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

michaelvintner

D reg (1986) Ford Escort 1.3L. Brought 7th hand in 1995. The only place this 9 year old piece of junk did not have any rust was on the steering wheel. Engine sounded like a tractor and the brakes tried to kill me when they decided not to work when I came up to a roundabout. Wrote it off when some dozy tart (actually I probably owe my life to her as she helped write the deathtrap Escort off before it fell apart on a motorway) turned in front of me and I had to swerve to avoid her.

My only experience of second hand cars. Everything after that has been new. I replaced it with a Brand New Skoda Felicia in 1996. The Skoda was like moving from a tent to a mansion.

samboette

My OH and I have owned a few cars since we've been together.

I guess the 'least favourite' is our Fiat Stilo Abarth, bought as a 'run around' when our 06 Range Rover developed an engine problem and we needed another car as well as the courtesy car. It was in cracking condition, low miles and cheap! Goes like the preverbial off a shovel and has all the gadgets (when they work), has passed every MOT without an issue and no mechanical problems since owning it but the electrical system is shocking to say the least. If it didn't beep off when it was started I used to think something was wrong lol.

The Range Rover was my 'least favourite' when it went wrong and cost a bomb to put right but it's my favourite again now it's back up and running, I just love my Rangie.

We still have the Stilo but it's now garaged (can't part with it for some reason) and instead bought a 18 month old Ford Mondeo 2.0 Titanium X Sport, nice car and does 55-60mpg which is great for such a lump.

mikey72

You can forgive an abarth anything. As you obviously agree if you can't bear to sell it.

elsien

A lada, back when they first came out over here and were about the cheapest new car you could get. (I shared it with my mum who wouldn't buy second hand)
It was like driving a tank with no power steering (saved a fortune at the gym) and because I'm a short !!!! I had to sit on a cushion to be able to see where I was going.

samboette

Yeah it's a funny thing the Abarth, it has all the gadgets but the car is just mental, not really a run around or a town car, it's not a car to be driven gently which was why I ended up with the courtesy car more often than not, my OH drove the Abarth how it liked to be driven.

We have the 5 door version not the more 'prettier' 3 door but still won't sell it, It got us out of a sticky hole when the Rangie was off the road so feel we owe it a favour. My OH has mentioned he might work on it and try to sort the electrics out, when we put it in the garage it had an air bag fault, the light and rain sensors packed up and the reversing sensors also stopped working, as well as the alarm, still flashes but no audible alarm. Lol. Well it is made by Fiat.

adouglasmhor

Weird_Nev wrote: »

Never, ever, EVER buy ex police cars.

That's my helpful MSE tip of the day.

Though ex police bikes are usually fine.

tdls17

That would be one of my first dirt cheap cars. This was an AMC Matador. It was my first car that I paid $500 U.S. for. It was a real wheel drive that handled terrible, especially in the snow.

And yes, it was a gas guzzler; but it got me around, so I was happy!

Denise

Lum

samboette wrote: »

We have the 5 door version not the more 'prettier' 3 door but still won't sell it, It got us out of a sticky hole when the Rangie was off the road so feel we owe it a favour. My OH has mentioned he might work on it and try to sort the electrics out, when we put it in the garage it had an air bag fault, the light and rain sensors packed up and the reversing sensors also stopped working, as well as the alarm, still flashes but no audible alarm. Lol. Well it is made by Fiat.

Apart from the airbag, none of those other things actually matter

And yes, Italian electrics are... interesting. People seem to forget about that when they slag off French cars.

adouglasmhor

You do know what FIAT means, Fix It Again Tomorrow :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I loved my old Uno Euro 90 fire but it did have some strange faults over time.

samboette

Lum wrote: »

Apart from the airbag, none of those other things actually matter

And yes, Italian electrics are... interesting. People seem to forget about that when they slag off French cars.

Oh definitely but the endless beeping of the faults when you are driving is very, very annoying, the airbag fault is a common one and comes from the passenger seat.

If the Stilo didn't have the electrical faults it wouldn't be a bad car, it's comfortable, quite roomy inside with adjustable rear seats.