Worst cars

The conventional engineering and affordability of the Morris Marina initially captured public attention—but it was those same qualities that would lead to its embarrassing downfall.

Dive into the wildest cars ever built—vehicles so dangerously designed that governments were forced to intervene. From explosive compacts to rollover-prone SUVs, discover the shocking automotive missteps that changed safety laws forever in this fun, fast-paced look at the industry’s most infamous machines.

From poor engineering to lackluster designs, these unfortunate lemons are infamous for being among the worst cars ever made. 

Speed, style, and status are supposed to define a supercar. But not every exotic machine with a monster engine earns a place in history’s winner’s circle. Sometimes, it’s a matter of poor timing, bad engineering, or just plain weird decisions. From overpriced experiments to undriveable prototypes, these are the supercars that promised everything—and delivered a whole lot of meh.

Not all recalls are created equal, and they don’t always mean a car is bad. In many cases, recalls are tied to software fixes, supplier issues, or early production bugs that get ironed out over time. That said, some vehicles rack up a surprising number of them. The figures below are based on Expected 30-Year Lifetime Recalls, which estimate how often a model will be recalled over its lifespan. Some of these might surprise you.

Today, Maserati is synonymous with the best of the best in the car industry—but that’s only because few people have heard of the Maserati Biturbo, one of the worst cars ever made.