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

jackieb

michaelvintner wrote: »

Did it also refuse to start in the morning after it had been raining?

My OH had a Datsun Cherry and if it rained when we were out it would start to splutter. He'd have to pull in, pop the bonnet and spray something in the engine. I didn't drive at the time so didn't have a clue what he was doing. But every time it rained it was the same.

michaelvintner

LandyAndy wrote: »

In the mid 80's I owned a 'W' reg BMW 320. It was the the only car I ever owned that I never felt confident I would get home in when setting off.

My brother had a 518. I think it was called a 518 because that was the maximum amount of miles it would do without breaking down.

SingleSue

Worst car was a Lada, bought for £100 in desperation in 1993 as I was heavily pregnant and needed a car...can't remember the reg (think it may have been an A reg - it was certainly a newer car than my previous one). We did 10 miles in that car until it terminally broke down.

This is followed by the white elephant which was my Audi A4, N reg. Purchased for 4k in 2003 as a second car for now ex hubby and which I received in the divorce settlement (we had sold the Passat after he started to drive a company car, before that, the Audi was his sole car).

Always cost a fortune to get through the MOT, not very reliable for starting up in the morning and felt far too light in even the lightest breeze...I hated the thing, uncomfortable, cramped etc after the roominess of the Passat. It died a death when the engine got destroyed after the Cam belt failed (after 15k miles). Sold it to the local garage for £350.

Best car is a toss up between my very first car (Renault 14TL old V reg circa 1980) bought for £150 at a car auction in 1990. Went everywhere in that car, loads of miles but the poor thing was rusting away whilst the engine was still very good. It did cost us a few pennies in problems like starter motor, alternator and the top skin of the bonnet coming away but we loved that car. We scrapped it when the CV joints went as to repair would have been more than the car was worth but later regretted not getting the work done....the Lada followed!

Another good car was my VW Passat TD K reg, purchased for £2400 in 2000. Built like a tank, protected like a tank (even against a lorry) and so so reliable...sailed through the MOT for the 4 years we owned it. Mind you, the fuel gauge only worked when the tank was full but I got used to it. Sold it for £850 in perfect working order

And lastly, my current car, a Vauxhall Astra 1.7 diesel estate (M Reg). Purchased for £461 from Ebay over 4 years ago, very few problems and many miles covered...it does however have its little weirdness like the central locking deciding to work only when it wants it to and the temperature display having no grasp of reality (was reading 33.5 degrees c tonight on the way home!)

Honeydog

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

And unfortunately in a few years time you will be saying the same thing about the Ford you just bought:rotfl:

There's actually a moral, something like don't decry any particular brand they are all equally as good... or bad.., insert your wording dependant on wether a pessimist or an optomist

I didn't just buy a Ford. The new Ford replaced the piece of **** Vauxhall. I had the Ford for 8 years and it was a good comfy car but it reached the age where stuff needs replacing more frequently so it went.

I would have another Ford if I needed that size of car again.

I frequently drive Vauxhalls (Corsa/Astra) when I am working in a voluntary capacity. The organisation I work for has a contract with Vauxhall. The vehicles are still pieces of **** chosen no doubt because of the cheapness of the deal. They are always in the workshop.

I will never buy another Vauxhall.

cyclonebri1

But it's asll personal experience, I have a Renault Megane esrtate at present, had it for almost 5 years know, according to the feeling on here I should never ever have got from A to B, let alone through the rest of the alphabet which I have,

But my point, I was an out and out VX man from the linute the front wheel drive vauxhalls came within pocket reach, from memory 1982 x reg cav 1600, a reg 18oo cav sri, g reg mk3 2ltr cav sri, 1992 l reg cav 2000 16v sri, 1998 s reg vectra 2000 gls, the last was the most boring but newest car I'd ever bought, kept it for 8 years only because it was so reliable, but really needed a change when I came to swap (and that was simply that after 8 years I wanted and could afford something "different"), hence the Renault

I've said this a dozen times on here and I still stand by it, no one with any real experience of owning and maintaining a wide range of cars can say brand A is crap and brand Z is great, my own family experience has shown BMW to be terrible. There are good and bad examples of all brands.
And as for poo pooing VX, would I have owned all those cars, probably averaging about 5 years each if they had proven unreliable, the hell I would.:D

Sandrock

Flearoy wrote: »

Peugeot 306 turbo diesel bought for a grand as a second run-around. Not a bad model of car, but the well used example I bought from a dealer (it was a part-ex to clear) was an absolute pig. I've learned a lot since then mind...

The heater matrix had been bypassed, presumably it was leaking, so no heating at all. The turbo began making some interesting noises soon after purchase. The electrics were hilarious - the boot would randomly unlock itself whilst driving and the indicators were possessed. It was a collection of short circuits. Trim fell off if looked at.

Conversely, I did the same - a 306 dturbo for £800 as a second car to last me a few months during last winter. The rev counter doesn't work, neither do the reversing lights, the heater didn't work when I bought it and it smokes like a chimney when starting up. The clutch also judders on occasion and from time to time the throttle has a mind of it's own.

That said, I absolutely loved it. So much so that I sold the car I was keeping off the road and now use it full time! After 18 months of ownership I'm starting to think of buying something smarter/newer/with more creature comforts but with nothing fundamentally wrong with the 306 and the fact that I'm as tight as a Scotsman, I cannot justify changing it whilst it is still working. The thing refuses to die and despite being 17 years old and having 165k on the clock it still returns 40-45mpg and a few niggles aside, drives extremely well!

To answer the OP, I've always researched the cars I've purchased which means I've not had any 'truly' bad cars, but I do regret buying my first car brand new (cost a fortune in depreciation as I sold it 8 months later). I also had a Volvo 850 T5 which blew a piston ring on the Autobahn at 140mph which cost me about half the value again to have a new engine put in. The most boring car I've owned was a Nissan Primera SVE diesel estate. It had lots of toys but was very 'plastic fantastic' and I got bored of it in a very short space of time!

bryanb

Ford Consul in the 60s, put your foot down and the w/screen wipers stopped. Same with all Fords of the 50s

poppasmurf_bewdley

bryanb wrote: »

Ford Consul in the 60s, put your foot down and the w/screen wipers stopped. Same with all Fords of the 50s

Vacuum operated windscreen washers. A great invention. The faster the car went, the slower the windscreen wipers worked!

And they weren't limited to Fords.

cyclonebri1

Forgot about the Talbot/Chrysler Solara. Bought it as a stop gap car on a saturday. Had more toys, gongs and bells than any other car I'd driven at the time.

Self ignited on the Wednesday, closed the Mi for an hour as I'd stopped it on the bridge over it on a local country road.

Never seen 1 go up before, me and the police stood back for 20 mins and watched it burn, they firebrigade had been mis directed so very very late.

Tyres exploded 1 by 1, interior gone in a flash, all glass melted, carbs and inlet manifold next.
Allys melted into the road, but with a full tank of fuel that didn't go up. FB said as it was more full than empty it was less likely to blow, and it didn't.
Made a few bob out of that too.

Honeydog

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

But it's asll personal experience, I have a Renault Megane esrtate at present, had it for almost 5 years know, according to the feeling on here I should never ever have got from A to B, let alone through the rest of the alphabet which I have,

But my point, I was an out and out VX man from the linute the front wheel drive vauxhalls came within pocket reach, from memory 1982 x reg cav 1600, a reg 18oo cav sri, g reg mk3 2ltr cav sri, 1992 l reg cav 2000 16v sri, 1998 s reg vectra 2000 gls, the last was the most boring but newest car I'd ever bought, kept it for 8 years only because it was so reliable, but really needed a change when I came to swap (and that was simply that after 8 years I wanted and could afford something "different"), hence the Renault

I've said this a dozen times on here and I still stand by it, no one with any real experience of owning and maintaining a wide range of cars can say brand A is crap and brand Z is great, my own family experience has shown BMW to be terrible. There are good and bad examples of all brands.
And as for poo pooing VX, would I have owned all those cars, probably averaging about 5 years each if they had proven unreliable, the hell I would.:D

The title of the thread is "What is the worst car you have ever owned?" I answered that and added that I will never own another Vauxhall. I couldn't care less that YOU are happy to own and drive them.

I demand better from the cars I buy.