10 Worst Cars of the Millennium

Car talk ^ | 04/18/02 | Click & Clack the Tappit Brothers

[mlmr]

I had a Renault 16. Wonderful body design, really ahead of its time. Kept blowing a head gasket. Not too many Renault mechanics in Skowhegen Maine in 1972

[VA Advogado]

What? The Pacer isn't on this list?

[shaggy eel]

,,, the Renault 16 was a comfortable little car and quite common in New Zealand in their day. I've had Peugeots at various times. Peugeot pulled out of the North American market in 1991 and as far as I know haven't returned.

[chilepepper]

FIATS are NOT the worst cars... they are (very cheap) but oh what an engine! I had a red 850 (the coupe, not the spider cnvertible, sniff) and would *regularly* rev the engine to 8000 rpm. It would do just under 100MPH, get about 40MPG cruising at about 55. The main problem I had with it was that when I'd rev it to 8K, occasionally the FAN BELT PULLEY would disintegrate and try to push its way through the engine compartment! the problem was that the pulley from the engine was a REDUCTION pulley, so when I'd rev to 8000, the pulley was turning about 12000 RPMS! Boy I miss that car, had it for three years in High School... had some great times in it.

[mlmr]

My ex bought a Honebee after our divorce in 77. I bought a red mgb

[chilepepper]

Worst cars? ANY french car... here in Chile there is a selection effect. The most stupid drivers always have french cars - particularly renaults of course, citroens are actually kind of cool.

Invariably, however, the french car is the one that will be going faster/slower than the rest of the traffic, run the stop sign, or make the stupid move...

[mlmr]

This is a man who knows the Lucas electrical system as well as I do. I am a thoroughly decorative woman who learned how to repair my own MGB carborator, and play with the wiring.

[Dinsdale]

The Honda 600.

Chain Drive, Air cooled 600 cc modified motorcycle engine, four speed manual with the shifter on the dash. Mine had no reverse which was fine, we opened the door and Flintstoned it backwards. 50 MPH topout without a hill.

Though it was the worst car I've ever owned it improved my driving more then any other. You had to downshift for anything or you were going no where and the synchros where worthless so you had to double clutch every downshift.

There's someone with one a few miles from here. Sometimes I think about making him an offer (memories).

[F16Fighter]

Quite frankly, the '87 Mercury Sable was a disaster.

The sadists at Ford timed everything on this car to blow up, short-out, spring a leak, or melt at the same time, and barely an hour upon expiration of the original warrantee.

[null and void]

Hillman Minx. I actually owned one, however briefly. It would overheat anytime the temperature exceeded 75 degrees. I left it steaming by the side of the freeway in southern California and walked home.

WHERE? My high school sweetheart would kill to have hers back...

[mlmr]

In my younger days three of us traveled and lived in a Triumph. Twas a wonderful time. Until it got cold.

[midwestmidnight]

Glaring Oversight...AMC Pacer!

[mlmr]

I also had an 1969 or 70 Opel Gt nice and sexy too. I liked our 280z but didnt keep it.

[null and void]

Peugeot pulled out of the North American market in 1991 and as far as I know haven't returned.

As the former owner of a Peugeot 404 this was a good move. Mine had an automatique transmision type ZF. Which had to be sent back to Germany for repairs. No-one in the western hemisphere could fix one.

Since this happened more than once I surmise that the French and Germans are still fighting WWII...

[general_re]

You had a Maverick? Can I ask you a question - did the Mavericks come in any color OTHER than that pukey metallic green, that reminiscent-of-split-pea-soup color? My entire life, I swear I've never seen a Maverick in any color other than that ;)

[Shooter 2.5]

Loved the two Ford Pinto Wagons we owned. We went all over the country in those things. You could haul a clothes washer or dryer in the back with no problem. After a while, the timing belt had to be changed and it only took an hour at best and you still had a car that would run pretty fast. Loved it.

The worst Ford I know of was the Ford Granada. That was a horribly assembled mess.

[null and void]

No-one mentioned the Renault R-12? A car utterly geneticlly incapable of smooth idling. It oscillates between two idle speeds at quasi random. The French "engineers" designed this puppy with long lengths of unsupported wire to push stiff valves. It also has an electric fan with a NONPOLARIZED connector. Hook it up wrong (50:50 chance) and it blows air back through the radiator. This exactly balances the air rammed through at 65 MPH, giving you a car that only boils over on the freeway, and only when you aren't speeding...

[Z-28]

My mom had a used 1961 Corvair she bought in 1963 that leaked oil continuosly from the rear lower grill area and even had the engine fall out once when she hit a railroad track crossing going much too fast. The steering had about 2" of play in it too, and it did an amazing 80 mph.

She finally traded it in for a new 1971 Vega wagon and both the Vega's front fenders promptly rusted off. Then the rubber-band timing belt broke and wiped out the cylinder head and valve train. She finally bought a trouble-free Datsun 210 wagon which she still drives.

I'd like to add Corvair to the list (and the Corvair truck was even worse).