Iconic Vs Iconically Bad
The automotive history has seen masterpieces and its fair share of disasters. Some cars have moved the industry ahead; others have earned the scorn of drivers and mechanics alike. From shoddy engineering and ugly designs, to terrible reliability, these vehicles are remembered for all the wrong reasons. Let’s look at some of the worst cars ever made, according to mechanics.
Ford Edsel (1958)
The Edsel was supposed to be revolutionary, but instead became synonymous with failure. Its unappealing styling, lousy build quality, and inflated price turned off buyers. Mechanics noted its overly complicated engineering, which made it hard to maintain and repair.
GPS 56 from New Zealand, Wikimedia Commons
Chevrolet Corvair (1960)
The Corvair became infamous for its unsafe handling. Ralph Nader’s book Unsafe at Any Speed pointed out its rear-suspension problems, damaging the car’s reputation. Mechanics didn’t enjoy working on its air-cooled rear engine, which was notoriously tricky to service.
Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons
AMC Gremlin (1970)
The AMC Gremlin was a bold (some would say foolhardy) attempt at a compact American car, but ended up looking awkward and it turned out to be an unreliable car as well. Its chopped-off design was the longtime butt of ridicule, while the motor had frequent mechanical problems. Mechanics weren’t very impressed with its fragile components and lack of longevity.
Ford Pinto (1971)
The Pinto was marketed for affordability but is now remembered more for its explosive safety issues. Rear-end collisions famously caused fuel tank fires, which is not really a feature most buyers were looking for. Mechanics also found it to be a cheap design that was challenging to repair properly, which only added to the car’s reputation for failure.
Mustang Joe, Wikimedia Commons
Chevrolet Vega (1971)
The Vega’s lightweight design was intended for fuel-efficiency, but it soon revealed its flaws. Engines warped easily due to poor materials, and rust developed with shocking speed. Mechanics frequently had to deal with catastrophic engine failures, making the Vega one of GM’s biggest duds.
Vegavairbob (talk)Robert Spinello, Wikimedia Commons
Austin Allegro (1973)
The British-made Austin Allegro often gets mentioned as one of the worst European cars. Its unusual 'quartic' steering wheel wasn’t well-regarded, while rust and reliability issues caused headaches for owners. It was underpowered and frustrating to repair, dooming the ill-conceived car’s reputation.
Kieran White from Manchester, England, Wikimedia Commons
Chevrolet Chevette (1976)
The Chevette was cheap in more ways than one. With an underpowered engine, noisy ride, and flimsy construction, it was a miserable car to own and drive. Mechanics looked down their noses at its poor durability and mediocre design that constantly required repairs to keep running.
Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, Wikimedia Commons
Plymouth Volaré (1976)
Introduced to replace Valiant/Dart under the Volaré/ Dodge Aspen twins, the 1976 Plymouth Volaré was intended as Chrysler’s compact class. It did well initialy, but it was the subject of eight recalls in 1976 alone. It suffered from rust, poor drivability, failing seat belt mechanisms, brake line corrosion, and faulty suspension and steering parts. Quality control was weak, and Chrysler's reputation declined into the pits in the ensuing years.
Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, Wikimedia Commons
AMC Pacer (1975–1979)
The AMC Pacer was visually bold and culturally interesting, but it had an overweight body, goofy door design (passenger door longer than driver’s), and engines that didn’t live up to expectations. The Pacer earned notoriety for reliability issues. Sales maxed out in 1976 at 117,000 units but took a nosedive thereafter, with only 9,000 units produced in its final year (1979).
Cadillac Cimarron (1982)
The Cadillac Cimarron was basically a rebadged Chevy Cavalier with a luxury price tag. Mechanics struggled to find any difference under the hood, which made a mockery of the car’s premium cost. The poor build quality and lack of refinement set Cadillac’s reputation back years in what was a very mediocre era for GM.
Yugo GV (1985)
The Yugo GV is legendary for its awfulness. But cars aren’t like movies, which can be “so bad they’re good”. The Yugo was just plain horrible. Imported from Yugoslavia, it was cheap and plagued with constant breakdowns. Mechanics complained about poor parts availability, flimsy construction, and engines that rarely went beyond 30,000 miles without major issues.
Michael Gil from Toronto, ON, Canada, Wikimedia Commons
Hyundai Excel (1986)
The Hyundai Excel sold well initially due to its affordable price, but soon gained a reputation for unreliability. Mechanics spent lots of time fixing issues with its weak engines, poor transmissions, and fragile interiors. It took Hyundai decades to get back to respectability after this car.
Pontiac Fiero (1987)
The Pontiac Fiero had sports car looks but not much else to back that up. Engine fires and fragile components were what the Fiero became most known for. Mechanics found its mid-engine layout tough to work on, which only added to its disappointing reputation.
OWS Photography, Wikimedia Commons
Chrysler TC By Maserati (1989)
The Chrysler TC by Maserati was meant to be a glamorous collaboration, though it didn’t look much different from the already existing Chrysler Le Baron GTC convertible, a much better car. Instead, it offered poor build quality and constant mechanical headaches. Mismatched parts and unreliability were the additional flaws that destined the car for failure.
Mr.choppers, Wikimedia Commons
Ford Explorer (1990s)
The Ford Explorer of the 90s became infamous for its rollover risk linked to tire blowouts. The vehicle’s common suspension and steering issues compounded safety concerns and kept mechanics busy. Its widespread recalls made it one of the most criticized SUVs of its time.
Pontiac Aztek (2001)
The Pontiac Aztek is often noted for its bad design, and it often shows up on lists of the ugliest cars ever. Beyond its appearance, mechanics disliked its complex electrical systems and frequent transmission problems. The Aztek still stands as a cautionary tale of how not to design a vehicle.
Jaguar X-Type (2001)
The Jaguar X-Type was slated to be Jaguar’s affordable luxury sedan. Instead, it shared too many parts with a Ford Mondeo while showing poor reliability. Mechanics took note of its fragile drivetrain and pricy repairs, a blow to Jaguar’s luxury reputation.
Hummer H2 (2002)
The Hummer H2 was oversized, inefficient, and impractical. The gas-guzzler was prone to mechanical issues, and its flashiness only made things worse. Mechanics disliked its complexity and poor engineering. The Hummer H2 was one of the least-respected SUVs among automotive professionals.
Thomas doerfer, Wikimedia Commons
Chevrolet SSR (2003)
The retro-styled Chevrolet SSR was the ill-fated attempt to combine a pickup with a convertible. The design was polarizing, and its heavy body made the SSR’s performance sluggish. Mechanics griped about frequent electrical issues and impractical engineering decisions.
FaceMePLS from The Hague, The Netherlands, Wikimedia Commons
Chrysler Sebring (2007)
The Chrysler Sebring of the mid-2000s was a letdown in almost every possible way. Poor build quality, cheap interiors, and weak engines infuriated owners and mechanics alike. It is often listed among the worst American sedans of its time, and the Chrysler version of the Pontiac Aztek.
Smart Fortwo (2008)
The Smart Fortwo was supposed to provide urban efficiency, but instead offered poor ride quality and a litany of transmission problems. Mechanics disliked its fragile components and awkward design that made repairs tricky. Despite the tiny footprint, the car developed a big reputation for being unreliable.
Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, Wikimedia Commons
Dodge Caliber (2009)
The Dodge Caliber was set to replace the Neon but only ended up disappointing us all. Its noisy engine, cheap interiors, and lack of reliability turned away buyers. Mechanics frequently found themselves dealing with the model’s constant transmission failures and electrical issues.
Jeep Compass (2009)
The first-generation Jeep Compass failed to measure up to Jeep’s rugged tradition. Weak engines, poor off-road handling, and cheap construction were a frequence annoyance for mechanics. Many viewed the Compass as one of the worst attempts at a crossover SUV they’d ever seen.
Bull-Doser at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
Nissan Cube (2010)
The aptly-named Nissan Cube had a design that stood out, but its noisy ride, poor handling, and frequent reliability issues frustrated drivers. Mechanics often pointed out the problems with its CVT transmission, a common weak point in Nissan vehicles.
Fiat 500L (2014)
The Fiat 500L tried to build on the appeal of the smaller 500 but failed. Poor build quality, a tiny interior, and chronic mechanical issues made it a frequent visitor to the shop. Mechanics remarked on its complexity for such a small car.
Corvettec6r, Wikimedia Commons
Mitsubishi Mirage (2015)
The Mitsubishi Mirage is widely considered one of the worst subcompacts of recent years. Cheap materials, low safety ratings, and underpowered engines were its claim to fame. Mechanics had a field day repairing transmission problems and flimsy suspension components.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Wikimedia Commons
Final Thoughts
From the Edsel to the Mirage, these lemons all share a few things in common: disappointing engineering, poor reliability, and unimpressed mechanics. While some of these cars went on to become infamous flops, others are merely interesting case studies in how not to design and build cars.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Wikimedia Commons
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