worst car you've ever driven
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 60
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2001 C240
My worst car was a 1984 Pontiac Sunbird bought new and traded only after 2 years. Bad build quality, idle speed could not be adjusted, transmission shifted hard, and the engine was very noisy even when new. My other GM car a 1981 Buick Regal 4.3litre V8 lasted 20 years, but it had poor build quality also. My 2 most reliable cars are my 1990 Toyota Celica ST and my 1990 Honda Civic EX which were bought new and still used today as daily commuters. So far my 2001 C240 with 28,000 miles has been fairly reliable.
Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 125
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From: Irvine,CA
2007 C230 silver/black
Newbie
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1
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From: Corvallis, Oregon
mercedes 190e
Have none of you driven a Subaru? Cheap plastic piece of crap even when well maintained! Head gaskets leak no matter what you do, windows whistle on the way home from the dealer, yet my inlaws swear by them. Never ever ever buy those junk piles
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 274
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From: SoCal
Kompressor Sport Sedan 05 M271
havent driven too many crappy cars fortunately
The lincoln towncar I drive at the hotel I work at is a piece of junk but smooth
when I got hit and had a rental I had a dodge caliber, also a piece of plastic junk
well thats all compared to my w203
The lincoln towncar I drive at the hotel I work at is a piece of junk but smooth
when I got hit and had a rental I had a dodge caliber, also a piece of plastic junk
well thats all compared to my w203
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 474
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From: Seattle
2014 AMG E63S, 2006 XK8 victory edition convertible, 2006 supercharged trailblazer SS, 2001 E430
I have a 1997 Pontiac Sufire (work-mobile), 60k original, and pretty clean. Drives like straight garbage tho 
. Good ole iron duke 
. Besides that, one of my 1st cars was an 89 Chev Celebrity.... once again an iron duke.... GARBAGE! 2 cars that were so slow that they were dangerous. The iron duke is damn near bullet proof tho. The Sunfire is well maintained (now that I have it), but that celebrity got abused like none other with NO maintenance done on it what so ever. Not even an oil change. Drove the **** out of it for years and it did not die on me. I ended up just donating it after I got a new car.
. Good ole iron duke . Besides that, one of my 1st cars was an 89 Chev Celebrity.... once again an iron duke.... GARBAGE! 2 cars that were so slow that they were dangerous. The iron duke is damn near bullet proof tho. The Sunfire is well maintained (now that I have it), but that celebrity got abused like none other with NO maintenance done on it what so ever. Not even an oil change. Drove the **** out of it for years and it did not die on me. I ended up just donating it after I got a new car.
Last edited by nizzle; May 4, 2012 at 11:38 AM.
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Joined: Jul 2011
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From: Northeast PA-Poconos
2014 E350, 2006 C350 Sport(made it to 280k, loved it!), 1990 300E
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Joined: Jul 2008
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2019 G70 6MT & 2022 Ford Maverick XL
11 years of this thread.. lol
Worst car I've owned, or worst I've driven? Worst I've owned would be a 1997 Altima SE 5-spd. That's saying a lot, too, as that car was bulletproof reliable and a ton of fun to drive.
Worst car I've owned, or worst I've driven? Worst I've owned would be a 1997 Altima SE 5-spd. That's saying a lot, too, as that car was bulletproof reliable and a ton of fun to drive.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,263
Likes: 169
From: So. Oregon Coast
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort RIP
Holy Resurrected threads Batman!
Gawd, cars have come so far in the last 10-20 years.
More comfortable, safer, everything!
I mean VW sold over a million original beetles, but go drive one now!
48 HP (if you were lucky to have a later model) chirping exhaust, no brakes to speak of, no creature comforts, clearance between your knuckles and the windshield about 1", manual steering, manual brakes.
When I 1st started driving I was happy to have any car.
I started with a beetle and went to a Ford Maverick,
and then to a 78 Toyota Pickup, all of which in retrospect were horrible,
uncomfortable, hard to drive, miserable beasts.
The maverick had a 3 on the tree manual, and you couldn't drive it in SF, on the hills,
you'd be stuck. Shortly after I bought it the door got caved in by a hit and run driver, and then the back. I got the Toyota, which was just a tin can, no support in the roof, if you leaned against it, the
panels buckled. The seats were made for someone 1/2 my size and didn't adjust.
The cat was fitted under the drivers seat and there was no insulation and it just cooked you in the summer, no AC of course. It was noisey and it went and went so I drove it for years.
97 Altima? Why would that be so bad? Better than any of mine.
Gawd, cars have come so far in the last 10-20 years.
More comfortable, safer, everything!
I mean VW sold over a million original beetles, but go drive one now!
48 HP (if you were lucky to have a later model) chirping exhaust, no brakes to speak of, no creature comforts, clearance between your knuckles and the windshield about 1", manual steering, manual brakes.
When I 1st started driving I was happy to have any car.
I started with a beetle and went to a Ford Maverick,
and then to a 78 Toyota Pickup, all of which in retrospect were horrible,
uncomfortable, hard to drive, miserable beasts.
The maverick had a 3 on the tree manual, and you couldn't drive it in SF, on the hills,
you'd be stuck. Shortly after I bought it the door got caved in by a hit and run driver, and then the back. I got the Toyota, which was just a tin can, no support in the roof, if you leaned against it, the
panels buckled. The seats were made for someone 1/2 my size and didn't adjust.
The cat was fitted under the drivers seat and there was no insulation and it just cooked you in the summer, no AC of course. It was noisey and it went and went so I drove it for years.
97 Altima? Why would that be so bad? Better than any of mine.
Last edited by C230 Sport Coup; May 4, 2012 at 02:29 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,890
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From: Northeast PA-Poconos
2014 E350, 2006 C350 Sport(made it to 280k, loved it!), 1990 300E
I admire the teens on this forum that really caress their cars like they do
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,263
Likes: 169
From: So. Oregon Coast
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort RIP
MY Maverick was a piece of crap! Absolutely the strippiest model, no power anything, smallest engine, no carpet even. That 3 speed manual was impossible, drum brakes all around, the thing would barely stop. Still, it was a vast improvement from the beetle.
In the time I owned it, it had a freeze plug blow, and this piece of the shift mechanism
fell out of the steering column, and left it stuck 2nd gear, and the seal on the differential was replaced too.
And like I said, shortly, it had 2 major cave ins in the body....arrgh. Piece of Sheite!
My dad talked me into buying it, instead of a very nice Dodge Challenger with a 318.
I was 17 and I had cash, all of which I had earned!
Still I was one of the few guys my age who had a car, so everyone piled in and off we went.
The PU had a camper shell, and I had a lot of fun with that. I put a connector between the shell
and the front, took out the windows. Carpet in the back, my home away from home, when
still lived with my parents ha! No seatbelt law so as many as you could fit, and off you went.
I registered it as a Recreation vehicle, and it was legal to have alch in the back.
Steering was impossible, it at least had front disk brakes, but other than that, abysmal to drive.
In the time I owned it, it had a freeze plug blow, and this piece of the shift mechanism
fell out of the steering column, and left it stuck 2nd gear, and the seal on the differential was replaced too.
And like I said, shortly, it had 2 major cave ins in the body....arrgh. Piece of Sheite!
My dad talked me into buying it, instead of a very nice Dodge Challenger with a 318.
I was 17 and I had cash, all of which I had earned!
Still I was one of the few guys my age who had a car, so everyone piled in and off we went.
The PU had a camper shell, and I had a lot of fun with that. I put a connector between the shell
and the front, took out the windows. Carpet in the back, my home away from home, when
still lived with my parents ha! No seatbelt law so as many as you could fit, and off you went.
I registered it as a Recreation vehicle, and it was legal to have alch in the back.
Steering was impossible, it at least had front disk brakes, but other than that, abysmal to drive.
Last edited by C230 Sport Coup; May 4, 2012 at 02:42 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,890
Likes: 6
From: Northeast PA-Poconos
2014 E350, 2006 C350 Sport(made it to 280k, loved it!), 1990 300E
No argument there but I loved that car. FORD=Found On Road Dead. To a 17 year old kid, it was my Benz at the time. Only Ford I would buy now is a Mustang. Their SUV's don't do it for me.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,263
Likes: 169
From: So. Oregon Coast
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort RIP
When I bought my benz, angels sang! I'd never even had a car with AC before. It replaced my 'classic' BMW 320i.The 320i was a nice car, drove nice, but no ac, no power steering, very basic, but solid, reliable and easy to maintain.
I was the 3rd owner and I got it with 75K miles on it for 2 grand. I wasn't looking for a 320, it found me. It was immaculate, almost like new, and a deal. And the old toyota was on it's last leg. The 320 had the original sales receipt in the glove. 15K in 1981. Man, that was like the price of 4 pinto's! Ha! It didn't have any creature comforts. It went forward, backward, and had brakes. Period. OH at least the seats reclined.
Now even the Korean cars even have the features our benz's have.
There was an 86's 2 tone blue Bertone X19 in there too...I actually loved that car. I eventually outgrew it, literally.
I was the 3rd owner and I got it with 75K miles on it for 2 grand. I wasn't looking for a 320, it found me. It was immaculate, almost like new, and a deal. And the old toyota was on it's last leg. The 320 had the original sales receipt in the glove. 15K in 1981. Man, that was like the price of 4 pinto's! Ha! It didn't have any creature comforts. It went forward, backward, and had brakes. Period. OH at least the seats reclined.
Now even the Korean cars even have the features our benz's have.
There was an 86's 2 tone blue Bertone X19 in there too...I actually loved that car. I eventually outgrew it, literally.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,890
Likes: 6
From: Northeast PA-Poconos
2014 E350, 2006 C350 Sport(made it to 280k, loved it!), 1990 300E
MY Maverick was a piece of crap! Absolutely the strippiest model, no power anything, smallest engine, no carpet even. That 3 speed manual was impossible, drum brakes all around, the thing would barely stop. Still, it was a vast improvement from the beetle.
In the time I owned it, it had a freeze plug blow, and this piece of the shift mechanism
fell out of the steering column, and left it stuck 2nd gear, and the seal on the differential was replaced too.
And like I said, shortly, it had 2 major cave ins in the body....arrgh. Piece of Sheite!
My dad talked me into buying it, instead of a very nice Dodge Challenger with a 318.
I was 17 and I had cash, all of which I had earned!
Still I was one of the few guys my age who had a car, so everyone piled in and off we went.
The PU had a camper shell, and I had a lot of fun with that. I put a connector between the shell
and the front, took out the windows. Carpet in the back, my home away from home, when
still lived with my parents ha! No seatbelt law so as many as you could fit, and off you went.
I registered it as a Recreation vehicle, and it was legal to have alch in the back.
Steering was impossible, it at least had front disk brakes, but other than that, abysmal to drive.
In the time I owned it, it had a freeze plug blow, and this piece of the shift mechanism
fell out of the steering column, and left it stuck 2nd gear, and the seal on the differential was replaced too.
And like I said, shortly, it had 2 major cave ins in the body....arrgh. Piece of Sheite!
My dad talked me into buying it, instead of a very nice Dodge Challenger with a 318.
I was 17 and I had cash, all of which I had earned!
Still I was one of the few guys my age who had a car, so everyone piled in and off we went.
The PU had a camper shell, and I had a lot of fun with that. I put a connector between the shell
and the front, took out the windows. Carpet in the back, my home away from home, when
still lived with my parents ha! No seatbelt law so as many as you could fit, and off you went.
I registered it as a Recreation vehicle, and it was legal to have alch in the back.
Steering was impossible, it at least had front disk brakes, but other than that, abysmal to drive.
Had this crappy cassette deck in it with stock speakers. I thought I had a blaupunkt or equivalent
Like you, I was one of few that had a car then so 6 deep we go I always thought it was legal to drive with alcohol at the time
