What's the Worst Car Sold in the US During Your Lifetime?

"hethoughtofcars" (hethoughtofcars) 03/24/2014 at 15:09 • Filed to: Tragic Cars

2

31

I got quite a lot of responses to my posts over the weekend about the Worst Production cars sold in the US during the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Instead of going back to the 1980s (which some of us are too young/not even born) I decided to go with just the very worst during your lifetime.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I've officially retired both the Daewoo Lanos and the Yugo GV(X) due to the fact that everyone has already picked them to death. They are now in that super special place reserved for the Hall of Fame of Cars Against Humanity .

Here's the nominees from those previous posts:

2001 Hyundai Accent 3dr (by me)

Notable Comment:

It had a place for a digital clock. Notice I said "place" and not actual clock. A digital clock, which can't cost more than a couple dollars, WAS OPTIONAL.

Ford Aspire (by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment:

The only thing the driver of this car could "Aspire" to is dying in a crash to escape the misery that is this vehicle.

Toyota Paseo (by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment:

This car was also sold alongside the two-door Tercel, so presumably people who bought this new thought "I'd like to pay a significant amount of extra money to get a basic economy car with marginally improved styling." Ugh.

1991 Geo Metro Convertible (by me)

Notable Comment:

3 cylinders, 55 hp and a slushbox with three gears

Dodge/Plymouth Neon (by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment:

They actually had the audacity to make a Coupe version of this car. For someone who wants a sporty image driving his Neon. Horrible power, useless gear box, plastic by Hasbro, gaps you can lose your cat in. Utter shitbox.

Dodge Shadow (by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment:

Hateful car from before America was really willing to believe small cars were the future.

Geo Storm (by, shockingly , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment;

None. But I imagine he'd say something, something.....Pinto!

Dodge Caliber (by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment:

The Caliber was just like they took all the worst parts from different cars and somehow stuck them together, and then added stupid geegaws instead of getting the fundamentals right.

Suzuki Esteem (by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment:

My vote for the worst car goes to the Suzuki no-self-Esteem, possibly the most forgettable car ever produced. They made eleventy-billion of them, but I have only ever seen one in person, at least that I can remember.

2014 Mitsubishi Mirage (by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment:

Can confirm, it's almost as if Mitsubishi looked at the first generation Daewoo Kalos (Chevy Aveo) and thought: "This is a good idea!

Anything made by Pontiac in the 2000s (by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment:

Anything made by pontiac, even the GTO. Aztek and Sunbird FTW

PT Cruiser (by fhrblig)

Notable Comment:

I always liked the idea and the design of it, but they had to give it that shitty 2.4 engine and terrible transmissions. It had so much potential that went to waste.

2012 Mitsubishi Galant (by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment:

Mitsubishi never had volume. a niche manufacturer refusing to make even incremental improvements beyond the stereo receiver only works if you have an ultra-desirable car to begin with, like a Lotus Elise. and unlike a manufacturer like BMW, the Galant was never best in class when it was released, so it wasn't like the other manufacturers were playing catch-up...

Chevrolet Malibu "Classic" (by Firewrx234)

Notable Comment:

They had terrible power trains. The engines and transmissions disintegrate on command.

Chevrolet Aveo (by thebigbossyboss)

Notable Comment:

I have never even been in one...but they seem like they suck

Kia Sephia (by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment:

The Kia Sephia. Such a toilet. Such an awful and in humane penalty box. Made the Geo metro feel like a well appointed home.

When I was in used sales I took two obese women out in an automatic Sephia on a test drive. It didn't make it out of the lot. Couldn't handle the load.

The Coda (by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment:

An electric car, made in China, based on a Chinese Hafai Seaboo, itself based on the 90s Mitsubishi Lancer. Slow, ugly, expensive and outdated years before it even went on sale.

Chevy Venture/Olds Silhouette/Pontiac Montana (by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Notable Comment:

Simply because it's a family car, bound to have children in it. Yet, when you crash, you get this

So what do you say? One of these? Or are there even worse cars out there that people bought during your lifetime?

505Turbeaux > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 15:11

0

There have been a few clunkers, but the one that sticks out is the Hyundai Excel of the 80's

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 15:12

0

Anything by these guys. I'm sure quality build materials are not why these guys failed here.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 15:14

0

That the picture of the Geo Metro is in front of an old motorhome is somehow...perfection.

That should hang in an art gallery somewhere so people can be asked, "what does it mean to you?"

Nibbles > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 15:15

1

I had a 1991 ES convertible turbo. Despite Chryco's best intentions, it actually was a fun little car

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 15:15

0

I nominate the Pontiac/Daewoo LeMans, and remove the Venture/Montana/Trans Sport from the list. It was the best vehicle my mother ever owned, including her current Odyssey. The LeMans was the worst.

hethoughtofcars > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis 03/24/2014 at 15:25

0

Yes. That's why I've tried to retire them! But what's shocking to me, at least,Is that people are still asking $1000 (or more!) for them on Craigslist.

jariten1781 > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 15:25

2

The Chevette and the Vega are way worse than most of the cars up there. I'd go with the Chevette being the worse of the two.

Glove box door? Optional! The interior panels? Cardboard (not even kidding, they were actually cardboard.)

I rode around in two of them as a kid. Both less than 5 years old. Both with such rotten floors that we would get wet in the rain. They were beyond slow (0-60 in just under 20 seconds). Just frightening.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Nibbles 03/24/2014 at 15:31

0

To be fair, the only one i ever drove was a very nicely maintained, but base spec auto non-turbo.

I stand by my judgement that that thing hated being a car, but i can imagine a turbocharger adding just enough personality to remove it from "worst car i've driven" status.

feather-throttle-not-hair > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 15:36

1

One of the best things about this conversation is that unlike when we're discussing Mclaren's and Ferraris, many of us have actually had experience with these cars. I nominated the Dodge Shadow, but i've driven rental PT cruisers and Malibu Classics. Both of them were memorable in their terribleness.

I remember driving the Malibu on a 50mph highway, i was looking for a left turn (no on or offramps on that road) and didn't see my turn until it was a little bit late. Used to my Z car, I applied what i expected to be about 2/3rds brake force, the "oh, i need to slow down in a bit of a hurry" amount of pressure i was used to. Nope. The thing locked up and basically refused. I relented and drove past my turn so i could turn around and come at it from the other direction. I was kind of scared to go above forty in that thing afterwards.

swinktron > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 15:37

1

Just go to Hawaii, there are billions of the wagon form of those there. All of them either green, silver or blue/grey. We had one of the wagons when I was younger and I remember I took it up into the mountains with a 6 friends to do this hike that ended up being an ultimate death march after a monster rainstorm rolled in. We managed to get the car back down this mud road that had puddles big enough to fit the whole car in. We also had to make 2 river crossings that had gone from little trickles to raging torrents (very foolish, I would never do this now), water was actually coming in through the doors but the little Esteem somehow made it through with out hydrolocking the engine. So yeah, total shit car, but somehow I have a soft spot for it for getting us out of a real sticky situation. My dad sold it, but I still see the little wagon cruzing around Kapaa town. Good times.

swinktron > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 15:39

0

Actually, the 6 cyl was the chevy 3600 which is a really reliable engine. You have to replace the head gasket between 160-200 k miles, but if you do that it will last you another 100. Good transmission too. Everything else is absolutely terrible though. One of the worst things is how low the seats are. Even as a 6 foot guy I have a hard time seeing out. So weird.

crowmolly > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 15:41

0

1980s Chevrolet Celebrity diesel. Not 90's or 00's but so bad they have to be mentioned.

4.3L V6 85hp, 165 lb-ft, non turbo. Notorious for low power and poor reliability. Some say these cars damaged the reputation of a diesel car in the USA so badly that it took almost 30 years to dig ourselves back out of the hole. It's one thing to build a car so bad it damages your brand, it's another to build something bad it damages the mind of the American consumer.

Nibbles > feather-throttle-not-hair 03/24/2014 at 15:53

0

Yeah mine was a manual which did make it infinitely less suicidal :) It was actually pretty fun to hoon around the streets, though it had no handling to speak of and threatened to snap itself in half at a whim. Also there was a vacuum leak somewhere that would shut off the AC and blast heat out the vents if you went into boost. Not the best thing when living in 100+ degree summers :)

feather-throttle-not-hair > Nibbles 03/24/2014 at 15:57

1

See, that's the thing about bad cars. They're just a step or two away from being HILARIOUS.

Bad in every way shape and form = bad car

Bad in every way shape and form except for turbocharger and M/T = more fun and way more hilarious than something much much much nicer.

hethoughtofcars > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny 03/24/2014 at 16:04

1

Yes. I thought that as soon as I saw it! Also, note the block at the rear wheel to keep it from rolling away!

hethoughtofcars > feather-throttle-not-hair 03/24/2014 at 16:10

0

Agreed and thank you! We can't all talk about taking a Lambo out for a track day, but everyone has had a terrible experience with a car before.

Kickplate > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 16:11

0

The answer is always one of these two. Not because they are literally the "worst" at anything, but because of the negative influence they've had on the auto industry, and at how they accommodate the the sensibilities of the worst kind of inattentive, clueless, paranoid person. Every other car manufacturer has unsuccessfully attempted to out-bland the Camryolla. Customers have had to endure twenty years of clones from GM/Ford/Nissan/Chrysler before they all conceded to the reality that only Toyota can get a pass as making uncompetitive, amateurishly designed vehicles. And before the pleated chino crowd chimes in squawking about Toyota's "kwaaahlity," let me first say that a Corolla similar to the one above was the only vehicle to ever leave me stranded on the road for no apparent reason except for the apparent lack of quality. Which is part of the reason I'm so pissy about them.

zeontestpilot > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 16:11

0

I've driven two of those cars, the Malibu (parents) and the PT Cruiser (own). I thought they were pretty decent cars. So I'm expecting anything not on that list to blown my head off with awesomeness.

AMC/Renauledge > 505Turbeaux 03/24/2014 at 16:13

0

Wanna know what's even worse? The rebadged Mitsubishi Precis version. They licensed the '84 Colt/Mirage chassis to Hyundai, who crapified it and built it in Korea on the cheap. Then Mitsubishi insisted on getting a rebadged version built alongside it. So Mitsubishi was offering a worsened version of their obsoleted subcompact alongside their newly redesigned Colt/Mirage hatch in the '90s. Unbelievable.

505Turbeaux > AMC/Renauledge 03/24/2014 at 16:16

1

I totally remember this now. Ugh man.

505Turbeaux > Nibbles 03/24/2014 at 16:16

1

my mom had a Sundance automatic. I used to borrow it when it snowed out to do reverse donuts ALL NIGHT LONG in that thing. Actually a tough little car

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > feather-throttle-not-hair 03/24/2014 at 16:19

0

We had a rental Malibu once that was just "meh" but I always remember stuck up unnaturally far from the center console, like it was on some kind of extension pipe. It was just a weird detail.

505Turbeaux > jariten1781 03/24/2014 at 16:21

0

my mother bought one that wouldn't pass emissions off the dealer lot. They had to tweak it to make it run messed up every year to sneak it through, then set it so it ran ok. Was actually pretty impressive in an accident where my mom got t-boned by a drunk driver (in an early 80's Prelude). Tin can on tin can crime

AMC/Renauledge > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 16:27

1

Since the Yugo has already been selected, I'm going to rustle some jimmies and say this:

The 1985-87 Cadillac deVille, Fleetwood, Fleetwood Sixty Special, and Fleetwood Seventy-Five limousine (pictured). The 1986-87 Seville and Eldorado are pretty close, along with the '87 Allante.

Picture it. A brand-new 4.1L V8 with "digital fuel injection" driving all of 125hp through the front wheels of these terribly truncated, anonymous, and failure-prone two-ton-plus luxobarges. The "High Tech 4100" had an aluminum block with cast iron heads, and just about every single one of them warped at 50k, leaving coolant in the oil.

The HT4100 "DFI" replaced the much older Buick 4.1L carbureted V6 in 1982, but put out the same horsepower and got poorer fuel economy. After about 2 years on the road, every single one of these vehicles' load-leveling rear suspensions failed and sagged to the point of resting on their bump stops. Even in the photo above, you can see the ass dragging low and the front wheelarches towering over the Caddy's pathetic tires.

These horrid things didn't ride well because of their delicate rear suspensions. Handling wasn't possible. They wouldn't get out of their own way. My Dad's '86 Coupe deVille never, ever topped 20mpg. They proved so horrendously unreliable, they killed Cadillac's reputation for quality almost singlehandedly (though the Cimarron gave that a good start). And their styling was so derivative, Lincoln made this ad one of the most profoundly true ads of the '80s:

And remember, this was in the era of the ascent of BMW, Benz, and the launch of Acura.

McMike > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 17:13

1

Oh lord, the early Accent.

My next door neighbor had one he bought for his kids. One day, it wouldn't start, so I offered to lend a hand.

After taking multimeter readings of the coil with the ignition on/off, I ran to the internet to look for answers.

Then I ran into the saddest thing ever.

The only Accent forums I could find were filled with abandoned, unanswered pleas for help. The titles consisted of, but were not limited to:

HELP my car won't start!

NEED HELP ASAP CAR DEAD

Where do you buy Accent tires?

Car will start, but won't turn over. HELP!!!!!!!

I felt bad for them.. Everyone that knows anything about cars was nowhere near that message board, and the cries for help just echoed. Bouncing around the walls of that little, empty, room.

Burrito de EJ25 > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 17:25

0

How the shit is Mitsubishi still operating in the US?

How long has the Lancer gone without an update? 6 years?

That company has to be the worst auto manufacturer in North America. I can't think of anything worse, or even remotely as awful.

Textured Soy Protein > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 17:33

0

Ford Tempo / Mercury Topaz

"Pontiac" (Daewoo) LeMans

GM X-Body - 1980-1985 Buick Skylark, Chevy Citation, Oldsmobile Omega & Pontiac Phoenix

Wildstar > hethoughtofcars 03/24/2014 at 18:06

0

You all fail. the General Motors X-bodies. Chevy Citation, et al. The absolute biggest Pieces Of Shit ever produced, as a group, in a time when everyone made pieces of shit. Bad to the point of actually being engineered to kill you. You could hear them rust. God, they were all horrible.

JasonStern911 > hethoughtofcars 03/25/2014 at 00:09

0

I *really* don't get why the Ford Aspire made the list. the car has basically the same motor as in the Miata. if the Aspire does belong on the list, then the AE92 Corolla GTS is just as deserving despite the 4AGE engine...

but the winner hands-down for me is any Peugeot/Renault sold in America during the 1980's. take any German car, with its high price, then replace the German engineering with French engineering. but unlike the Yugoslavians (Yugo), don't drop the price to reflect the quality. and that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Peugeot/Renault stopped selling cars in America.

hethoughtofcars > JasonStern911 03/25/2014 at 00:21

0

I tried to include everyone's nominations. I'm sure a 0-60 time of 16.2 seconds may have contributed to the Aspire being one of the nominees.

JasonStern911 > hethoughtofcars 03/25/2014 at 00:51

0

that time has to be for the autotragic. there's no way the stick version with that motor and lack of weight took longer than (a still pitiful) 13 second 0 to 60...

but, the car's name is aspire - not achieve. so respect for at least admitting, "this car wants to be good" as opposed to actually saying it's a good car. I mean, there's nothing sonic about the Chevy Sonic...

meh. I'm working too hard to defend an econobox car. my point is that it isn't the worst car. bad, probably, but the low MSRP and, like the sporty Tercel whose name I am forgetting (Paseo?), the engine is rock-solid reliable. I mean, for people hating on the Aspire, if you were stuck with one vehicle - a Ford Aspire or a Ford Aerostar, would you really pick the minivan?