibreglass around it to hold it in place.

Drive up a hill, you were continuously changing gear in a desperate attempt to get to the top before the engine wheezingly gave up.

Then the brake lights failed...I worked it down to the pressure switch in the engine compartment, but having no money to spare, ran two pieces of wire from the connectors, into the cabin where when I braked, my partner would touch the two wires and the brake lights would come on.
A temporary repair till I got some cash, an utter bodge but the car didn't last long anyway..it really was at the end of its life.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I was going to post a theory that this thread demonstrates how much more reliable cars are becoming, because the worst cars are all several decades ago. Then @Smokin Joe messed it up by nominating his current car.

Of course another explanation would be CCers are a bunch of wrinkles and decades ago was the time when they could only afford junk heaps.

 

[BoldonLad]

I was going to post a theory that this thread demonstrates how much more reliable cars are becoming, because the worst cars are all several decades ago. Then @Smokin Joe messed it up by nominating his current car.

Of course another explanation would be CCers are a bunch of wrinkles and decades ago was the time when they could only afford junk heaps.

My two examples above (Talbot and BMW) were both new cars and managed to be junk in their first 3-4 years. 😊

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

No: Astra mk1, Astra mk2, Cavalier SRi mk2 (a good Belgian built one, and then a not so good UK built one), Cavalier mk2 1600, Nova 1200.... All ok cars (but the mk1 Astra was much nicer than the mk2). My mother DID have a Viva of sometime around mid 60's vintage, bought when it was about 4 years old. I don't remember it being particularly bad, but I was too young to be interested in cars at the time!

Had quite a few 80's Vauxhall's myself. They were a way better cars than the Mk3 Capri and Mk1 Scirocco I had prior. Those 8 valve Family 2 engines could take a real hammering, way better than a CVH or Pinto just IMVHO. The Mk1 Astra was better looking than the Mk2, the only thing I found is with the Mk1 is that the brakes were rubbish, not sure why but drove quite a few of those, including a couple of GTE's. The Mk2 SRI I owned had way better brakes. Could change the clutch without removing the gearbox on them all. Were really good cars, did all kinds to them, such an easy engine to work on. Never owned a bad Vauxhall either and used to murder them. My mate had a Chevette though, thought that was a total bin, compared to the FWD Astra's and Nova's. Vauxhall just seemed to lose it in the 90's for me, so went Japanese.

 

[oldwheels]

A rep who used to call on me regularly in the late 1960’s was given a Vauxhall Victor much to his disgust.
He voiced the opinion that the body shell was made by the same people who made aluminiun pie dishes.

 

[gbb]

Had quite a few 80's Vauxhall's myself. They were a way better cars than the Mk3 Capri and Mk1 Scirocco I had prior. Those 8 valve Family 2 engines could take a real hammering, way better than a CVH or Pinto just IMVHO. The Mk1 Astra was better looking than the Mk2, the only thing I found is with the Mk1 is that the brakes were rubbish, not sure why but drove quite a few of those, including a couple of GTE's. The Mk2 SRI I owned had way better brakes. Could change the clutch without removing the gearbox on them all. Were really good cars, did all kinds to them, such an easy engine to work on. Never owned a bad Vauxhall either and used to murder them. My mate had a Chevette though, thought that was a total bin, compared to the FWD Astra's and Nova's. Vauxhall just seemed to lose it in the 90's for me, so went Japanese.

Pretty much like me...
Started as an Austin /Morris/BL ...fan wouldnt be the right word but regular and not particually regretful owner, most of mine were cheap, working cars that did ok despite their reputations.
Moved over to Vauxhall not intentionally just what was available when I needed a car and found I much preferred them. Comfortable generally bigger engines, just better cars all round. Cavs Astras, Vectras I liked all of mine.
One foray into Ford in the naughties, hated it, moved back to Vauxhalls pronto. But they just weren't the same anymore...so moved over to Mazda...superb cars for reliability and economy.

 

[tyred]

Absolute worst was a Roots Group, Talbot Sunbeam (I think that was the model) around late 70s. Mechanically and bodywork, total rubbish.

Closely followed by BMW320D (2002), bought new and ditched at 80,000 miles and 4 years, when turbo disintegrated and engine wrecked.

Absolutely most reliable cars, a series of Mazdas (3F, MX5, Mazda2, Mazda3) everyone of of them ran faultlessly for the whole time I owned them.

A friend of my Dad's bought a Talbot Sunbeam brand new in 1980. The rear suspension arm pulled out of the body due to rust, when it was just four year old!

They don't build them like they used to.

 

[Profpointy]

The worst car I actually owned was a Metro. Granted it was quite fun to drive and being a 1275 it was reasonably nippy too, but rusted badly (I fixed the holes in the sills with thickly applied hammerite !) but also seemed to expensively chew through the rear wishbone /swingarm thing - possibly due to poor workmanship at the local dealers to be fair. It burned prodigious amounts of oil in its last years - a gallon per couple of hundred miles ! It maybe. That said it wasn't per se unreliable but it was a bit troublesome and much worse than the much older 68 Cortina I'd had a few years previously which was totally reliable and very little trouble, and a lot easier to fix if something did need sorting

To be fair the brand new BL Maestro diesel van I had was superb so I'm not BL bashing

 

[Brandane]

Vauxhall just seemed to lose it in the 90's for me, so went Japanese.

Much the same here. Bought a 1991 Mk2 Golf GTi 8 valve in 1994, and never went back to Vauxhall. Had several VW's until I went to Toyota in the early 2000's. Not very exciting but just so ultra reliable and well built.

 

[Gunk]

Much the same here. Bought a 1991 Mk2 Golf GTi 8 valve in 1994, and never went back to Vauxhall. Had several VW's until I went to Toyota in the early 2000's. Not very exciting but just so ultra reliable and well built.

I’ve owned 16 Golfs over the years, mainly GTi’s but a couple of VR6’s and a GTD. just brilliant cars