What's the worst car you've ever owned?

[Busaholic]

I've had some fairly good vehicles over the years although none were even remotely new. Probably the worst we've owned as a family was a Peugeot 307 7 SW seater, it was my first ever foray into buying a French car. In some ways it was nice - with a big glass roof etc, but it was much slower than it said on the tin, it was forever going wrong and there was always at least two warning symbols coming up on the dash that you just couldn't get to the bottom of and some monkeys at Longleat Safari Park stripped various bits of trim off it.
Our mechanic said it looked nice but it was junk and offered to write it off for us, I didn't take him up on this as it sounded a touch dodgy. A month later the twin mass flywheel exploded in the middle of town in rush hour while the other half was taking the kids to school. The repairs would have cost twice as much as the car.

My friend Steve who is self employed like me and had a Mercedes van like me decided to go for a Renault a couple of years ago as he could get a slightly newer one than he could by getting another Sprinter, he's paid for the thing three times over in bills now and it's in the garage this week after costing him another £900.
I'll be sticking to German built. Our replacement for the Peugeot was a VW too.

The only two Peugeot's I've driven (and one of those I owned) were seriously under-powered. The last one was a hire car that I needed to get to my father-in-law's funeral, as my then Clio was proving unreliable for a 500 mile round journey, and it was pathetic on any incline - a year old 206 being overtaken by lorries!

 

[507021]

What would you say draws you to Renault more than any other manufacturer?

Personally, it has to be the fact the Renaults my father and I have owned between us have never given us any trouble at all, so that's obviously a big factor. What's also attractive to me about Renault cars is the fact they're very safe for the occupants, and as a family man, that's extremely important to me.

It's worth mentioning the Renault dealership where my Dad has ordered his last four cars (and his new one which is due next month) from has been outstanding, so that's another reason we're happy to stick with Renault. I haven't bought a car from that dealer yet myself (never bought new), but I'm hoping to start saving up for a deposit on a new Mégane estate next year if things go to plan.

 

[fowler9]

Can I just quote Alan Partridge here (Talking to his ex wife on the phone), not knocking anyones choices as I don't drive, it just popped in to my head. Ha ha:-

Can I just read you something from Top Gear magazine? No, it’s alright, I’ve got it here, I’ve got it here.

“With a mere ninety break-horse-power available, progress is too leisurely to be called fast, but on the motorway in fifth gear the Megane’s slow pace really becomes a pain. Uphill runs become power-sappingly mundane, while overtaking National Express coaches can become a long, drawn-out affair.” Not my words, Carol. The words of Top Gear magazine. Hello?

 

[Cowley]

Can I just quote Alan Partridge here (Talking to his ex wife on the phone), not knocking anyones choices as I don't drive, it just popped in to my head. Ha ha:-

Can I just read you something from Top Gear magazine? No, it’s alright, I’ve got it here, I’ve got it here.

“With a mere ninety break-horse-power available, progress is too leisurely to be called fast, but on the motorway in fifth gear the Megane’s slow pace really becomes a pain. Uphill runs become power-sappingly mundane, while overtaking National Express coaches can become a long, drawn-out affair.” Not my words, Carol. The words of Top Gear magazine. Hello?

Ha ha. It would probably struggle even carrying that extra large carvery plate that he used to have around.
We looked at a Megane before we bought our VW Touran (Mrs C is a childminder so we can't have a Lamborghini). It was out in Axminster and had full service history and loads of MOT etc. We didn't buy it, but being a decent sort I took the trouble to ring him the next day and say the reason was that it ticked over like a thirty year old concrete mixer, which was apparently a common fault on them. He said "ah, fair enough" and hung up...

 

[deltic1989]

I've never really had a bad car. It may be mostly luck, or by sticking to marques known for reliability and build quality.
If we can expand slightly to worst vehicle, I would have to go for the first vehicle I ever owned. A Honda SH50 City Express Moped. It was given to me by my dad as a 16th birthday present, after he had owned it from new. It was probably the worst peice of junk I have ever known. It was quicker to push it up any slight gradient, the brakes were terrifying (though the MOT tester passed them), and it ate tyres.

Worst car I have ever driven, goes to my Mum's Nissan Micra, pulls to the left under acceleration, to the right under braking, the clutch weighs a ton, and if you so much as sigh the windows fog up. I'm taking her to the doctor's in my car next time.

 

[Trog]

Was driving my fathers Fiat estate down a slip road to join a busy dual carriageway once when the accelerator jammed full on. Quite exciting at the time....

Currently drive a second hand Land Rover Discovery, brilliant car steady as a rock, comfy and quiet even at motorway type speeds, and with a huge amount of carrying space.

 

[richw]

It used to be funny to watch the mpg readout on the infotainment screen randomly change wondering why 999MPG was even an option

It actually is genuine, not as a average but as a current figure. Mine has a current usage in gallons per hour. Downhill easing off the throttle it goes to 0.1 gallons per hour, at 70mph that's 700 mpg.
Accelerating up hill it can drop to single figure mpg so soon averages out

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Was driving my fathers Fiat estate down a slip road to join a busy dual carriageway once when the accelerator jammed full on. Quite exciting at the time....

Currently drive a second hand Land Rover Discovery, brilliant car steady as a rock, comfy and quiet even at motorway type speeds, and with a huge amount of carrying space.

My greatest breakdown story was in my mum's old L-reg Escort Ghia saloon (made just after they dropped the Orion name in 1994). I was driving along Wakefield Road towards Huddersfield, just passing the University when there was a horrible clunk/scrape noise as I drew up to Shorehead roundabout. Something had gone very wrong with the gearbox, and I had to make it back home (Lindley, near the infirmary) from there using only 4th and 5th gear. Despite having only a few months of driving experience, I somehow made it!

 

[richw]

On breakdown stories I had a scary moment not long back. I was driving an old Peugeot 206 hdi, which cut out at 70 ish on a dual carriageway. I suddenly discovered the brakes and power steering were run off the engine. No engine running = no brakes and the heaviest steering I've ever encountered. I was on a down hill stretch of road at the time. I managed to get to the bottom of the hill with it speeding up, and then there was a hill up the other side where I managed to bring it to a stop on the hard shoulder!

 

[507021]

On breakdown stories I had a scary moment not long back. I was driving an old Peugeot 206 hdi, which cut out at 70 ish on a dual carriageway. I suddenly discovered the brakes and power steering were run off the engine. No engine running = no brakes and the heaviest steering I've ever encountered. I was on a down hill stretch of road at the time. I managed to get to the bottom of the hill with it speeding up, and then there was a hill up the other side where I managed to bring it to a stop on the hard shoulder!

That sounds like quite a scary experience! I've not heard that many positive comments about the 206, although on the other hand I've heard a lot of good things about the facelifted 406 from a friend who owns one. I did look at getting one myself when I bought my Laguna, but it was a bit out of my price range unfortunately.

 

[dgl]

It actually is genuine, not as a average but as a current figure. Mine has a current usage in gallons per hour. Downhill easing off the throttle it goes to 0.1 gallons per hour, at 70mph that's 700 mpg.


Accelerating up hill it can drop to single figure mpg so soon averages out

No it should be average, when the system is reset by the dealer it works again.

 

[richw]

No it should be average, when the system is reset by the dealer it works again.

There is a setting for average and a second setting for exact moment. Toggle the menu to flick between them and other settings such as fuel range.
I formerly had employment at a Renault main dealer.

 

[Ash Bridge]

There is a setting for average and a second setting for exact moment. Toggle the menu to flick between them and other settings such as fuel range.
I formerly had employment at a Renault main dealer.

That sounds exactly like the system fitted in the 1983 Ford Sierra Ghia and 1982 Granada 2.8i Ghia X that I owned during the mid 80s, separate settings for both average mpg and instant mpg estimated fuel range etc etc. In fact far more comprehensive than my much more modern Mondeo.

 

[Tetchytyke]

My best breakdown was on the way to Alton Towers. Dad was driving the Honda Civic, hit the brake at 70 coming up to a roundabout and the brake lines ruptured. Most frightening ride of the whole day

 

[Busaholic]

On breakdown stories I had a scary moment not long back. I was driving an old Peugeot 206 hdi, which cut out at 70 ish on a dual carriageway. I suddenly discovered the brakes and power steering were run off the engine. No engine running = no brakes and the heaviest steering I've ever encountered. I was on a down hill stretch of road at the time. I managed to get to the bottom of the hill with it speeding up, and then there was a hill up the other side where I managed to bring it to a stop on the hard shoulder!

My Peugeot 305 did something similar - when it had been my wife's company car (from new) it was never any trouble, but as soon as she bought it after three years it was nothing but big trouble. I flogged it to the Citreon garage that were forever trying to fix it. I honestly felt my life could seriously be in danger, but we made a huge loss on it.

 

[steamybrian]

My worst car was a Toyota Yaris semi-automatic.
Is shuddered when going from first to second gear. (not in any other other gear change positions)
Did not like steep hills and refused to go up one hill in Tunbridge Wells although it just .
crept up Porlock Hill in Somerset at walking pace...!
Managed to sell it last year..!

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Jeep Cherokee - the MPG clock tended to sit in single figures most of the time and it had a tendency to go on fire when travelling over 50 MPH (three times the advice being - don't go over 50 then) though it's piece de resistance was an axle snapping on the M6.