These Are The Worst Vehicles To Ever Have Been Released

No one wants to get a lemon, the cars that fail almost right when you drive them away from the lot. It could be that the brakes don’t work or the engine dies. Overall, it’s a worst-case scenario that leaves you with a large monetary loss on your hands. While there are laws in place to prevent dealerships from selling lemons, some slip through the cracks.

How do you avoid this? The easiest way is to stop buying poorly made vehicles. This list contains some of the worst cars ever made in history. Keep reading to learn about which ones you should stay away from when purchasing a new car.

2004 Chevy SSR

SSR stands for Super Sport Roadster, but when it was released, customers realized it was heavy and slow with a shiny retro design. Chevy really only cared about appearances, so it didn’t focus on what was under the hood. Overall, the body was too heavy for that engine.

Pontiac Aztek

The Aztek was a universally despised car from Pontiac. Its design didn’t make much sense because the front end was shaped oddly. Plus, plastic was used in the body instead of stronger materials. Once the brand announced the price tag and features, it was doomed!

Mustang II

Ford loved the idea of a Pinto, and the Mustang II featured the same design ideas. It was supposed to be a coupe that drove like a roadster. However, it had many flaws, such as an underwhelming performance. In fact, most people refer to it as a poor man’s AMC Gremlin!

Lincoln Blackwood

Lincoln tried its hand once at a pickup truck, and the Lincoln Blackwood was the one. Released in 2002, it was a crossover project to produce a luxury truck. Still, consumers thought it was strange and rejected it, causing Ford and Lincoln to pull the project.

1955-1957 Chevy Bel Air

The Chevy Bel Air is a highly popular option, but the 1955-57 models are the worst ones ever made. The problem here is that nothing was original on it. Chevrolet mass-produced generic designs. While it drove well, there wasn’t much to see.

Lamborghini LM002

Lamborghini made a mistake with the LM002 because it thought the customers wanted to go off-roading in a car. It marketed the vehicle to the American military. The problem is no one purchases that luxury brand to play in the mud. This brand made 382 of them!

1975 AMC Pacer

The American Motor Company hoped to reverse its poor fortune with the 1975 AMC Pacer. Everyone wanted a compact car, and this one led the pack for size and fuel economy. However, it was very dangerous and difficult to handle.

Maserati Biturbo

In the early 1980s, Maserati chose to release a sports car that was “affordable” under the brand’s name. It led to the Biturbo, and the car is to blame for making the brand leave the US market in 1991. However, these vehicles were crafted overseas through 1997.

Cadillac Fleetwood

The 1976-1996 Fleetwood vehicles are the primary targets here, but the series never gained a good footing. It lasted about 20 years, but it stalled, jerked, and made odd noises. Overall, the Cadillac brand only made 15,109 in 1996 and stopped.

Ferrari Mondial 8

Ferrari produced the Mondial 8 in 1980 for two years. Rumors flew that the systems in each model failed. However, it was called impressive and respectable when it first came on the scene. The truth came out after it had been available for a year or so.

Chevrolet Chevette

The Chevette had nothing wrong with it, but Chevy decided to start making compact cars around the time that large trucks became more popular. Chevrolet initially predicted it could sell 275,000 Chevettes, but it only reached half of that number.

Trabant

Germany was divided once the Berlin Wall was erected. Volkswagen was flying high at the time, but East Germany didn’t purchase cars from the west, so it created the Trabant. However, it had no seat belts, you had to fill the gas tank through the hood, and it didn’t contain a fuel gauge!

Triumph TR7

The American and UK roads were haunted by this monstrosity from 1975 to 1981. It was supposed to be released sooner, but there were delays, and that was the first sign of trouble. Early models had maintenance issues, making them expensive to own.

Ford Pinto

The Ford Pinto is said to be the worst car in history, and it was Ford’s nightmare. It was marketed as a compact car for the future, offering decent performances and good fuel economy. However, it tended to explode when hit by another vehicle.

Morgan Plus 8

Some say the Plus 8 saved Morgan, a British car manufacturer. However, it still had quirks. For example, it had to run on propane to pass the emissions tests, which led to tanks of liquid propane hanging behind the bouncy car’s bumper.

Smart Fortwo

Smart cars are quite popular because parking is limited within large cities. They fit everywhere and have great fuel efficiency. However, they might not be comfortable, as consumers learned with the Smart Fortwo. The engine is in the back, while the cooling system is at the front!

Peel Trident

The Peel Engineering Company launched the Peel Trident at a British Motorcycle Show in 1964. It was supposed to be the occasional two-seater, but it never really took off. However, its legend lived on when Jesse James, Monster Garage host, found one and tried to fix it.

PT Cruiser

The PT Cruiser is a prime example of everything old becoming new again. Chrysler released the retro-style vehicle, but it forgot to think about performance. It didn’t gain the attention of customers who preferred modern cars.

1998 Fiat Multipla

The Fiat Multipla was supposed to be a minivan, but it confused customers in 1998. This new model was supposed to be the Multipla heir, but it was the brand’s downfall. Overall, it just didn’t make any sense and combined too many car designs.

1947 Davis D-2 Divan

The Davis D-2 Divan was built by a Hollywood car company, and it looks like it. The carmaker, Davis Motor Company, might have tried to make it appear futuristic, but the vehicle never got to market. The owner was shady, causing investors to pull out.

Zundapp Janus

The Zundapp Janus is likely the most absurd vehicle here. When you open the car doors, it’s hard to tell the front from the back. Though the brand wanted this car to stand out, it did so in a silly way. Plus, it couldn’t go over 50 miles per hour!

Ford Edsel

Most carmakers live by the motto “under-promise, over-deliver.” However, the exact opposite occurred when the Ford company called this sedan the car for the future. Most consumers thought it was overpriced and underwhelming.

Suzuki Samurai

The Suzuki Samurai had some die-hard fans, but Consumer Reports actually tore it apart when it said that the vehicle was dangerously unsafe for the roads. The advocacy group demanded that the brand recall them. However, it was found that the magazine made changes to testing methods.

Saturn ION

Saturn sold ION under the GM Delta platform from 2003 to 2007. It had a problematic auto transmission because of shift flare, which ended up scaring drivers. Plus, it lurched forward on downward inclines and had issues with its transmission.

Chevy Vega

Many people praised the Chevy Vega when it first came out. Motor Trend even called it the car of the year in 1971. However, it had many problems, such as a tendency to rust, being unreliable, and engineering/engine problems. GM stopped producing it in 1977.

Chevrolet Citation

The Chevrolet Citation led the compact car market in the 1980s, and it sold about 800,000 units in the first year. Motor Trend called it the car of the year in 1980. Still, Consumer Reports claimed it was dangerous and poorly designed, causing sales to plummet immediately.

Plymouth Prowler

The Plymouth Prowler didn’t hit classic status, just like other vehicles from the 90s. The designers drew on inspiration from hot rods for its appearance, but they forgot about horsepower. The 3.5-liter V6 engine only offered 250 HP. The brand stopped producing the vehicles in 2002.

Reliant Robin

Reliant Motor Company in England produced the Reliant compact car. It ranked second for popular fiberglass vehicles, even though it had an odd appearance and could flip over because of the three-wheel design. This car never became popular in the US and shocked most consumers.

Dodge Omni

Chrysler released the Omni in 1977 and had bankruptcy protection because the hatchback sales almost brought it back. However, it got a “not acceptable” rating on Consumer Reports because it was hard to maneuver. Still, people loved it, and the carmaker produced about 3 million units!

1968 AMC Ambassador

AMC’s Ambassador was the first American vehicle that included air conditioning as standard. It was supposed to be a huge hit, and the company built thousands of them. However, it had poor engineering and was deemed “not acceptable” from Consumer Reports.

Zagato Elcar

The Elcar was a zany electric microcar designed by Zagato, an Italian company. It was called Zele in the European market. However, the fiberglass appearance wasn’t attractive, and it had a low top speed. Plus, it only went about 10 miles in cold weather!

Aston Martin Lagonda

Aston Martin, an English car manufacturer, built a luxury four-door Lagonda between 1974 and 1990. However, it only produced 745 because it didn’t meet expectations and had a high price tag. In fact, Bloomberg Businessweek named it one of the 50 ugliest vehicles on the market!

Yugo GV

Zastava Automobiles, a Yugoslav company, manufactured the Yugo GV, and it’s been ridiculed in the US for a while. Car Talk and Time magazine added it to the worst cars in the history list, and it also has poor performances in crash tests and was slow to drive.

Citroen Pluriel

The concept for the Pluriel didn’t seem too bad. The carmaker wanted a small convertible that sat four people comfortably. However, you had to manually remove the roof, and the detached parts didn’t fit in the vehicle. It also had a few glitches and was boring to drive.

Mitsubishi Mirage

The Japanese car manufacturer, Mitsubishi, created the Mirage in 1978 and started again in 2012. However, that doesn’t mean it’s good. Though it’s affordable, it uses cheap cabin materials, has uncomfortable seats, and has slow acceleration.

1967 Renault 10

The French Renault 10 had a rear engine and air conditioning, so it was popular in America during the 1960s. However, the 1967 model was a failure because it had handling and braking issues. In fact, it was sensitive to the wind and could be knocked off the road with one gust!

Mercedes CLA

The Mercedes Benz was too expensive, though you expected it to be of high quality. The CLA was budget-friendly but didn’t keep that same expectation. Consumer Reports said that it dialed back the traditional Mercedes qualities, diluting the brand’s esteem.

DeLorean DMC-12

The DeLorean is synonymous with Back to the Future, a popular movie. However, fame and appearance shouldn’t fool you. The cars are often very expensive failures. It was John Z. DeLorean’s brainchild. Unfortunately, it had many electric problems.

Dodge Royal

Despite the name, the Royal was not royalty. In fact, Chrysler seemed to sacrifice quality control to keep up with demand. It had a long list of issues, such as water leakage in the cabin, rusting parts, and so much more.

Overland Octoauto

While the Octoauto wasn’t a terrible car, it was too unusual for most people. That’s probably because of the eight wheels. Aside from being huge, the car was hard to maneuver. Though Milton Reeves didn’t succeed here, he did create the muffler!