Top 10 Worst Cars of All Time

Un-turbocharged Eagle Talons, even if they lacked “go,” were at least nice to look at. The Eagle Premier, however, was as dull outside as it was in, and suffered from a major identity crisis. Originally designed by AMC in partnership with Renault, the Eagle brand became a Chrysler property when they bought AMC, but many Premiers were littered with AMC and even Renault logos. Additionally, Chrysler was forced to drop the somewhat fuel-efficient 2.5L inline 4cyl in favor of a thirsty Renault-built PRV 3.0L v6, for contractual reasons. While the Premier did improve as the model went on, its general boringness, poor mileage, iffy electronics and dash-mounted gearshift won it very few fans.

Marketed as a grand touring sedan and arriving at a time when Maserati didn’t have the deepest of pockets, the Biturbo was seen as underwhelming. Although it did come with a twin turbocharged engine with an F1 racing pedigree and an innovative 3 valve per cylinder design, it lacked sizzle. It also lacked build quality with much of the bodywork and even final assembly being outsourced. By 1984 sales had dropped off, perhaps resulting in the introduction of a new four-door option and a slight do-over on the dash. But due to the Biturbo’s general unreliability, it was named the worst car of the year by Time Magazine.

Given the title of “the worst car in the history of the world” by James May and Jeremy Clarkson in the “Top Gear” special of the same name, the Lexus SC 430 was meant to complete with German rivals like the Mercedes SL – but lost horribly. Priced at $61,000, it was hard to see what you got for your money. Sure, you had a choice of walnut or bird’s eye maple interior trim and a novel convertible roof – the first convertible offering from the brand, in fact – but beyond that you were left with high maintenance costs, a limp 4.3L v8, and a body modeled in part on a yacht. Worse still, it had a terrible ride and handling, with little more than a shelf for a back seat.

Built during multiple worker strikes, the Vega’s entire development was essentially one big rush job under the direction of GM’s Ed Cole. Cole wanted “Chevy’s new little car” on the market within two years, but the accelerated design phase meant the Vega never quite got the shakedown it needed. Customers themselves were left to find minor and major flaws with the car, the biggest of which was its untested aluminum-block engine, which Cole himself was involved in creating. The engine was prone to rattling, overheating, warping, and losing oil in a big way, while over 500,000 Vegas were recalled in 1972 for axle work and bad throttles.

Arriving on the streets of America just as the nation went to war, the H2 and its military-inspired looks were as out-of-touch with the world around it as a car could be. Getting an obscenely poor 9mp-USg – or up to 15, depending on your source, the H2 drew the ire of anyone who was a fan of trees or clean air. The eco-impact was especially notable as GM, Hummer’s parent company, was at the same time repossessing and destroying their electric car, the EV1. Option-wise, the H2 was fairly basic for its $53,000 price tag – air, cruise, heated and powered leather seats, and a Bose stereo. And, unsurprisingly, it was also hard to park on the street, lot, or even in your own garage.

Undeniably stylish and firmly etched into pop-culture, the reality is everyone’s favorite gullwing door’d time machine has its share of flaws. There are minor problems, like the choice to use a wind-shield embedded antenna that rarely picked up radio signals, to its $25,000 sticker price, which was more than twice the $12,000 the company planned for. Quality was hit and miss given DeLorean’s fairly green workforce, while the company faced funding problems, and its owner, John Z. DeLorean, faced drug-trafficking charges. Meanwhile, the DMC’s weight combined with its wimpy PRV v6 had at best an 8.8 second 0-60 time, meaning that while Marty might hit 88mph, he would spend all day doing it, and that’s time he’d just never get back.

Well now, this is awkward. Built in West Germany and rooted in the German WWII vehicle “Schwimmwagen,” the Amphicar was both a lame car and a terrible boat. Although some say it relatively handled well, it was powered by a tiny 1147cc 4cyl engine with a sad, sad, sad 38.3hp. While that translated into slow road speeds, it was actually worse on water where it topped out at 7 knots – barely faster than swimming. Additionally, the Amphicar was not really all that waterproof, as it relied on a pump to control leakage, and, bizarrely, used its front wheels to steer – even in water. The motoring oddity did have at least one high profile owner as U.S. President Lyndon Johnson owned one – but mostly used it to scare friends.

While not the first three-wheeler, the Reliant Robin is the best known – but probably for the wrong reasons. Popular in northern England because it was cheaper to own and operate, the original Robin topped out at 85mph, did 0-60 in 16.1s, and had 32bhp. Although, this lack of speed and power may not have been a bad thing, given its worrisome single front wheel and reputation for rolling. This reputation, however, was exacerbated by Jeremy Clarkson, who – in 2016 – admitted to modifying a Robin for easy rollovers during an infamous “Top Gear” segment. W. Chump & Sons, which produces Clarkson’s “The Grand Tour” actually owns four Robins as company cars; however, although they come from different generations, each has issues from bad idling and fumes, faulty gauges, broken shifters, and failing heaters.

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#2: The Yugo
1978 - 2008

Also in:

Top 10 Worst Mothers in History

Whether you call it Zastava Koral, Yugo 45 or Yugo GV, you know it as simply terrible. Based on the 1971 Fiat 127, the Yugo’s main appeal was its price – about $4,000. But with just 45HP it was gutless and its 85mph top speed made it the slowest car in America – before it withdrew form the market for political reasons. The Yugo also lacked in ingenuity, using carburetors rather than fuel injection as late as 1990, featuring bad wiring, and – in some models – an engine that would self-destruct if and when the timing belt snapped. Post-1991 quality dropped sharply, with interior pieces fitting improperly and not even matching in color, while customers in metric countries received MPH-only speedometers.

Before we unveil our pick for most hopeless heap, here are some honorable mentions:
- Ford Mustang [Second Generation]
1974 - 1978

- Saturn Ion
2003 - 2007

- Edsel Corsair [First Generation]
1958

- Pontiac Aztek
2001 - 2005

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#1: Ford Pinto
1971 - 1980

Also in:

Gerald Ford Biography: U.S. President and Congressman

Rumored to mean “small penis” in Brazilian slang, the Pinto’s name was the least of its shortcomings. Even the Pinto’s tragically ugly looks, complete lack ofhorsepower, bad suspension, drum brakes, and the fact that faux-wood paneling was an option could all be forgiven. With the gas tank wedged between the back bumper and rear axle, the car was prone to exploding into flames after being rear-ended. Ford faced numerous lawsuits and in one case was even charged with “reckless homicide.” Meanwhile, when an internal memo that favored victim payouts over costly safety recalls was made public, the company was left with a major PR disaster and the Pinto’s reputation would live on in infamy.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your least favorite car? For more quick rusting and oil burning Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.