The most unreliable car you've owned?

[lordrobs]

Not really much point to this thread but I often wonder about cars and their reputations. French cars and their dodgy electrics, Itallian cars and their fondness of rusting, the Germans and their build quality etc. etc. I buy into this and as such when I look for my next car anything French will probably be filed further down the pile and if I can afford something German then that will probably attract my eye but why?

Day four of running around in a courtesy car while my Skoda is poked and prodded with minimal amounts of success at trying to find its latest little foible and I start thinking about my limited car history and how I found the brands...

Car 1) 1990 Hyundai Pony - An early 90's Hyundai, it must have been a nightmare, right? Well... not really. I owned the thing for 4.5 years and the major problems with it stemmed from it being driven on salt covered roads and then laid up for over 18 months by the previous keeper (my Grandad). Its Mitsubishi sourced engine was still going strong, everything worked, in the end rust killed it off probably as a result of its time spent covered in salt in a damp garage as previously mentioned.

Car 2) 1998 Peugeot 306 - French electrics and shoddy build quality? Well... No. Yes it did have an electrical fault where the heater would occasionally give you full heat or full cold but on the whole it was all there and all working fine. Sure the air con stopped working but I never looked into getting it fixed so a re-gas could have been all that was required. Mechanically it needed a rear brake cylinder and nothing else in 3 years and 54,000 miles. Very impressive as it didn't lead an easy life.

Car 3) 2002 Skoda Octavia vRS - The newest, most expensive and lowest mileage car of the three from a group known for reliability and quality. Surely the best of the three? Well... No,it has been pretty crap when I look back. It has had both niggles and major mechanical faults to the extent where I can't even remember everything that has gone wrong. Electrically this is the second long and probably costly diagnosis it has had to go through, It is on its second replacement steering rack, second replacement spring, perished suspension bushes, lamda sensors, second replacement coolant sensor and other stuff that I've since erased from my mind.

So what? Well, going back to my original point would I buy another Peugeot? Based on their reputation probably not yet my 306 was by far the best car I've owned. So surely I wouldn't buy another Skoda? Actually, yes I probably would. I guess the only conclusion I can make is that I'm just another sheep in the car buying flock.

[Chris]

I'm the same. I had 2 Saxos, both of which were a bit of a nightmare..blame the French. However, my 06 plate vectra SRi, 150bhp diesel spent more time at vauxhall than on my driveway with swirl flaps, alternators, starter motors, gear knob falling off all the time..then I bought a Volvo S60 2.0t which the variable valve timing went, causing cambelt to snap causing £3001 worth of engine rebuild. I'm gutted as by having to have it fixed (choosing the wrong car) I now have no performance car and drive a Kia Cee'd. Fantastic car, basic engine and all seems pretty robust.

[Aspman]

Been very lucky considering. Never been left stranded by any car.

1> 1989 Vauxhall Astra Mk2 1.3 - Bought in in 96 with 65k on the clock. Ran it for 4 years to about 90k. Nothing ever went wrong that wasn't wear and tear or human error. Biggest bills were for a water pump and a new battery. But then there was nothing to go wrong on it. It didn't even have a clock. Was starting to rust when I traded in. Service used to cost £35 and it would do 50mpg I changed the oil between each service too.

2> 1997 Vauxhall Astra Mk3 1.6 16v - Bought in 2000. Only had it for 2yr. Immobiliser gave me trouble just before selling, dealer blamed wear on the key.

3> 2001 Ford Focus 1.8td (90hp) - Bought in 2002 as an ex demo did 60k in 2 and a bit years. Defective brake calliper ate a few disks and the central locking went on one door, all fixed under warranty. Good car, still on the road and I regret getting rid of it.

4>2003 Renault Clio dCi 100hp - Bought as a prereg. Went through disks faster than tyres. Rear brake calliper knackered out of first year of warranty so not covered, Renault confused if they ever made the model, had to source calliper from Lucas. Drivers window mechanism collapsed twice, windscreen split through poor fitting, Sunroof seal split twice, CD/Radio knackered, clutch pedal collapsed at 4yr, rattled and squeaked like a hookers bed, paint could be scratched by sharp noise and bodywork dented by a dirty look, engine coked up at every service despite doing 110 miles a day on fast roads. On the good side I could get 65mpg without trying and 86mpg one day. Road tax was £35. Servicing was as expensive than the VRS even at an indy. Hated the car as soon as I got it.

5>2007 Octavia VRS TFSI - Bought new. Cruise control contacts needed cleaned at 4yr (DIY £5). Nothing else.

Edited 6 January, 2012 by Aspman

[lordrobs]

I guess I'm just a bit bitter because my car seems to be able to spread the costs out just enough that I always think "Well, I've just spent £### on it I might as well keep it for a bit." Just as that feeling starts to ease off it breaks again and we repeat the cycle.

[Mafuta]

I've been lucky with Skodas. Had three Octavias (2 x mk I and a 1.8 II now), still have a mk I Fabia, and had a 1.2 Yeti. Moved the Yeti on mainly due to engine repeatedly going into limp mode and dealer unable to find reason! However all the others have been fantastic with only servicing costs and the odd replacement of break and suspension parts due to age and wear and tear. I'm one of those who put the brand into the top tier of driver satisfaction league tables.

The only other brand I'd ever consider is Honda but Skoda is of course more affordable.

[mdon]

Most unreliable car was a Hyundai elantra 2005 CDX diesel, loads of problems only kept it 6 months and lost £2000 but I was sick of it. Wife's car isn't far behind on reliability with its many faults, it's a fiat 1.2 grande punto 56 reg.

I've have 3 french card 2002 laguna, 2002 Citroen C5 and a Xantia and none of them were unreliable. The only repair I had to do was a passenger electric window motor on the laguna. They were some of the best card I've owned and my next car will probably be another C5.

[Sean26]

Vauvhall Cavalier 130 SRI. Great car that did me 366K on same engine and gear box. Just normal day to day wear and tear. Loved it!

Rover 220 GSI. Complete bag of bolts with constant problems. When everything worked it was great but spent more time off the road than on it. In a nut shell it was a bag of £%&$ !!!

Honda Accord Type R. Great car that went on for ever. Gave it to the wife with 35K on the clock. She kept that well into 150K and was still driving great when we sold it on. Parts could be pricey though. But again, normal day to day replacements

PUG 106. Fine for what it was with general day to day town driving

Current - Octavia TSI VRS DSG. No complints as of yet but still early days.

[Brian69]

1. MKI Astra 1200 - don't laugh - bought it private with the head gasket gone - I didn't know this but the toad that sold it to me (private sale) obviously did as there was a 2L bottle of water under the passenger seat. Was one thing after another - leaky petrol tank, corroded brake pipes, steering rack went...

2. Vauxhall Nova 1200 Merit - an ex-rental car but didn't give me a bit of bother.

Then many years without a car...

3. VW Lupo Sport - only had it for eleven months but no issues.

4. VW Lupo GTi - bought it when it was 3 months old and kept it for four years - drove the thing and that was it - not a single reliability issue. Favourite car I've owned but then I've not owned many!

5. Skoda Fabia MKI vRS - apart from consumables and factory-issue leaky doors no reliability issues.

6. Skoda Fabia MKII vRS - early days but no problems so far - touch wood!

[chicken_eyebrow]

I don't think any of my cars have been particularly unreliable, the things that have gone on them have mainly been wear and tear items - you don't expect a part to just last indefinately! I would consider a car to be unreliable if a design fault caused a part to fail prematurely (e.g. a weak plastic part that is known to snap, a drain hole that lets water into electrics etc.)

I had a Mk3 Fiesta which although it was starting to rust on the sills and arches was mechanically quite good. It had to have a new electric window motor and I got rid of it as I think the valve stem seals were going (it was using oil) but my fault for running it really low on oil. Had a K-series Rover 400 which did me well for 2 years... until the headgasket went. So quite a biggie that one but I should have known it would happen eventually and got rid of the car sooner. As for the Skodas

Skoda Octavia VRS

Had to have new front ARB and bushes, new suspension all round, new front wheel bearings, thermostat and temperature sensor (all these things with the exception of the stat and CTS were just worn out after 90,000+ miles). Had it's cambelt and waterpump done on schedule. Had to have new fuel send and return lines fitted after I botched the job of changing my fuel filter (my fault)

Skoda Felicia 1.3

Crankshaft pulley disintegrated causing aux belt to come off, had to have new crankshaft pulley, woodruff key and new belt fitted. I think the old pulley was damaged at some point which caused the failure. Currently looking at swapping the CTS as it is really rough when cold starting.

[curleybar]

An (original) Mini, a complete and utter dog. I am still amazed at the high regard these crap cars are held in by some......?

[Semka]

I have owned quite a few cars now, the most memorable for reliability were:

Renault Laguna Mk1

Enough to put me off french cars for a long time. It was like a brand new car when I bought it with full service history, one owner from new, very low miles and a month later started to fall apart like there was now tomorrow, incidentally most were very expensive common faults .

Vauxhall Astra mk4 1.7TD

Had 120K or so on the clock when i bought it, I have covered 36K miles in a year doing several oil changes and a set of front pads, got more in PX than I paid for it

Vauxhall Vectra B Sri 140

Had this for 3.5 years just regular services and some minor wear and tear item, got rid as the gearbox was on the way out which I would say is nothing unusual for a car with 170K on the clock.

Vauxhall Astre mk4 Sri 1.8

Had this for 3 years, covered 60K with no issues what so ever, again just general minor wear and tear and servicing.

Mk1 Fabia Vrs

, only had it a year so far, with no major problems to report (touch wood).

Conclusion: Personally would not buy another french car in a hurry, was going to buy another vauxhall as in my experience they were mega reliable but got bored and decided to go for a VAG car.

IMO every brand has its reputation (we Skoda drivers should know about it more than others), but i think it all comes down to "Luck of the draw" when buying a car, no brand is exempt from its faults and horrors, and its also hard as people generally choose to talk about bad experiences when it comes to cars rather than good ones.

Edited 6 January, 2012 by Semka

[alkip]

I've only ever had 2 bad cars and one of them was my own fault for tinkering with it too much.

1. Renault 5 GT Turbo, an absolute hoot of a car when it worked but all too often it didn't. Starting issues, overheating issues, intercooler issues, eventually I traded it in for a Volvo 340 DL best change I've ever done

2. Renault Megane II, I had it from new and, for the 2 years that I owned it it spent more time at the dealers being repaired under warranty. Fortunately the General manager was a friend and he used to lend me his Avantine or Vel Satis when mine was in for repair. I suffered a leaking front windscreen, leaking back windscreen, faulty parking sensors (twice), faulty brakes, non working rear screen wash, faulty climate control which resulted in the whole heater / cc unit being replaced, faulty auto lights and wipers and more, I am sure that there was more

[Sonner]

first car was a peugeot xsi (100bhp) with 187,000 miles given to my by my uncle. i spent over £1800 tuning the engine to an RR figure of 144bhp. six month later, with 202,000 on the clock the police seized it and i couldn't afford the release fee(only 17yrs old) so signed it over and off it went. 15,000 miles of trouble free motoring.

Vauxhall corsa was the least reliable car i've owned.(three consective MOT's, not one bill under £450)

Most reliable car was my Mercedes 190E cossie. 8,000miles of infrequent use over 14months and 2 mots passed without a penny spent on it.

Least reliable car i've ever known.

VW Golf (gti non-turbo) 2001yr. bought new by my auntie, serviced by VW until 2009.

total visits to VW during warranty for problems 2

total visits to vw specialist since warranty expiring........ 14 times!!!!

excluding servicing and consumables total repair bills since new(excluding warranty repairs) £9400.

and it's only got 64,000 on the clock.

absolutely ridiculous.

mates mk4 vw golf gti(non-turbo) also has had nothing but misfire and coil pack issues, and his has been genuinely terrible

Edited 6 January, 2012 by Sonner

[TriggerFish]

Worst car I've had would have to be the Fabia. Several things, and one always seemed to come after the other, it was like chasing an itch (can't remember the order). Steering rack, snapped springs, dead air con, dead fans, dead window, possessed central locking, massive oil burning, rust, bushes, wiring issues, starter motor.

Otherwise I've been generally lucky. Had a FIAT Punto II, which has had nothing except a replacement brake line, and a new sump. That's not having an easy life now, and still going strong.

Polo - 1 coil pack to cure a misfire when cold and a clutch cable as it's gone all spongy and gets stiffer depending on the amount of rain. Otherwise it's been me breaking stuff like hitting the wing mirror switch and snapping the knob off.

Mazda RX-8 - nothing went wrong as such. It had a whiny clutch release bearing, but worked fine. All it needed was a set of new coils/leads/plugs, which tend to go at 30k miles, so I did them to be on the safe side.

That said, the Golf has a few niggles, but most a wear/tear or 5 minutes with a hammer type jobs (and it was cheap for what it is).

[MoggyTech]

1: Ford Escort Mk2 Estate (Company car) Over-filled with oil at factory, never ran right from day 1

2: Rover 214 (Company Car) x2 Both a mega pile of poo

Switched to VAG after that and no major problems. Now with Skoda and loving it.

[VladSoilerOfCarpets]

My Skoda. :S

Needed a new ignition switch and new headlight ballast, but whilst fixing those problems, ended up fixing the glow plugs, coolant temp sensor, headlight bulbs...

Also, the central locking is slightly dicky.

I got lucky- had a 206 that never went wrong, and then went to Honda. Once you've had a Honda, you realise how spoilt you've been- cars that just work, no matter what! My Octavia wouldn't start if it was colder than 7ºC, and the headlight would work whenever it felt like it... oh, and the glow plug light was like 'meh... I wanna stay on for a while longer...'

Oh, and there's a knocking from the front too.

And a broken rear boot lock.

[jonny boy]

An (original) Mini, a complete and utter dog. I am still amazed at the high regard these crap cars are held in by some......?

Probably because it was the blueprint for every front wheel drive car since 1958 ?

[Nicky boy]

Octavia vrs mk1 awful.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

1999 Fiat Punto. Gearbox, head gasket, power steering pump etc etc

2004 Citroen C3 VTR or S, cant remember which. Had it a week, had to get recovered 3 times, gave it back

[DanGum]

Started with a N reg nissan micra, loved it, ran 15k with no air filter in it but then scrapped it cus it was rotten lol.

Then I had a fiesta zetec T reg which went well but suspected cambelt failure so sold it for 300 quid!

Then went back to my trusty jap micra (bright yellow) bought it on 130k and never missed a beat! God knows what mileage it on now!

Now I'm on my fabia vrs mk1. Faulty wiring loom in the head, leaky rear door seals are the only issues I've had. But I love my fabia more than any other car

[Beryl's Chief Pilot]

Sh1troen C5, wasn't mine. Borrowed it for 2 months, tried to fix some of its many faults but with little sucess. It was a 2.0l Auto & never ever bettered 27mpg it was kinda fun trying to guess how many faults would show up each day though.

My Mondeo 1.8 TD, 3 snapped cambelts in 68k miles & a head rebuild each time, luckily I only copped the last one.

My current work car, Mk1 Octy L&K Tdi bought it from ebay with a 'full service history' on 113k miles for £2200 & must've spent more than that on repairs in 27k miles. That's at mates rates too!

88 Manta GTE Coupe, loved everything about it, snapped a wiring connector on the fuel pump (2 minute fix) leaking fuel hose at 11 years old, that's it.

Mk2 MR2 T Bar Anniversary never bothered to fix the punctured air con rad or the worn out cd player that I inherited it with. Clutch was on the way out when I sold it.

Current vRS, bought as an accident damaged, abused banger with 133k on it. Still abused, now 145,500k & very reliable.

[mdon]

Sh1troen C5, wasn't mine. Borrowed it for 2 months, tried to fix some of its many faults but with little sucess. It was a 2.0l Auto & never ever bettered 27mpg it was kinda fun trying to guess how many faults would show up each day though.

My Mondeo 1.8 TD, 3 snapped cambelts in 68k miles & a head rebuild each time, luckily I only copped the last one.

My current work car, Mk1 Octy L&K Tdi bought it from ebay with a 'full service history' on 113k miles for £2200 & must've spent more than that on repairs in 27k miles. That's at mates rates too!

88 Manta GTE Coupe, loved everything about it, snapped a wiring connector on the fuel pump (2 minute fix) leaking fuel hose at 11 years old, that's it.

Mk2 MR2 T Bar Anniversary never bothered to fix the punctured air con rad or the worn out cd player that I inherited it with. Clutch was on the way out when I sold it.

Current vRS, bought as an accident damaged, abused banger with 133k on it. Still abused, now 145,500k & very reliable.

I think you need to stop buying dodgey cars!

the Mondeo obviously had a problem from the first cambelt that wasn't fixed correctly, them things go on forever!

[Beryl's Chief Pilot]

I think you need to stop buying dodgey cars!

the Mondeo obviously had a problem from the first cambelt that wasn't fixed correctly, them things go on forever!

Not this one! First 2 done by Ford specialists up North somewhere. When it went again under my ownership, a local Ford specialist 'mated' a Duratec head to it & said would never happen again. He was probally right too as a guy who works at my now local shop bought it & is still driving it many years later!

[Chronicbint]

Never owned an unreliable car(yet), had 3 Hondas and now a Skoda.

[fordfan]

A 9 year old Triumph Dolomite 1850, head gasket, clutch, timing gear, alternator (requires radiator removal), starter motor and I nearly set it alight one day after fitting a bit electrical equipment.