Worst cars of the last 20 yrs. my list

[Gn-ing]

I've been the the used car business for the last 32 yrs..I've seen the good the bad,and the ugly pass thru our lots..here is my list of the worst,and why


1. the 95 Ford Windstar. Bad head gasket,bad Transmissions,Bad ABS,Bad electical system...most didn't make it to 100k on the orginal drive train

2. Hyundai's made before 2000. Mostly bad transmissions,early cars used tons of oil. poor quailty control...low resale...

3. 90-94 lincoln continetal..same eng and trans problems as the windstar <3.8> and a terrible air suspenson. don't buy one of these...

4. Caddilac with northstar..93-99....very complex engine,with lots of problems,notably the head bolts pull out of the aluminum block,and cost about 4 thousand to fix,motor has to be pulled,and machined for oversize...don't buy one of these with out cking the coolant level....

5. ford contour..95-2000...built as a tempo replacement,ford threw in the towel after 5 model yrs..basically poor quailty,hard to work on,especially with the V-6...the usual ford trans problems..and a host of electrical gremlins

6.95-99 neon....for it's head gasket eating appetite...less of them around every day...

7. GM cars with the 3.1 V6 or 3.8...like grand am ,bonneville,lumina GM mini vans the problem here is bad intake gaskets..they start out as small leaks,but usually fill the engine with coolant,and lock up...GM says..tough luck

8. chrysler LH cars 1998-2004 with the 2.7 engine...few have made it to 100k,this thing builds sludge,like no other i've ever seen in 30 yrs, has 4 timing chains, and is a big time valve bender..Chrysler says,they won't help you..class action suit pending

9. any DAEWOO......not the worst car,...but no parts exsist to repair one...

10.I know i'll get flak over this one,but 85-87 GM midsize,G bodies with the NA carburated 3.8 and 4.1 engines. Back in the day,most of the ones we had,showed serious lack of oil pressure problems,especially at ide..Sometimes just changing oil would be bad,you couldn't get oil pressure back..i'll be we replaced 50 of those engines for customers under warr.

well there's my list...i'm sure there are more...comments are welcome..

 

[jpratt]

The ugliest car in my book is caled something like the Merkur XR. Or something like that, ugly.

 

[Gn-ing]

The ugliest car in my book is caled something like the Merkur XR. Or something like that, ugly.

yes...pretty homely,but i'm talking bad engineering and mechanial problems..BTW..it was called merkurXR4Ti and featured a turbocharged pinto engine.....

 

[UNGN]

Other problems with #7 and other cars like the corsica/berreta were the seatbelts in the doors. Who's stupid idea was that?

 

[cwelk87gn]

On number 8 you forgot to mention the Chrysler FWD trannys and their 70k mile lifespan, and yes the 2.7 is without a doubt one of the worst Chrysler motors ever, and that's saying something. And no list of horrible cars is complete witout mentioning the fine line of Kia garbage.

 

[BJM]

1. the 95 Ford Windstar. Bad head gasket,bad Transmissions,Bad ABS,Bad electical system...most didn't make it to 100k on the orginal drive train

I have to agree about the 95 Windstar (the other years were different/better). For some reason I got the 7 year warranty on mine and boy was I lucky. It broke the following.

Plastic radiator tanks gave out - new one put in

Engine overheats - head gaskets blown, replaced, dealer tried to scam me

Front strut gave out, making some wicked clanking noises - new one put in.

New Radiator blows out again - another new one put in

Took in for Plastic hood skin recall, mentioned coolant smell - head gaskets needed replacing again (different dealer), tech notices coolant in oil has taken out bearings, engine gets new bearings, new crank! Takes 3 weeks to fix.

On way home from dealer, the transmission blows a shift clutch piston (well known problem). Have to fight with warranty company big time, wound up with a Ford rebuilt transmission (comes with its own 12 month, 20k warranty)

A/C starts cycling too much, finally gives up - dealer swaps in new condenser.

2 days later A/C dead again, dealer replaces high pressure switch

2 days later A/C dead again, dealer replaces low pressure switch, finally fixed

Notice oil on driveway - torque converter seal on new transmission has failed, this happens literally a day after the warranty ran out, fought with dealer and got it fixed for free

Notice more oil on driveway, this time the brake proportioning valve has cracked open (never seen this happen on any vehicle ever)

Traded in the van after owning it for 4 years, it was starting to smell like coolant again, the radiator was going again.

Funny thing is when it worked properly it was a really nice vehicle.

 

[INEEDAGN]

The problem with the 2.7 Chrysler engine is that you MUST change the oil at or before recommended intervals with quality oil. If not, it will build sludge. My mother is part owner of a Mopar dealership and they warn every 2.7 owner that they must keep up with that stuff or it's gonna cost them. They have not had a single one of them come back with that problem (except the ones they didn't sell). Don't know why that engine does that though. As far as Mopar transmission life, I work at a trans shop and the average mopar product that comes in the door has more miles on the original trans than the average GM. This is excluding any vehicle that has had a trans put in it before we get it (and yes I can tell).

Funny you mention the 95 windstar, my friend has one that has had an engine put in it at 100k and currently needs a trans.

 

[bishir]

I had a 86 3.8 NA Regal hit 200k miles. Tranny went at 83k but other than that it was a great car with very few problems!


My vote for worse car would be Sundance my sister owned... POS!

 

[Shane]

Don't forget the late model Foxbody mustangs with the four cylinder. My sister had one, because it was "cute". I spent more time working on that damned car than I ever have on any of my Buicks, and ask anyone I'm always having to fix them.

They had this stupid waste spark setup that used eight spark plugs on a four cylinder. There was a dedicated waste spark plug rather than refiring the same plug like our ign module does.

 

[Gn-ing]

The problem with the 2.7 Chrysler engine is that you MUST change the oil at or before recommended intervals with quality oil. If not, it will build sludge. My mother is part owner of a Mopar dealership and they warn every 2.7 owner that they must keep up with that stuff or it's gonna cost them. They have not had a single one of them come back with that problem (except the ones they didn't sell). Don't know why that engine does that though. As far as Mopar transmission life, I work at a trans shop and the average mopar product that comes in the door has more miles on the original trans than the average GM. This is excluding any vehicle that has had a trans put in it before we get it (and yes I can tell).

Funny you mention the 95 windstar, my friend has one that has had an engine put in it at 100k and currently needs a trans.

At our dealership,we put a can of a product called Trans-X in the transmission of all chrysler automatics. Seems the reason they go bad is the seals in the tranny harden and let fluid bypass,hence less pressure and more slippage..Trans-X conditions the seals,and we haven't had any chrysler trans faluires since using this product..personally have driven a ply voyager 249K with the original trans..

 

[LV GN]

. As far as Mopar transmission life, I work at a trans shop and the average mopar product that comes in the door has more miles on the original trans than the average GM. This is excluding any vehicle that has had a trans put in it before we get it (and yes I can tell).

Funny you mention the 95 windstar, my friend has one that has had an engine put in it at 100k and currently needs a trans.

not the case out here in the desert heat. 60-80,000 on a 604 and its junk. one of my biggest seller's. back in 89/90 we used to patch up 4 or 5 a day for the mopar dealer.

 

[LV GN]

At our dealership,we put a can of a product called Trans-X in the transmission of all chrysler automatics. Seems the reason they go bad is the seals in the tranny harden and let fluid bypass,hence less pressure and more slippage..Trans-X conditions the seals,and we haven't had any chrysler trans faluires since using this product..personally have driven a ply voyager 249K with the original trans..

lol-- long enough to sell it to someone and drive off your lot! every trans you pour that crap into will be needing a rebuild in a very short time. are you a used car salesman?

 

[Little6pack]

The renualt LE CAR or FUEGO

 

[Gn-ing]

lol-- long enough to sell it to someone and drive off your lot! every trans you pour that crap into will be needing a rebuild in a very short time. are you a used car salesman?

We do sell cars. I own the dealership, and we use Trans x in all chrysler cars as a preventive measure. This product keeps the seals in the trans soft,we use it in 2004 cars as well as 90's cars.. With this product,a chysler trans will last over 200K miles..and they won't need a rebuild because of this product..if you are a trans repair shop,you won't like it...it takes away your business...

 

[bishir]

Oh man, I forgot about the POS Renualt my mom had!! Worse car ever! I remember the block cracked after a she ran through a big puddle and that was the end of that misery...

 

[INEEDAGN]

TRANS-X!!!!!!! you have got to be kidding me. That crap is bad. Real bad. We would rather not work on a trans that has had that stuff in it. It ruins everything. AND, when you get that crap on your arms, it reacts with your skin and causes bad rashes. Chryslers break because of simple crap, broken snap rings, valve body warpage, diff pins coming out of the carrier, etc. Cross leaks happen but trans-killer is not the way to go. You won't find it in any trans shop because they all know how worthless it is. Some shops (and this is no joke) charge people extra if they put that crap in.

As far as Chrysler VS. GM trans, up here all the farmers (who are mostly chevy lovers) Think they can pull the worlds longest stock trailer with a 1/2 ton pickup and leave it in OD from here to Texas. We do lots of low mile 4L60Es. Guess it depends on the region.

 

[LV GN]

TRANS-X!!!!!!! you have got to be kidding me. That crap is bad. Real bad. We would rather not work on a trans that has had that stuff in it. It ruins everything. AND, when you get that crap on your arms, it reacts with your skin and causes bad rashes. Chryslers break because of simple crap, broken snap rings, valve body warpage, diff pins coming out of the carrier, etc. Cross leaks happen but trans-killer is not the way to go. You won't find it in any trans shop because they all know how worthless it is. Some shops (and this is no joke) charge people extra if they put that crap in.

.

i agree 100% with you . you are man that knows the trans business. you must be or have been a builder for at least 10 yrs. how close am i?

 

[LV GN]

We do sell cars. I own the dealership, and we use Trans x in all chrysler cars as a preventive measure. This product keeps the seals in the trans soft,we use it in 2004 cars as well as 90's cars.. With this product,a chysler trans will last over 200K miles..and they won't need a rebuild because of this product..if you are a trans repair shop,you won't like it...it takes away your business...

gn-ing please dont think im putting you down by any means. i laugh at this because this has been an on-going thing for many years. between trans shops and people that sell and install aditives.(car dealers) there is no such thing as rebuild in a can. if the trans has problems it needs to be fixed. all that stuff does is swell up the seals and make them work for a little while. then they dry out and crack and finsh off the trans. the car leaves the lot. you made your sale and when the customer complains about the trans later on. you push it off on a extended warranty or charge the customer because car dealers dont stand behind what they sell . its the oldest game in the book. tell me im wrong. p.s. love your aol home page!

 

[mazdatech78]

Im going to have to agree on Daewoo's. What piles of crap. The Mazda dealer I work for used to sell them and we are the last old Daewoo dealer in the state of Ohio still fixing them under warranty. I am forced to work on them. What a cluster f**k. On top of being piles of sh*t the warranty times are horrendous. I once had one that I had to do a motor in. To remove the old motor, build a new cylinder head with all new parts, and bolt the new head and everything else back onto the new short block they sent me. It paid something like 4.8hrs. I think I was working on it for almost 2 days. I told them I will roll my box out the door if they try and make me do that nightmare again.

Im also going to have to vote on the other 2 Korean imports. Kia and Hyundai. They are the definetion of a disposable car.

James

 

[Gn-ing]

gn-ing please dont think im putting you down by any means. i laugh at this because this has been an on-going thing for many years. between trans shops and people that sell and install aditives.(car dealers) there is no such thing as rebuild in a can. if the trans has problems it needs to be fixed. all that stuff does is swell up the seals and make them work for a little while. then they dry out and crack and finsh off the trans. the car leaves the lot. you made your sale and when the customer complains about the trans later on. you push it off on a extended warranty or charge the customer because car dealers dont stand behind what they sell . its the oldest game in the book. tell me im wrong. p.s. love your aol home page!

ok...thanks......but,this is only a preventitive thing..not to "fix" a bad trans.
my personal 96 Grand Caravan,has had trans-X since 38k,when we got it,it currently has 189k,still on the orig trans. our previous 91 voyager,had 249k when we sold it,and now has 300k.all on the orginal trans..I repeat,this stuff will not harm a transmission. It keeps internal pressure at proper psi,so no slippage,no burned clutchs...