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Original poster

The worst car you've ever owned?

191 replies

MsMiaWallace · 26/02/2022 16:20

Going on from a previous thread what is the worst car you have ever owned & what are your reasons?

So I know to stay clear lol!

Mine was my first car a Fiat Tipo.
I loved it as it was my 1st car but that thing would not start!! Petrol gauge was broke too. It was a right shed!

OP posts:

Housebears · 26/02/2022 18:07

I’ve had some bad ones but nothing can ever beat horseboxes. Thousands of pounds I poured into every single one of them to use it a couple of times a month if I was lucky enough for it to bloody start.
Unloading horses on the motorway for the second time after breaking down twice in 2 outings was enough. Never ever again.

I currently have a Land Rover and although it’s unreliable I do quite like it

NiceTwin · 26/02/2022 18:08

Ford Fiesta, had it from new.
Was towed twice and lifted 3 times by the AA.
I truly, truly hated that car.

WeAllHaveWings · 26/02/2022 18:09

Ive only had a handful of cars in 35 years of driving

VW polo - first and very old when bought
citreon cx - brand new sport version, expensive
Citreon ax - 2nd hand but fairly new, had been an insurance write off
Ford mondeo - dhs old car
VW bora - a tank
Ford focus estate - swapped as dog couldnt get in bora

All bought used and run until uneconomical to keep. Most challenging was my first car a 1970 something polo. Water used to accumalate in the battery well and it was a bit rusty/holey underneath, so sometimes when I went around a corner it would slosh out and I would end up with very wet feet! It was a great car though and there was lots I could tinker with and fix under the bonnet myself. I replaced the carbareter, changed spark plugs, replaced degraded rubber flanges, etc

SkiingIsHeaven · 26/02/2022 18:12

Ford Probe. It drank petrol. Even if you drove around the corner you needed to stop for fuel.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 26/02/2022 18:13

I've never had a Renault but my mechanic tells me he wont deal with them so I have avoided one. I can see from this thread why.

Freddiesmyboy · 26/02/2022 18:14

Vauxhall corsa and Astra. The first Astra would cut out as we were driving and the second one we exchanged with (as the bastard garage would only let us exchange) needed welding on its first MOT. Now have Toyota great so far but only 3 years old.

earsup · 26/02/2022 18:17

Fiat Panda....bought off a friends mum for £200....spent more time fixing it than driving it....everything fell off...exhaust, gear stick came out...pedal box came loose so took ages to brake....turned on wipers and hazards came on...etc...electrics all wobbly..total pile of crap...sold it for £60 a few months later....would have given it away.....

jaundicedoutlook · 26/02/2022 18:19

So not actually owned, but several years ago on holiday in Crete DH had been a total cheapskate and got the most basic rental car - it was. Hyundai i10, and it literally didn’t have enough oomph to make it up the (admittedly steep) track up to our villa. We had to get out halfway up the track, unload the cases, and walk whilst DH reversed it up the rest of the track to the villa. And we had to do this every day of the week we were there!

Car seemed ok when on the flat, but every time we got to a hill we were being overtaken by the local goats.

PennyDeFuckwit · 26/02/2022 18:20

Not the worst car - it was lovely to drive, handled nicely and was super-comfortable - but my Ford Focus was cursed. Someone drove into it a week after I picked it up, and over the next 18 months it was crashed into so regularly that there wasn't one panel of the car that hadn't been repaired at some point. I nicknamed it Jonah.

Oldandcobwebby · 26/02/2022 18:23

The worst by a huge was the Renault 25 that my wife drove when we first met. A Russian oligarch could not have financed that bastard's repair bills. Second worst was a Jaguar S-Type. It was absolutely gorgeous in pale blue metallic with a cream leather interior, which made it nice to look at when we were waiting for tow trucks. Grrrr...

Blossomandbee · 26/02/2022 18:28

Renault Clio. I had two that were an absolute nightmare. I also had an awful Peugeot, although DH and other family members have had great Peugeots so I think it was just a dud.

FatFredsFriedEgg · 26/02/2022 18:28

1993 Mondeo Estate 1.8TD. It had the acceleration and cornering ability of a narrowboat.

I'm eternally grateful to whoever stole it from me 4 months after I bought it.

sjxoxo · 26/02/2022 18:29

My current one has been a nightmare- a VW Beetle.

My second worse was my first car, also a VW. Used to cut out in the rain!!!

I’m not at all surprised to see french cars being mentioned a lot- they are notoriously poor quality I thought this was common knowledge!! Even in France they are known for being a bit shit but the parts are so cheap to repair here that people still buy them. Also Alfa Romeo known for breaking down! My dads a retired mechanic and swears by Honda. Won’t drive anything else! X

AffIt · 26/02/2022 18:30

@Blossomandbee

Renault Clio. I had two that were an absolute nightmare. I also had an awful Peugeot, although DH and other family members have had great Peugeots so I think it was just a dud.

This.

The only brand new car I have ever owned in my life was an off-the-court Renault Clio, which alternately tried to kill me or bankrupt me.

I gave up on it when I had a near-death experience following a blow-out on an A road. I drive Mazdas now.

Theo1756 · 26/02/2022 18:32

Mini Cooper s (56 plate). It was 3 years old and had 30,000 miles when I bought it. Every month something broke on it and the garage were getting sick of replacing things. (Luckily everything was covered on the warranty). Brake sensors failed, engine used to smoke, cv boot split, sunroof jammed open, the very expensive split rim alloys corroded and bubbled, even the bonnet stripes peeled off. Had a few electrical faults that used to burn through fuses. It also had a fault where It would
Unlock itself and open all the windows and sunroof. I would come back to the carpark after work and it would be soaking wet inside. It was an expensive car for me at the time and I had saved for a few years for it. As the warranty was coming to the end I decided to cut my losses and part exchanged it for a new car. A few years later I saw it for sale again and the write-up said it had never had a single fault as long as this person owned it so I’m hoping by the time I had sold it I had fixed everything serious.

dragonDan · 26/02/2022 18:33

Another vote for Renault Scenic. It was awful x

SugarMiceInTheRain · 26/02/2022 18:36

Fiat Punto. I think FIAT stands for Fix it again tomorrow

Also had an automatic Nissan Micra that was a bit of a nightmare too

Elzbells · 26/02/2022 18:39

Vauxhall Tigra in late 90's. It would just cut out, usually when I was in the outside lane of a busy motorway. Everything would go, lights, power steering etc. I would have to try and control the thing long enough to basically jump start it again at 70mph. Garage never could find anything wrong apparently.

Also the seals leaked water so in the freezing weather you would get in and the layer of ice would be just as bad inside the car as it was in the outside.

The day I traded it in I basically had to push it to the dealership complete with a full 4" puddle in all the footwells.

DevonTF · 26/02/2022 18:41

When I was 22 I passed my driving test and got offered a company car. As I had just passed, thought I would get something cute and small - so ordered a Mazda MX5 in black. A few weeks later, it was delivered to the office carpark. Turns out I accidentally ordered a Mazda MX3. It was black and looked like Knight Rider.

It was awful. I looked like an utter tit.

They made me keep it for a whole year before I could order something else.

itsgettingweird · 26/02/2022 18:42

Kia.

Im Sure it's was more welded together than it was original car!

itsgettingweird · 26/02/2022 18:44

@itsgettingweird

Kia.

Im Sure it's was more welded together than it was original car!

Not Kia.

Ford KA!

Autocorrect totally changed the authenticity of that post

TroysMammy · 26/02/2022 18:44

Renault 5 Campus. I had it brand new but the clutch cable snapped 3 times because of a design fault. I was petrified to go out in it and only did short journeys on bus routes so if I had to ditch the car I could get to work or home. I think that stopped the pleasure of driving places for days out.

Thecazelets · 26/02/2022 18:50

Audi A6 estate when the dc were small and for some reason I thought we needed a big car. Pointless in London, guzzled petrol and the repair bills were terrible. Never again. Was handy for slinging an unfolded pushchair in the back and making a quick getaway though, I grant you.

HippeePrincess · 26/02/2022 18:52

I’ve had various “terrible cars” declared terrible by friends and family but hands down the worst was a Vauxhall zafira, never again!!!!!!

Thecazelets · 26/02/2022 18:52

Oh and it was about as long as a bus so hell to parallel park on our narrow street

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