Worst Vehicle Ever

[83MonteCarloSS]

I had a 2004 Pontiac Montana that had transmission woes several times. I chalk that up to the stupid Pressure Control Solenoid / computer control.

The 3400 V6 developed a head gasket leak and intake manifold leak. After repairing that a couple of the rocker mount bolts ripped the threads out of the aluminum heads. I heli-coiled the heads to repair it and debated heli-coiling them all. Someone I talked it over with told me to only do the ones that wouldn’t torque to spec. That was a mistake because after getting it back together and running it for awhile more stripped out. After heli-coiling them all I never had a problem with that again, but while bolting the intake manifold back down it stripped the threads out of the head so I had to heli-coil those.

The plastic coolant fittings that were used to connect to the heater core were prone to failure and vacuum connections around the throttle body were another horrible design.

 

[ck80]

Everyone thinks so new....

What about the Edsel, a car both without a market niche and horrible quality?

They leaked like a sieve and had a bad reputation for it In a time when even the ExxonMobil valez fit in with cars on the road.

You could get a high option ford better equipped, and cheaper, than a low option Edsel. And you could get a low option Lincoln better equipped, and cheaper, than a high option Edsel. And there was almost no feature gap between the high end Ford, and the low end Lincoln.

Then you mention the styling, that grille choice...

I see them as a build quality issue car that also didn't have a niche in the company lineup to call their own, and yet, absurdly priced due to their start up and engineering costs.

At least other 'bad cars' only suffered from one or the other - from why-did-they-build-it aztek, to the 1990s grand damns that always seemed to be broken even Pontiac had their flops. But at least they either had a purpose, or, just suffered woeful build quality.

The Edsel is the only one I can think of off the top of my head that suffered from both?

 

[08Malibu]

In my experience any of the 3 Chrysler products I had owned.

The newer Range rovers is pretty spot on. My buddy just picked up one and its HOT Garbage. Went back to the shop 4 times in 3 weeks.

The tech said there was a guy that had the engine blow on his rover after 9 miles.
A lot of people replace their cars yearly, apparently. Probably the only way to own a jag or rover.

 

[Built6spdMCSS]

Here's one putting a Land Rover down, the right way: 105mm Gun. 🤘

I saved this video a while back, I've driven one of them M60 Tanks for some of my work stuff.

 

[Local Hero]

If anyone follows Vice Grip Garage, and saw the Bricklin episode several weeks back, that one should be pretty high up there on the bad list.

From personal experience, in the early 90s when my first G-Body, 86 Grand Prix got totaled by a carload of drunk teens, the insurance company sent me a rental '91 Nissan Sentra, 4 door. I realize these cars have come a LONG way since. But that thing was like riding in a tin can. I remember wondering out loud, ".... you mean people actually go out and buy these things for themselves...??!!??!!" 🤮

 

[Local Hero]

Everyone thinks so new....

What about the Edsel, a car both without a market niche and horrible quality?

They leaked like a sieve and had a bad reputation for it In a time when even the ExxonMobil valez fit in with cars on the road.

You could get a high option ford better equipped, and cheaper, than a low option Edsel. And you could get a low option Lincoln better equipped, and cheaper, than a high option Edsel. And there was almost no feature gap between the high end Ford, and the low end Lincoln.

Then you mention the styling, that grille choice...

I see them as a build quality issue car that also didn't have a niche in the company lineup to call their own, and yet, absurdly priced due to their start up and engineering costs.

At least other 'bad cars' only suffered from one or the other - from why-did-they-build-it aztek, to the 1990s grand damns that always seemed to be broken even Pontiac had their flops. But at least they either had a purpose, or, just suffered woeful build quality.

The Edsel is the only one I can think of off the top of my head that suffered from both?

One of my other cars is Ford based. My Dad and I were at the Carlisle Ford Nationals in the late 90s. We were walking past the Edsel parking area because that show always parks the cars in groups. I'll never forget his saying as we walked past, "Man are these cars screwed up!!"

 

[ck80]

One of my other cars is Ford based. My Dad and I were at the Carlisle Ford Nationals in the late 90s. We were walking past the Edsel parking area because that show always parks the cars in groups. I'll never forget his saying as we walked past, "Man are these cars screwed up!!"

Next time you can joke back with him.

Hey dad, did you know on his deathbed Henry Ford lamented 2 big mistakes in his like?

What's that son?

The first was naming his son Edsel.

What's the second?

Naming a car after that son.

 

[Ribbedroof]

If anyone follows Vice Grip Garage, and saw the Bricklin episode several weeks back, that one should be pretty high up there on the bad list.

Ahhhh....the Bricklin. Waaaaaayyyyy back in the late 70s, I had a friend casual aquaintance that test-drove a Bricklin that was for sale at the local VW/specialty dealer. This was after Star Wars came out, and the car had a full-blown Star Wars mural on the WHOLE CAR. He wound up taking it out of town, flew it off the road at 100+ about 40 yards into a cornfield. His dad was pretty well-connected, didn't buy the car, didn't have to pay. I'm sure some insurer lost their tail on that one, as we were about 17 at the time.

 

[ck80]

Ahhhh....the Bricklin. Waaaaaayyyyy back in the late 70s, I had a friend casual aquaintance that test-drove a Bricklin that was for sale at the local VW/specialty dealer. This was after Star Wars came out, and the car had a full-blown Star Wars mural on the WHOLE CAR. He wound up taking it out of town, flew it off the road at 100+ about 40 yards into a cornfield. His dad was pretty well-connected, didn't buy the car, didn't have to pay. I'm sure some insurer lost their tail on that one, as we were about 17 at the time.

Oddly enough, many bricklins are found to this day sitting in fields, some corn, some otherwise. Also probably about the same price as the one your friend test drove was worth after the ride.

 

[DRIVEN]

If anyone follows Vice Grip Garage, and saw the Bricklin episode several weeks back, that one should be pretty high up there on the bad list.

From personal experience, in the early 90s when my first G-Body, 86 Grand Prix got totaled by a carload of drunk teens, the insurance company sent me a rental '91 Nissan Sentra, 4 door. I realize these cars have come a LONG way since. But that thing was like riding in a tin can. I remember wondering out loud, ".... you mean people actually go out and buy these things for themselves...??!!??!!" 🤮

I'm pretty well acquainted with the Bricklin. https://gbodyforum.com/threads/projects-from-the-compound.35069/page-19 . Canada, you owe the world an apology.