What is the worst car you ever owned,and why?

Trebor16

Honeydog wrote: »

That's all very well but this thread is about the worst car people have owned so your information should really be on a different thread. Some of you seem to be having a bit of trouble with that concept recently.

But hey that's MSE all over. 50% of responders will answer the given question and 50% have their own agenda.

The point is if you comment adversely about a certain make of car then where does it say you can't respond with a positive comment? You may have had a bad experience with Vauxhalls but others haven't. It's called balance.

Trebor16

Weird_Nev wrote: »

The seats. Oh my god the seats. Just awful.

I don't know how vauxhall build cars so badly to be honest. The ergonomics are just terrible. Stupid seats that you can't position, stupid indicators, Handbrakes that no other company uses because there's nothing wrong with a lever! Just cheaply build ill thought out cars, in my opinion of course. THe Meriva is the worst modern car I've driven by a long stretch, with the Zafira a close second. No handling, horrible viisbility, dull to drive until you're pressing on and then they just get dangerous. We used to crash them on purpose just so we wouldn't have to drive them when they were getting fixed.
Thankfully, we've gone back towards Fords at work now, with toyotas as the smaller cars. I still occasionally have to drive diesel corsas though, but only by force.

At 6'3" I find getting a car to fit is difficult, but the Meriva was one car where I could get comfortable. All the main controls were easy to reach. The indicator stalk was easy to use. Front visibility was not great but you soon learn to look around the front pillar. You also get used to not being able to see the bonnet. It is the price we have to pay for cars that score well in the NCAP crash tests, which also assess pedestrian safety.

If you buy a Meriva and expect top notch handling then you are expecting too much. The higher centre of gravity will always limit any MPV so you drive within its capabilities. But to describe it as dangerous is nonsense. Modern cars are far removed from cars of the 60's, 70's and 80's and are significantly safer. They are generally predictable in what they will do when pushed. If you expected a Meriva to handle like a normal car such as an Astra, Focus, Golf etc then it is not going to happen.

john432

I had a 2003, 1.6 engine, 8 valve petrol vauxhall astra, 6 months agos for 3 months. From the start it used oil, 800 miles to 1 litre. Replaced oil seals, but this was unsuccessful as engine seized after 1000 miles. Original engine then replaced with another used identical engine with less miles than original. That was even worse than original as it used 1 litre of oil per 600 miles. Got rid, would never have a petrol vauxhall again.

avantra

Trebor16 wrote: »

Modern cars are far removed from cars of the 60's, 70's and 80's and are significantly safer. They are generally predictable in what they will do when pushed. .

Meriva? safety? you are taking the Michael surely not?

lovesgshp

Audi 100CD x 2. First had long ongoing problem with braking system. Automatic box had mind of its own as to when it wanted to change gear. 2nd kept getting blocked fuel pump filter. ( filter is in bottom of fuel tank ), only accessible through a cover in the boot. Not good on a journey from Southern France, with MIL, son, wife and luggage when you need to clean it at least twice.
Audi 80 (wifes car). Took it to work one day and coming home that evening 60mile drive, kept getting slower, stopped on the hard shoulder and as it was dark saw the brake discs glowing red. Audi knew of the problem, but did not put out a recall.
Changed the 80 for a Toyota Supra 3.0 turbo, which was pretty much faultless over 7 years and the 100 for a Nissan Sunny ZX 1.8 twin cam, which was superb, very fast and reliable.

Trebor16

avantra wrote: »

Meriva? safety? you are taking the Michael surely not?

VOSA didn't seem to think it was significant enough to instruct Vauxhall to do a recall.

Weird_Nev

Trebor16 wrote: »

If you buy a Meriva and expect top notch handling then you are expecting too much. The higher centre of gravity will always limit any MPV so you drive within its capabilities. But to describe it as dangerous is nonsense.

The one we had fell over. Ergo, dangerous.
I don't expect MPV's to have top notch handling, but I don't expect to find my elbow grazed by tarmac, either.
And the A-Pillar bugbear is indeed a problem with most newer cars to a greater or lesser extent, it's just that I'd never actually lost a large goods vehicle in a forwards blind spot until I drove a Meriva.

Go on, drive a Meriva for 8 solid hours round town and tell me it's not a hateful, soul-less box of bland with some seriousergonomic flaws....

Honeydog

Trebor16 wrote: »

The point is if you comment adversely about a certain make of car then where does it say you can't respond with a positive comment? You may have had a bad experience with Vauxhalls but others haven't. It's called balance.

You can say what you like but nothing and no one will ever convince me to have a Vauxhall again. The experience of the V reg Astra lemon plus as I said the ones I drive in a voluntary capacity (Corsa/Astra) are enough experience for me.

So yeah post away with your positive comments but my experience dictates otherwise. You might convince someone else.....but they'll change their mind once they own one.

Honeydog

jase1 wrote: »

It is demonstrably false to try to claim that Vauxhalls are all bad cars. End of story.

I certainly don't think they're the best cars around, but the sheer number of at least tolerably reliable examples is testament to the fact that they're reasonably well engineered.

Why are you so defensive about Vauxhalls? Why do you care that I'll never ever own another one? They are more interesting lines of discussion.

We're never going to agree on the build "quality" ( I use the word loosely lol) of Vauxhalls.

Trebor16

Honeydog wrote: »

You can say what you like but nothing and no one will ever convince me to have a Vauxhall again. The experience of the V reg Astra lemon plus as I said the ones I drive in a voluntary capacity (Corsa/Astra) are enough experience for me.

So yeah post away with your positive comments but my experience dictates otherwise. You might convince someone else.....but they'll change their mind once they own one.

What makes you think I am trying to convince you to buy another Vauxhall? I'm not, I'm just expressing a viewpoint.

I think you need to take a chill pill.