Zinger Key Points
- Ford’s Pinto was a lot like AMC’s Gremlin. It was its competition.
- Introduced in 1970, the Pinto was known to burst into flames when rear-ended, a flaw discovered by Ford during crash tests.
Among the thousands of car models, names like the Ford Mustang and the Porsche 911 stand out as some of the most iconic vehicles ever created.
On the other hand, certain cars have been produced that have come off as ridiculous in the long run in terms of design, safety, aesthetics, and feel.
Those cars lived on to become known as the worst ever made; Hot Cars gathered a list of 10.
10. Pontiac Aztek GM
Driven by Walter White in the popular AMC series “Breaking Bad,” the Pontiac Aztek is a midsize SUV produced by General Motors Company for five years, from 2000 to 2005. The failure of the car was mainly due to its awkward design.
9. AMC Gremlin
Introduced in 1970 as a subcompact automobile, the Gremlin would not be drivable by today’s standards due to its emissions control equipment, terrible handling and a flip-up window known to fall off by merely touching it.
8. Ford Pinto F
Ford’s Pinto was a lot like AMC’s Gremlin. It was its competition. Introduced in 1970, the Pinto was known to burst into flames when rear-ended, a flaw discovered by Ford during crash tests.
Ford allegedly knew and did nothing about the results of the pre-production crash tests, as reported by Mother Jones in 1977.
7. Hummer H2 GM
Designed to be the on-road version of American military vehicles, the H2’s fuel economy is one of the worst in existence, providing 13 miles per gallon on the highway and 10 MPG in the city.
6. Suzuki X-90
This was Suzuki’s version of a sports car meets SUV in the mid-1990s but was met with little hype. The design was terrible, but the handling was worse, with reports of excessive steering-wheel vibrations.
5. Reliant Robin
It was missing a wheel, for one. Launched in 1973, the Reliant Robin was actually not a bad car. Londoners favored it for two main reasons: it was compact and cheap. The car makes the list because it’s missing a wheel.
4. Chrysler PT Cruiser STLA
Ugliness aside, the car had several common problems in Chrysler vehicles. Its engine would burn oil, the ignition was faulty, and in 2007 more than 38,000 of them were turned in due to various recalls.
3. Reva G-Wiz
The micro electric car introduced in 2001 had a top speed of 50 mph and a range of just 50 miles. When owners weren’t charging it, they complained that the handling was twitchy and toy-like.
2. Austin Allegro
Made in 1973, the body of the Allegro has gone down in motorist history, with tales of it being cheap and flexible. If jacked up in the wrong spot, the back window would fall out, and the doors would jam shut.
1. Yugo GV
Ranking the lowest for consumer satisfaction in the J.D Power and Associates survey of 1986, the Yugo GV is known as the worst car ever due to its frequent breakdowns and awful safety metrics.
All photos courtesy of Shuttershock.
Original publication: 2022-05-05
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.