Autocar - First for car news and reviews

Juleshuffers August 27, 2010 3:04 PM

Escort MIII. Had it just one month in which time it burnt more oil through it's valve seals than Saudia Arbia produces in a year!!

Curmudgeon August 27, 2010 3:18 PM

Oh dear.  I live in France and am thinking of buying a Renault.  Wish you hadn't reminded me.

Renault 21, the version with no air intake at all at the front.  Broke down mostly on holidays in France.  There was a lot of extraneous wiring round the fan - when it broke down on the Swiss border the French mechanic asked me accusingly if I'd done the wiring.

When going well it really was a wonderfull car..

Company car, so I asked them to get rid of it but they refused as it was not inconveniencing them (just messing up my hols).  

When time came to change I opted out of the scheme and took the money because I was fed up - bought a nearly new Rover 820E which only let me down once in quite a number of years - when the petrol pump packed up.  Maximum annoyance, though, as needed to empty boot to get it fixed.  Was taking daughter back to University at the time - loads of stuff including drum kit...

Myk August 27, 2010 4:12 PM

I had a Vauxhall Viva Coupe which was a complete death-trap.  I've never come across another car which was as happy to wag it's tail at every given opportunity.  The number of times it caught me out; it was like driving on a knife-edge.

The only car that's really let me down on a number of occasions was a 2300 Rover SD1.  It would always wait until I was miles from home before something went wrong.  I actually quite liked it when it was going.

pabs August 27, 2010 4:14 PM

It wasn't a FIAT

Liam F August 27, 2010 5:02 PM

Having had and enjoyed a number of proper pre-GM era Saabs my worst ever car was a later, ie Vauxhall-based drophead 9-3 which I stuck with for six weeks and then cheerfully sold for quite a lot less than it cost me. Not that I was keen to lose money, but I was very keen to get shot of it. Ghastly, plus I can't imagine what made me buy a convertible in the first place.

FR3000 August 27, 2010 5:17 PM

I've been lucky with cars - but I do recall my mates old Mk1 Fiesta 1.0L being particularly awful.

TD7 August 27, 2010 5:36 PM

Worst ever car i had was a 1973/M Marina TC Jubilee in yuk limeflower. Ist night alternator went, following week the waterpump.....a couple of weeks on the shackle that held the rear axle to the spring snapped and boy didnt that make it a challenge to get home.

The following month the gearbox broke up so i only had 1st and 4th and reverse, then the prop centre UJ went... OO and during that time it liked a nice old drink of oil to the tune of a couple of pints a week.

Finally 5 months i got rid of it getting my original purchase price back of £380 and bought a Vitesse 2.0.

No wonder the Marina is a long laughing joke of BL fame.

Johnny English August 27, 2010 6:04 PM

When I arrived in Africa, my employers assigned me a Land Rover Defender that had been rebuilt after flipping over in a high speed collision.  The rebuild was shoddy, and every time you applied the handbrake, your thumb would catch on the underneath of the console (which had somehow been repositioned after the accident) thus ripping the skin off your thumb until you remembered not to use the handbrake release button - a lesson quickly learned.

amble August 27, 2010 6:06 PM

It gut's me to say this but the Mk1 MR2 I used to own was probably the worst (and the best car) I ever had.

It was 18 years old when I bought it, with rotten sills, filled wings, a dodgy exhaust and sometimes a strong whiff of unleaded in the cabin.  After (stupidly) paying £1500 for it, it cost me another £1200 to get it through its first MOT (which crippled me).

I stuck with it for 4 years, it's once red paintwork went pink in the sun, spares cost a small fortune (and it needed loads) the pre-galvanised metalwork practically dissolved in the winter and it never cost less than £600 at MOT time.

It was however an absolutely fantastic car to drive and I was genuinely sad when it left to empty some other poor souls wallet.  I've been richer since and don't go into panic attacks at MOT time but every time I see one for sale I'm still tempted.

Wingroad August 27, 2010 6:30 PM

A Clove Brown Metro 1.0 HLE. Not too bad as it never actually broke down.The gearbox was the worst I have ever driven,it needed both hands to force it into 1st gear at a standstill. Dealer said it was normal!!!!!!!!!!!

I should add I had it from new and so was not clappedout. Never brought another BL product again

Uncle Mellow August 27, 2010 8:03 PM

My first ever brand new car. My boss surprised me with a Morris Marina ( more shock than surprise). In 1975 I was accustomed to electronic ignition and front disc brakes - the Marina had neither. Had the clutch replaced before the warranty ran out , as the angle the engine was fitted at allowed oil to leak into the bellhousing. The clutch was mostly either in or out, which might explain why one of the rear springs broke after 18 months , and the diff failed before 50K.

At 20K I had to adjust the balljoints in the front suspension to compensate for wear. The little black plastic bit in the top of the SU carburettor was forever un-screwing itself.There was a recall on the brake hoses - took a year for the dealer to replace them!

Los Angeles August 27, 2010 8:29 PM

All British, all thankfully rusted and gone to the Great Crusher in the sky. Sure all had changed for the better I took the plunge and bought a TVR, new, and again was reminded of those good ol' days when a car dumped oil on my garage floor, refused to start even on dry days sometimes minutes after turning off the engine, leaked, had iffy parts installed, no dealers for 170 miles, and and was truly uncomfortable. However, unlike previous British car-nages it brought kudos as well as pain. Liking and loathing was akin to a kind of sado-masochism.

freudianskip August 27, 2010 9:53 PM

my scariest ever was a diarrhoea-brown Datsun Sunny estate - rear wheel drive and just plain terrifying on a wet roundabout. I bought it for three hundred quid plus my dying and beloved old Escort Mk2 estate and regretted it every time I got in and felt the clammy embrace of its velour seats.

Scoobman August 27, 2010 10:01 PM

Audi A3 Quattro circa 1999 - The ride was so harsh, my organs felt bruised after every journey. And the 1.8T emgine was very laggy.

BeeMer August 27, 2010 11:43 PM

I had a Riley Kestrel, for which I paid £280. First gear was impossible needed 2 hands.  Leaked oil, the dynamo (remember those) never charged the battery.  But it was my first car so I loved it.

Also had a Daewoo Tacuma sold it after 9 weeks horrid horrid thing.

Dan McNeil v2 August 28, 2010 12:01 AM

Vauxhall Vectra Mk 1 diesel.  

One of these cars that was so awful and so unreliable that, when it went on another of its frequent trips to be "fixed" at the local (typically useless) Vauxhall dealer, I wished it would never be returned.  

My only consolation was that within a few weeks I would be without it for another few days, as it would be in for "repairs" yet again.  I simply don't have the time to list its comprehensive catalogue of faults.    Truly, a Morris Marina for the 1990s.

dikul August 28, 2010 10:23 AM

1976 Vauxhall Viva.  As with the Viva Coupe mentioned above, it would slide on a blob of spit.  Every time there was a bit of moisture around it would either plough on straight, regardless of where the wheels were pointed, or  try to swap ends.  It also pinked whenever the accellerator was breathed on.  Brand new car, dealer could never cure that.

lionelwimpy August 28, 2010 11:35 AM

Hyundai Sonata...... it was utterly dreadful. Horrible, wallowy, gutless, atrocious auto box, shocking interior...... ewww.

Wasn't mine, was my father's (God know's why he bought it) soon switched it for an V8 Jaguar XJ :)

feckin maso August 28, 2010 12:01 PM

Oh dear spoiled for choice here, do I go for the Volvo 340 auto that put itself in gear and crashed into a wall with me running up the hill after it

or the 77 Marina which looked better than when it left the factory but felt like the rear had come from a shopping trolley

or the Mazda 626 which I loved but was broke into 19 times in one year cleaning out the local Mazda breaker and ensuring they replaced my mum on the friends and family list

no I reckon it was a 99 Astra hatch, learned the lesson not to buy from a chav, lowered with huge alloys and a boot full of stereo, the wheels messed up the gearing meaning it would struggle to get any speed while using the twice the petrol of my current celica, the ride was that stiff that every time I hit a pothole the stereo would shut down, to start the stereo again the key had to be removed

swapped it for a 106 ust to be rid of it

Corbs August 28, 2010 3:34 PM

I've owned over 50, and I can absolutely nominate the worst, can you guess ?

It was Italian

It was white (ish)

It started to disapear in 3 years

When it reached it's 4th birthday, I removed a few solid bits, engine/gearbox etc, and used my wife's liquidiser to reduced the remainder to a pulp that I watered the Hydrangeas with, nice and blue for a while they were.

So what was it ?, bet you know, Yup, a Lancia Beta Coupe !!!!

It drove nicely though for a bit......

Vimfuegoturbo August 28, 2010 4:33 PM

Not a car I actually owned, but one I test drove - a brand new (in 1993) Vauxhall Frontera Sport 3 door.

The only car I have driven in 22 years, that I thought was genuinely dangerous and shouldn't have been let out the factory gate.

The reason? Steering that had getting on for quarter of a turn of free-play, a bouncy ride thanks to leaf springs and a short wheelbase exaggerated by the high driving position, and to cap it all brakes, that as far as I could tell, didn't work at all!

I never tried it, but I'm told that they weren't too clever off-road either...

andrepaul999 August 28, 2010 6:29 PM

Toyota Auris 1.6

couldnt think of anything nice about it really....let me think........no ill have to get back to you on that one!

sniper one August 28, 2010 8:18 PM

my company ford focus tdci...the bland mobile.

Overdrive August 28, 2010 9:27 PM

GSA Citroen Club. It broke down faster (and more often) than I could say: "oh $hit, not again".

I kid you not.

ThePlumsofAutumn August 28, 2010 11:18 PM

Daihatsu Charade De Tomaso..........I kid you not.

Understeered like a mofo but quicker than a cat getting dumped in a bin.

S h i tbox though.

jonfortwo August 29, 2010 10:04 AM

The car that should have been the worst was actually one i have fond memories of.......a brand new Lada Samara saloon 1300. dependable, agricultural and disposable. I never locked it once, it cost pennies to buy and my labrador loved it because i never minded him sitting on the back seat having been in the sea. i swopped that for a Niva.

A new Fiat Tipo bought me the most misery, stylish it may have been but so poorly built it spent huge amounts of time at the dealer, far less reliable than my Lada.......it taught me a lesson i still live by today.

Will86 August 29, 2010 11:00 AM

I haven't a lengthy car history, but the 307 1.6 petrol was the worst, even worse than the 1.1 C3 I had on hire a couple of months ago.

BriMarsh August 29, 2010 11:13 AM

A £125 1979 Morris Marina.  

tannedbaldhead August 29, 2010 12:07 PM

A Bedford Chevanne I used at work back in the early eighties. The low driving position meant the old stiff and fat fitters that used it tended to drop into the low seat from a height causing it to collapse. Engine sounded rougher and more tappety than any other car I've ever driven nad the gear box was crunchy.

Bigchiefmuffin August 29, 2010 10:01 PM

Sadly, a TVR Cerbera which I collected new from the factory in 1997 and which broke down on the way home. Over the next year, I managed to put 15,000 miles on it, despite it going back to the dealer 7 times. I worked out that it must have cost about £10K in warranty work alone, and when the warranty ran out, it had to go.

Even when it was "working", at any speed over 70, the car used to feel like it was ready to shake itself to pieces. The air con never worked and, with the engine nearly in your lap and the a greenhouse style cabin, I used to arrive after any long journey soaked in sweat. It never even felt THAT fast...

Still think it was beautiful, both inside and out - a great toy, but as a car, a dog by any other name...

Stewart_Peters August 29, 2010 10:23 PM

Oh dear, seems to be a theme developing here...

1977 Morris Marina !

Others have listed some of it's foibles with regard to quality and reliability so I won't repeat, though I am minded to quote a friends father with regard to the Marina's tractive ability-or lack of- " would skite (skate) on a birds sh**e " as he eloquently put it. Fairly typical of rear drive family cars of the era mind you.

The Marina I suppose was really my "first " car as well, being the family-and only-car we all drove it, though it was hardly a very cool car for a hellishly shy and awkward teenager trying to ask young ladies out to social functions ( I subsequently noticed I was gay which helped explain a lot of things..)

Mind you it only lasted three or so weeks after I passed my driving test, on the way to a funeral with my father driving he pulled out of a side road and failed to see an oncoming car-partially hidden in a dip in the road in fairness- and the Marina departed to the scrap yard in the sky.Best thing that could probably have happened for washing it that very morning I had brushed some mud off the sill and the metal had came with it...( probably one the main advances in cars since then, how often would you encounter a car utterly rotten with corrosion at only five or six years old today ? )

hamishl August 29, 2010 11:00 PM

Hmmm, an NZ market 1989 Ford Laser TX3i. I shouldn't have even bought it, it was that dodgy. The fuel gauge didn't work, and it fully lived up to the reputation that the Ford Laser/Mazda 323 had for having their cooling systems pack up. I used to drive it home with the heater on full in the middle of summer to try and keep the temp down in traffic just a little more.

Eventually I bought a Fiat Brava off my aunt after a hose in the cooling system burst one night.

Loved that car nonetheless. 100 hp (although probably not when I had it) in a car weighing about 900kg, always a recipe for success. Especially without power steering

weenedonpetrol August 29, 2010 11:14 PM

I’ve been thinking about this question all day and have come up with three.  It is unfortunate that they were all made in Britain.

The first was a mustard 1976 Austin Allegro 1.3, complete with square steering wheel (who ever thought that it was a good marketing idea to fit a square steering wheel to a car?).  The car belonged to my late father and he got it to teach me to drive when I was 17.  He took me from a driving lesson one Sunday from Acton, where we lived, through Park Royal, onto the North Circular Road.  Approaching the traffic lights at the Gyratory System and Dad instructed me to change down to third and the gear lever came away in my hand......................... “Dad, what do I do?”   Reply; “Just keep driving, son.................  Use the clutch!”  (He’d been in the RASC in North Africa during WW2 and could drive anything, in any condition, anywhere)

The second was a couple of years later.  Dad lent me his dark brown Austin Princess 1.7HL Automatic. Big heavy car, normally aspired 1.7 litre non-fuel injected engine, PAS and a slushier just don’t go!  Just as well really, as the Hydrogas rear suspension was dreadful!

Third, was my 2003 Rover 75 1.8 Turbo Automatic.  Great car, but the gearbox went while towing our caravan down the M5 from the Lake District and because the factory had just closed down I could not get a replacement and had to sell the car for parts at 18 months old. Shame on Phoenix!

frenchconnection August 30, 2010 1:04 AM

My renault laguna 2.0 intiale - just bought it this saturday and within 30 mins of leaving the dealership , it had locked me out twice , the fuel injection system packed up - no lip home mode just shut the engine off , the ESP 's faulty and the Sat nav will only speak in french to me .

Buzz Cagney August 30, 2010 7:45 AM

Another Citroen GSA vote here. A really horrible car. It went rotten almost at the rate of a week old apple.

As unreliable as that was I still hated the Ford Crappy that I had for a while. Sure, it looked great, but what an inert lump of garbage it was.

I'm at a loss to understand why people love these horrible things.

Will86 August 30, 2010 9:08 AM

@Frenchconnection - take it back to the dealer and demand a refund.

glorfindel August 30, 2010 9:59 AM

1993 Nissan Micra.

patter August 30, 2010 11:14 AM

TATA Loadbeta - Worst car ever rubbish plastics... the steering wheel was never on straight... the rear suspension was so hard it skipped on cats eyes... the radio was so poor you couldn't hear it when the car was moving... the engine was so week you couldn't overtake and was so noisy you couldn't here police sirens behind you... the four wheel drive didn't have a dif lock so would get bogged down all the time... the wing mirrors only pointed to the ground... the turning circle was so bad you would have to three point turn some round abouts... the dashboard litterally fell off after 9 months... the windscreen wipers didn't work... and the brakes where just dangerous and for the first 5 miles the rears would lock up every time you even dabbed the break peddle which meant you were handbrake turning most of the time... Scared me to death every time I drove it...

Dave52 August 30, 2010 12:38 PM

Haven't ever bought one that was without some good points to more than balance the bad.

However, use to work at Motor Panels where one of the company boxes was an Allegro. Ignoring the horrid wheel, it would jump out of gear at any roundabout and the subframe used to allow all sorts of things to crash into the body. The Marinas were better!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeuk, horrible memory.

Peter Cavellini August 30, 2010 1:51 PM

Worst car?, Ford Focus 1.6 titanium on an 06' plate, i was throughly disappointed with the car, nice interior seats in particular were very comfy suppoerted your shoulders very well, the driving experience?, felt like the car had balloons for tyres,also if felt under powered, still had a 5-speed box, and to cao it all, it's ignition coils packed up!, fortunately that was covered in the warranty, up until then i'd only driven Fords and only bought a Focus because i trusted the maker, last two cars have been a BMW and a Seat Ibiza, so far so good.

weenedonpetrol August 30, 2010 3:23 PM

Dave52,  Maybe the Allegro was the one was the same one my Dad had, but a few years after they welded the gear lever back on!  ;-}}}

Does anyone actually know why BL chose that square wheel?

James Ruppert August 30, 2010 5:55 PM

A misunderstanding of a David Bache sketch, full story in The British Car Industry Our Part in its Downfall, by me. Better resolved on the Rover SD1. My Uncle Charlie had a Squarial Wheel Allegro, truly awful, they caused lots of Panda Car crashes if I remember rightly.

Zedboy August 30, 2010 7:40 PM

Merc C250d, 2010: List so far includes 5 recovered breakdowns, 2 ignition failures resulting in 4 weeks in dealer and 2 DPF wiring burnouts... towed back in yesterday with third DPF failure. BMW next time me thinks...

Lord Snooty August 30, 2010 8:58 PM

My estate manager bought a Maestro Diesel as a pool car, which I was unlucky enough to have to drive for a few days. I have never heard a louder racket from ANY engine bay: truck, tractor, or car.

ischiaragazzo August 31, 2010 8:04 AM

Seeing the Morris Marina comments I do remember driving one of my grandmother's friends Marinas in Australia oooh around 1973. Bright pink but did anyhone know that in Australia theyh put a huge (relatively) 2.6 litre OHC six in these? From memory it had roughly twice the power of the 4 but still came equipped with tyres smaller and less grippy than a bicycle. My personal worst (after 66 cars and I am not 50 yet) would be my 164QV Alfa. I never realised so much could fall off a car in such a short period of time. It lasted about 4 months after the ABS vibrated so much it popped a fuel line off and the whole thing went up up up in a puff of smoke. The other one would be a 1984 Fiat Argenta automatic that I had in Italy. Interior quality not its strong point and the trim around the gear select yused to wobble about. Not such a big deal you say however one day when I cleaned on a very steep drive, I pulled back one gear to reverse up the drive put unfortunately although it showed it was in Park it was actually in Neutral. So once pull back a heft dose of throttle and I ended up through the garage wall and into the swimming pool. Oh and the other thing about that was that it had a fancy electronic onboard diagnostic system which of course didn't work One day I checked the oil (or tried to as it was showing low level) I touched the dipstick and KAPOW - ended up about 2 yards from the bonnet on my back. It did have one of the best rides that I have expereinced though....

ischiaragazzo August 31, 2010 8:06 AM

In Australia. Morris Marina. 2.6 litre OHC six engine. Twice power of ordinary Marina. Pink. Need more? Thought not!

vidfletch August 31, 2010 10:03 AM

My 1988 Mercedes 230TE. It was 15 years old when I got it but had FSH and 160000 miles. Looked great and drove great until shortly after when everything but the engine and gearbox would begin to either fall off or break. Rust, electrics, brakes, propshaft, various pipes etc, etc, etc. By far the worst car I have owned.

I have stuck to VWs of the same era now. 100 times better built. I bought a 1989 VW Jetta just to get my wife to work at the time because it didn't break. The Merc eventually was scrapped and six years later we still have the Jetta and it does a 40 mile commute every day.

Oktoberfest August 31, 2010 12:14 PM

I used to race some Karts with friends when we worked together at Daewoo a few years ago. We were kindly given pool cars for our weekend trips to circuits around the country. Every weekend was a different car and every single trip at least one of them and in one case both of them broke down. Lucky we had the knowledge to get them going again. Awful fragile cheap rubbish things. Mind you, as pool cars at a vehicle R&D centre, I doubt they were shown much mercy by anyone.

marj August 31, 2010 1:38 PM

A 1997 Nissan 'Sunny' I had for 3 months in NZ which was the same as an Almera in 3 door 'Sport' guise. It had a tiny engine that wounldn't push it up a mountain, steering that would leave Mystic Meg with more of an idea which way the wheels were pointing and possible the worst brakes I have ever encountered. Yes even worse than a 1 litre Polo. I was so relieved to return to the UK and drive a normal car.

Casanova August 31, 2010 2:08 PM

I bought a 1991 MR2 mk2 in jobseekers-allowance white.  The direction of the car was governed more by the whims of the ruined (and barely) attached suspension than any driver inputs.  Even after the front strut was reattached, it was truly terrifying!

hyf August 31, 2010 2:08 PM

Probably a new 1725 Hillman Hunter. Clutch,gearbox, valves but most frustrating of all breaking down on regular basis finally found to be a petrol tank with flaking paint, which kept jamming the fuel lines.

Out of almost 30 cars I have owned most have been pretty good. The only other disaster was a 2 litre Austin Ambassador.

jensen_healey August 31, 2010 2:19 PM

1988 Daimler 3.6 XJ40. From front to back: front bumper corroded, headlights filled with water and relective coating dissapeared, brake pressure accumultor leaked, HT leads failed, A pillars rusting, door handles didn't work from the outside, sunroof wind noise, rear suspension bushes dissolved, diff whined, fuel filler didn't open, boot leaked water. Have since owned two (older) XJ SIII's which have none of the above issues and are far better made...!

Rich_uk August 31, 2010 2:44 PM

Mk1 Vectra. My brother picked one off the transporter, chuffed that he had a company car. He drove along the A1 coming up to a roundabout he dabbed the brakes for the first time. He wished he had checked they worked beforehand... fortunately he didn't crash.

He limped the car back to the transporter, it was just off the A1 not far away. Picked up another Vectra- checked brakes- and drove off. Got around the corner, went to change gear and then realised the gearbox had fallen through onto the road. Amazingly/stupidly, he got another Vectra. Third time lucky I guess.

My worst was a Fiat Marea it just let me down on the most important occasions but I did sell it for more than I bought it for.

ThatOne August 31, 2010 2:59 PM

Worst car ever driven: one from the company pool, a Peugeot 404 estate diesel. Scored 1 out of 100 because it did get me from A to B, absolutely atrocious on every other point, compared to other vehicles around in 1974.  Worst car ever owned: a Citroen GS.  Sold my car at a good price before the new one got to the concession, bought the GS at scrap value to have wheels while waiting, and then factory couldn't deliver the new car.  So I had the GS long enough to have to change the brake pads, (still got the scratch marks on my hands), for the battery holder to fall apart, (O the smell in the car), for my wife's seat squab to collapse, (my poor wife suddenly shrunk 10 inches), and the clutch to give up, (put me off servicing clutches for life).  Of course it had all the erratic behaviour of even "good" GSs, but, even so, the cloud had a silver lining!  Some fool stole it, (really, really easy to do without any visible damage), and the insurance paid up!  My wife's veto on Citroens is still in force 24 years later.

Devonboy August 31, 2010 3:40 PM

I've driven some rubbish in my time (mostly BL products) but nothing that matches Zedboy's guaranteed failure of an ignition system on a diesel-powered Merc !! Did the dealer report that the ignition coils needed replacing?

Ordy August 31, 2010 4:30 PM

Probably no where near the worst based on some of the testimonies above. The Car I resented most was an early Mercedes A Class. The ride and handling put me in mind of trying to balance on a football.

redjag27 August 31, 2010 5:23 PM

having read all the comments above, I feel I should add my own. Firstly, to jensen_healy, I had an XJ40 4.0 (1994  Sovereign ), second hand. On the first day, in the first hour, it died on me. Three times that day, it died. I made the garage take it back. I have had three XJ40's since, including an XJR 4.0, that NEVER went wrong. My worst car? No, not a Marina, though I've had one, it was a Rover 800. Overheated every time I stopped at traffic lights, took 4 hours to get out of London ( a trip of less than 3 miles!!! ). Next would be a new TR7. Fell apart leaving dealership, took it back! Then a Toyota Carina, everything went wrong and it literally went under the axe..a firemans axe!!

rogueviking August 31, 2010 5:31 PM

Choice of 2: my second MG Metro which had incurable pinking & a porous alloy wheel; the most disappointing - Alfa GT Cloverleaf 1.9JTD - looked a million dollars but boring uneconomic engine, dreadful ride & headlights

DWH August 31, 2010 8:57 PM

Ford Capri 1976 hatch. Lovely Sahara Beige all Zeebarted and only 1700 miles on the clock for £1750 when bought BUT only a 1300cc. In the army at the time and heading back to camp up the A1 from London to Catterick in a headwind getting only 22MPG. How I wished I had bought the 2.0L John Player Special in black with the goldy bits.

Currently an MG ZT owner (diesel) and the wife with an Aussy import 2.4L Toyota RAV both running well.

sandy52 August 31, 2010 9:12 PM

an early (old model)  Passat- FRIGHTENING car in snow/ ice and as I lived in Holland at the time didnt want to go into a frozen canal  AWFUL car.

octaviafan August 31, 2010 9:30 PM

Rover 214 S.Circa 1993. Broke down twice in one day.Alternator in the morning and head gasket in the afternoon.Gearbox expired at 70,000 miles. The very worst Rover quality and reliability.

Citreon C5 1.8 circa 2003.This was a company car I was unfortunate enough to inherit! Riddled with problems from day one.After nine weeks at the dealers it was declared unfixable and returned to Citreon and was still only four months old.Never seen or heard of again

GaryW September 1, 2010 6:35 AM

Another vote for TVR I'm afraid...

I bought a 6-month-old TVR Griffith 500 back in 1995, which was my dream car at the time.  It looked fantastic, was incredibly quick, and made a fantastic noise...but it was useless as a car.

Sometimes it wouldn't start without (literally) 5-10 mins of cranking.  The heater valve failed almost constantly and, when replaced, the monkeys (sorry mechanics) at my local TVR dealer didn't ensure it was leak free.   Not an issue in a well-designed car, but in a Griff the heater valve is directly above the fuses and relays....  Cue lots of clicking and dying.  Then there was the case of the wrong fuse for the fans (should have been slow-blow, but I guess Blackpool was out of stock on the day my car was built) leaving my coolant all over the M4 during a jam.  Then there was the time they steam-cleaned the engine (without asking me) and all the senders died.  Oh yes, and the replacement diff.  And the fact that if you were in traffic in heavy rain, water would run off the bonnet onto the radiator, turn to steam, then be sucked into the cabin to steam up the windscreen!  I could go on, but I won't (the car didn't most of the time!).  It was my daily driver, but more often than not I'd have to divert to the TVR dealer on my way to work to get something fixed.

After 6 months I decided enough was enough and told the dealer to make me an offer when it died yet again.  Amazingly, I only lost £2K on the deal!  (Just shows how many masochists were out there in those days).

Big S September 1, 2010 3:54 PM

Rover 214, N reg, one of the first of the new shape. Was the first time I bought a new car privately, intending to keep it long enough for the kids to learn to drive in.  It was completely knackered in just 4 years and 30000 miles as if it was 3 times that age: engine, electrics, bodywork.  Shame, it was actually very nice to drive -  when it worked.

Deja vu with the Allegro my Mum mistakenly bought in1973 but she was clever enough to only keep that 4 months.

Los Angeles September 2, 2010 1:57 AM

Was not the Allegro's square steering wheel dubbed "Quartic" by Austin?

Mr_H September 5, 2010 10:48 AM

Without a shadow of a doubt the car I've just got rid of - an '02 SAAB 9-3 2.2 TiD Hatch. I bought it thinking that SAABs were reliable, quick, refined and safe. What a joke! It sounded and vibrated like a 1956 Bedford coach, in 4th gear the drone was so bad that it gave my girlfriend at the time a head-ache, it had crap fuel economy (I was lucky if I managed 42mpg), and it had rubbish rear legroom! In under 3 years I ended up spending £4500 on it after the turbo blew resulting in the need for an engine re-build, the miriad of engine sensors failed with erring regularity, A good day was one where the engine management light was not ignited, the clutch failed (£1000 to fix) within a week of me having it back after yet another sensor gave up the ghost, it started rusting, the aircon, headlamp wipers, rear aerial and wheel bearings failed. All in all, a shed. Traded it in for £995 (it cost me £8000 from a SAAB dealer), saw it for sale a week later for £1995. Hope the next poor sucker has a better time in it than I did!