Simple Q: Most unreliable car you've ever had?

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'85 Olds Calais 3.0. Bought it from an Olds dealer mechanic with just 24,000 miles on the clock in 1990. What a miserable POS.
 
Owned Jeep>VW>Honda>Subaru>Acura>VW.

The worst I guess was our 2005 Subaru Legacy GT wagon (turbo) I guess because between 150k - 200k miles did things like need:
* valve job because one burned ($3000)
* throw out bearing
* bunch of wheel bearings
* power steering rack
* alternator
* dire need of rear driveshaft
* leaked oil like crazy out of all sorts of tubes and hoses

All my other cars acted up past the 200k mark and put to pasture when AC broke.
 
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81 Volvo 245DL.
Despite being basic, it was riddled with issues. Mostly from poor craftsmanship.

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Worst car was a 1986 Old Custom Cruiser wagon ..... When it was cold, the door latches would freeze and then the doors wouldn't close.

Yup, my Volvo did that too.
Nothing worse on a cold prairie morning
mad.gif
 
Every Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth I've ever owned(5) from '73-'97. Just different levels of unreliability.
However, I did in fact enjoy driving every one.
 
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I'll get shot for this, but...

Our 88 Jeep Cherokee. Before anyone gets testy about it, yes it was a great purpose built vehicle, and the straight six would run forever. That being said... I spent more time wrenching on it than any other vehicle I owned.

It was a total mish mash of parts sourced from wherever, and while it was technically a Chrysler product by then, most everything was marked AMC.

It had the Renix fuel injection system that more or less gave no codes (everything was troubleshooting with a multi-meter). By the time I sold it, parts were becoming more of an issue (this system was only used on 87-90 4.0 Cherokees). On the flip side, I learned an awful lot about how fuel injection worked, since you had to understand what was going on in order to troubleshoot anything...)

The cooling system was a pressurized overflow bottle system and the bottles and caps were terrible, (Starting in 91, Cherokee's did away with this system, and I retrofitted mine).

In the end, it always seemed like about every 3500-5000 miles, something needed attention. Was happy to sell it at the end... It was becoming the epitome of JEEP - Just Empty Every Pocket...
 
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2004 Audi A6. That thing was a turd. Electrical issues, weak transmission, the engine leaked oil from every place possible. It turned me off from that brand for a long time.



Most reliable vehicle I've owned is my 1997 Grand Cherokee. That thing was a tank, although the sagging headliner drove me nuts.
 
99 S-10 4cyl auto.

Trans rebuild, head gasket, and cracked exhaust manifold before 65k miles.
mad.gif
 
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Originally Posted by Speak2Mountain
Ppl wonder why America-loving Americans started buying [censored] cars.


Japanese cars were junk back then too, they were just lucky enough to not sell many here!
 
2007 Trailblazer I6 just due to a lot of small problems... then one big one.

Water pump, front hub and fuel level sending unit before 30k miles.

Before 100k miles:

3 ignition switches
evap solenoid
fan clutch
motor mounts
hvac thermistor thingy-doodad
dash light bulbs
CD player
driver's side door switch assembly
both inside door handles broken


At 149k used 3 quarts of PP in 3000 miles and spun a rod bearing.
 
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86 Black Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
I custom ordered. When I was backing it out of the dealership garage, a Bird released a stream from Bumper to Bumper. The got a big laugh from the wash guy, and he had me pull it in and washed it again.
Little did I know it was an omen.

Back the same day, total AC failure. Had second one at 35K
Month later they had to tow it in with the first of many ignition module failures.
Back Pressure EGR valves were fond of failing.
Cruise control started sucking the throttle to the floor at random intervals.
2 alternator failures.
Trunk light switch was failing and working the alternator hard recharging the battery. It was driven every day so it always started.
Finally fixed the ignition module failures by replacing everything in distributor, cap rotor plug wires and plug. But carried spare ignition module, and tools in trunk.
Ran poorly in the rain, fixed by using stablant 22A on all connections.
Window regulator broke.

In 70K miles.
Glad to see it go.
My last NEW car.

Rod
 
1988 Ford Ranger base model 4 cylinder, 5 speed and power nothing. Bought it for a bare bones reliable driver but it didnt work out that way. Ignition problems, steering column problems, catalytic convertor problem and finally the engine at about 40K miles needed major work.
 
1999 Audi A6 i have had some junk vehicles but i have never had one where the spark plug comes out when driving it ?

then a bunch of other little stuff. I was in Florida wife said that she is selling it and we got a 2004 Honda Accord. Put 300k on that v6
 
1990 Dodge Spirit ES with the Mitsu 3.0V6 and A604 4 speed trans. Nice looking car (white with the the white snowflake wheels) but the trans and motor were junk. Multiple trans rebuilds under the 7/70 warranty (I even took Chrysler to court after the 4th rebuild in less than 80,000 miles and won) and the V6 leaked oil like crazy after 60,000 miles. I actually miss that car since it was quiet, a good highway cruiser with a lot of room and the gas mileage was pretty decent. But I vowed never to buy another Chrysler vehicle again after the court case.
 
Originally Posted by Speak2Mountain
Lord I always thought these Mitsu trucks were decent like the Chevy Luv and Ford Courier



courier was a mazda
 
Originally Posted by road_rascal
1990 Dodge Spirit ES with the Mitsu 3.0V6 and A604 4 speed trans. Nice looking car (white with the the white snowflake wheels) but the trans and motor were junk. Multiple trans rebuilds under the 7/70 warranty (I even took Chrysler to court after the 4th rebuild in less than 80,000 miles and won) and the V6 leaked oil like crazy after 60,000 miles. I actually miss that car since it was quiet, a good highway cruiser with a lot of room and the gas mileage was pretty decent. But I vowed never to buy another Chrysler vehicle again after the court case.

Thats 2 of us that had Mitsubishi trouble!
 
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