most disappointing car you ever had.

[Alien]

Worst: 1969 Beetle. Electrical parts failed so frequently that I was on a campaign to replace every part that said "Bosch" on it with a aftermarket part that did not say "Bosch". It was a horribly outdated design in 1969. The final straw was when the engine seized due to a valve breaking off, leaving me stranded in the middle of Kansas for a week.

In contrast to some other reports on this thread, I have had great luck with Ford products, all bought new. They include the original Taurus, three Taurus-based Lincoln Continentals in a row, a Five Hundred, and a 2017 King Ranch Expedition.

Here is the ultimate Internet myth buster: the car that I have owned with the least repair costs was a 1989 Chrysler TC made by Maserati in Italy with the Maserati (not the Chrysler) engine. I owned it for over 30 years. Beautiful car, gorgeous leather interior, great fun to drive, and no repair costs. When I sold it a year or so ago, almost every part on the car was still original. But if you search the Internet, your will find dozens of "experts" declaring it to be the worst car ever made and putting it at the top of such lists.

 

[wings&wheels]

1999 Mercedes ML320

Nice looking, nice driving, even light off road, but garbage....Mercedes first attempt at building vehicles here and it showed.

Reliability was downright awful; switches falling apart, interior stained easily (and I am obsessive about clean cars), and constant minor electrical glitches. The car had random issues such as the radio volume adjusting on its own (usually to max), various controls being intermittent and all f this this culminated with a stroke that shut the car down and locked it in gear on the highway. The main transmission harness shorted and took out the cluster, etc. Didn't buy another Mercedes until 2020.

 

[panthermike]

In my late teens early twenties I had a thing for 9C1 caprices. I had a few of them and really liked them but the one I paid the most for had the The lowest miles, was the cleanest, and also had a rare tan leather option.

Well about 2 weeks into ownership it developed a bad rod knock and needed a new motor! You win some you lose some but I really wanted to like that car.

 

[WylieCoyote]

1979 chev monza, v6 4 speed. Warranty replaced 6 output shaft seals, 4 clutches, 2 driveshafts and much more. All before 12k. I pulled the trans at 15k and found 4 needle bearings missing from the main drive gear.
I never bought a new gm product after that

Miserable cars, but at least the 3.8 had some guts. Test drove a Skyhawk 3.8 but the seller was asking too much. Paid $1,200 for the car below. The Iron Duke was just one more lousy component added to the pile. Way more noise than speed. Put a new clutch in it in 1986 right after purchase, and it was weak when I got rid of it in '88. Not sure why those cars can't keep a clutch. Never had that problem with another car.

 

[Alien]

1999 Mercedes ML320

Nice looking, nice driving, even light off road, but garbage....Mercedes first attempt at building vehicles here and it showed.

Reliability was downright awful; switches falling apart, interior stained easily (and I am obsessive about clean cars), and constant minor electrical glitches. The car had random issues such as the radio volume adjusting on its own (usually to max), various controls being intermittent and all f this this culminated with a stroke that shut the car down and locked it in gear on the highway. The main transmission harness shorted and took out the cluster, etc. Didn't buy another Mercedes until 2020.

This from someone who owned two cars made by the notorious British Leyland Motor Corporation!

 

[wings&wheels]

This from someone who owned two cars made by the notorious British Leyland Motor Corporation!

2??? It's 3 current and 5 before them, and my DD is a Range Rover! I'm a slow learner.

 

[Oillover]

I was at the E90 reveal spring 2005. When they pulled the covers off the 330i and 325i, everyone ooohh’d and ahhhhhh’d.

One lady said the shrimp cocktail was awful, Mercedes has lobster.

Me I said imma get me one someday. Due to my delay, it would be another 18 mos and now it was a 335 instead of 330. It’s still in the garage 16 years later

I was 13 in 1993 and BMW had just released the e36.
My older brother ooohhh'd and aaahhh'd over it's appearance, I said I like the older e30 design better.

20 years later and I still have my 88 325is in the garage.
I got the itch for something newer, but never pulled the trigger.

 

[SeaJay]

Both just nickle and dimed me to death.

I would much rather the engine or the tranny just quit on an older car, then I would just send it to the scrap yard. The ones that nickel and dime me are the ones that will end up sending me to the poor house if I insist on paying to get all those things fixed.

 

[nickaluch]

A toss up between my Fiat X19 or the triumph TR 6. Both were fun cars when they ran which wasn't very often

 

[Elkins45]

1971 Dodge Dart. Prone to flooding, intermittent electrical problems. Loved to leave me stranded miles from a phone.

 

[A_Harman]

its worth pointing out no one ever bought a 454 equipped truck thinking it would be good on gas... but on the bright side it probably got the same FE empty or towing..