What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

General discussion about cars. Looking to buy a new car? Have a great driving story? Post it here!
User avatar
bk7794
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 1561
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 3:16 am
Cars: 00 Civic (Stock)
Location: Central CT

What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by bk7794 »

What was one of the worst jobs you've ever had to do on a car? Why?
2004 Honda Accord 2.4 5 Speed
1989 Ford Taurus SHO 5 speed
Rope-Pusher
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 11607
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 3:44 pm
Cars: '08 Jeep Liberty
Location: Greater Detroit Area

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by Rope-Pusher »

“There are no bad cars. There is only bad environment, bad training, bad example, bad thinking.”
'08 Jeep Liberty 6-Speed MT - "Last of the Mohicans"
tankinbeans
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 4029
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 9:04 pm
Cars: 17 Mazda6 To, 18 Mazda3 i
Location: Shakopee, MN

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by tankinbeans »

My brother's Corolla. It needed a clutch, he wasn't paying for parts or labor, and he was vibrating the hole time. Never mind the fact that there were other issues uncovered once the clutch was replaced and he brought it to the junkyard two days later.

He still hasn't paid me for the car, the repairs, 3 years of car insurance, or anything else.

#f**k
17 Mazda6 Touring
18 Mazda3 iSport
InlinePaul wrote:The driving force of new fangled features to sell more cars [is to] cater to the masses' abject laziness!
Image
User avatar
theholycow
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 16021
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:36 pm
Cars: '80 Buick LeSabre 4.1 5MT
Location: Glocester, RI
Contact:

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by theholycow »

tankinbeans wrote:he was vibrating the hole time.
Image
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
watkins
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 15880
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 12:42 am
Cars: '08 Saab 9-5 Aero wagon
Location: Salem, MA

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by watkins »

I work at a Mopar dealership...
User avatar
Squint
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 3390
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:44 pm
Location: KY

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by Squint »

watkins wrote:I work at a Mopar dealership...
:lol: :lol:
tankinbeans wrote:My brother's Corolla. It needed a clutch, he wasn't paying for parts or labor, and he was vibrating the hole time. Never mind the fact that there were other issues uncovered once the clutch was replaced and he brought it to the junkyard two days later.

He still hasn't paid me for the car, the repairs, 3 years of car insurance, or anything else.

#f**k
Yeah, there's a point where you stop doing stuff for free. It doesn't matter if they are a blood relative or not.

I haven't done anything major on cars, just the usual brakes, oil, etc...

My biggest mistake on one was accidentally buying the oil filter for car B when I was doing the oil change on car A. The filter was close in size so that it partially screwed on but not completely. Started the engine after everything was done, ended up with a driveway full of oil. I didn't waste the whole 4 quarts that I put in for the change, but it was at least half of that. A quick trip to the store fixed that problem, but I literally facepalmed. :oops: :lol: :lol:
'15 Mazda 3 iSport Hatch 6MT
'11 Ford Fiesta Hatchback SE 5MT
'14 Giant Escape City 24MT
'97 Honda Civic EX 4AT - Retired @ 184,001 mi

For Pony!
Rope-Pusher
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 11607
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 3:44 pm
Cars: '08 Jeep Liberty
Location: Greater Detroit Area

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by Rope-Pusher »

[quote="Squint
Image
.....but I literally facepalmed. :oops: :lol: :lol:[/quote]
Fickset
'08 Jeep Liberty 6-Speed MT - "Last of the Mohicans"
User avatar
wannabe
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 8113
Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 11:48 am
Cars: NONE - take the bus
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Contact:

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by wannabe »

awwww i thought this was gonna say "worst car you drove" cuz i don't work on cars....
2003 Chrysler town and country

Crafting and stuff
User avatar
Squint
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 3390
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:44 pm
Location: KY

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by Squint »

wannabe wrote:awwww i thought this was gonna say "worst car you drove" cuz i don't work on cars....
Change the topic! It's not like we're known for staying on topic on here...
'15 Mazda 3 iSport Hatch 6MT
'11 Ford Fiesta Hatchback SE 5MT
'14 Giant Escape City 24MT
'97 Honda Civic EX 4AT - Retired @ 184,001 mi

For Pony!
Rope-Pusher
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 11607
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 3:44 pm
Cars: '08 Jeep Liberty
Location: Greater Detroit Area

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by Rope-Pusher »

Squint wrote:
wannabe wrote:awwww i thought this was gonna say "worst car you drove" cuz i don't work on cars....
Change the topic! It's not like we're known for staying on topic on here...
Image
You were a few days late with that.
'08 Jeep Liberty 6-Speed MT - "Last of the Mohicans"
User avatar
wannabe
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 8113
Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 11:48 am
Cars: NONE - take the bus
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Contact:

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by wannabe »

Squint wrote:
wannabe wrote:awwww i thought this was gonna say "worst car you drove" cuz i don't work on cars....
Change the topic! It's not like we're known for staying on topic on here...
that'd be the 89 dodge spirit. 3 speed auto. took it from ohio to west virginia. doesn't handle mountains very well.....
2003 Chrysler town and country

Crafting and stuff
tankinbeans
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 4029
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 9:04 pm
Cars: 17 Mazda6 To, 18 Mazda3 i
Location: Shakopee, MN

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by tankinbeans »

Is there an age cap or floor for worst car?
17 Mazda6 Touring
18 Mazda3 iSport
InlinePaul wrote:The driving force of new fangled features to sell more cars [is to] cater to the masses' abject laziness!
Image
User avatar
Squint
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 3390
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:44 pm
Location: KY

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by Squint »

tankinbeans wrote:Is there an age cap or floor for worst car?
I would argue no since there are plenty of older cars that people might argue for best car.

So have at it! Insult those old cars all you want!

One of the worst cars I've ever driven also had one of the most comfortable seats on which I've sat in a car. It was a mid/late 1980s Oldsmobile sedan with a bench seat in the front that was like a couch. The car was in okay cosmetic shape but ran like a complete POS. I'm sure it ran fine when it was newer, but by the point when they were trading it in, you had to hold the gas down to get the car to continue to run, and it would only start randomly, not every time you wanted it to start. Luckily, I only had to move it once.

I've probably driven cars in just as bad of shape as that one, but it sticks out to me because of that fantastic seat in such a decrepit old car. Working in special finance, we took in people's cars that banks were coming to claim from time to time and there were some SERIOUSLY bad cars in that bunch. And some surprisingly nice ones from time to time too.
'15 Mazda 3 iSport Hatch 6MT
'11 Ford Fiesta Hatchback SE 5MT
'14 Giant Escape City 24MT
'97 Honda Civic EX 4AT - Retired @ 184,001 mi

For Pony!
tankinbeans
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 4029
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 9:04 pm
Cars: 17 Mazda6 To, 18 Mazda3 i
Location: Shakopee, MN

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by tankinbeans »

Worst car I've driven for any distance was an 85ish Seville (the model which looked like it was backed into a wall). It had that godawful V8-6-4, was underpowered anyway, and was the epitome of, "you can go left, or you can go right." There was no dialing in for precise turns at all. It was all hood and if I wanted to drive a sofa I'd have bought a Lay-Z-Boy.
17 Mazda6 Touring
18 Mazda3 iSport
InlinePaul wrote:The driving force of new fangled features to sell more cars [is to] cater to the masses' abject laziness!
Image
Puchrider
Junior Standardshifter
Posts: 39
Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2015 2:55 pm
Cars: BMW e30, e36. LincolnMK8
Location: Newnan GA
Contact:

Re: What was the worst car you've ever worked on?

Post by Puchrider »

1995 Thunderbird Super-Coupe... The spark plugs are almost inaccessible!
"If you're out of gear, you're out of control" - Johnny Mock

Image

Banana Tranny Swap: https://sites.google.com/site/bananalincolnmark8/home
Post Reply