Ever been disappointed with a car you bought?

[Yellow_Festiva]

Bought a 2005 Citroen C3 Pluriel a few year ago with only 24,000km on the clock. Been after one for a while in orange, but when a blue one came around in Sydney at the right price I had a look and drove it home.

Then the problems started. Wishy washy gearbox feel that was dangerous in the wrong hands (software update and mechanical adjustment fixed that.... somewhat). As well as the for / aft rocking motion between gear changes...

Cabin fan that rooted itself within a month (warranty), fuel sender gauge went the 2nd month, then again the 3rd month (warranty).

A roof that was a nightmare to (manually) tuck away in the boot, a boot and rear seat that was useless, seats that could not be slid forward and locked in.

The rear window motor finally gave up the ghost after 6 months of ownership. $1800 supply only.... oh, that's a 'common and well known problem'... Got it repaired by an auto sparky / mechanic mate for much less then put it for sale the next day.

Good car in theory with some very unique design cues, but the reliability was shocking and the build materials / quality were not as good as I expected from a European small car.

Sold it after a year only putting 4-5000km on the clock.

Oh well, you live and learn!

[Russ]

As the thread topic suggests, I've owned numerous cars that I've been disappointed with, the main disappointments have been with spending a fortune on upgrades and repairs only to find that for every one thing you renew or replace two other things then need doing as well :(

[JTFG]

It may take time to build a connection with the car if that makes sense.
At first it might just feel like only a car.

When I got my 2nd car(current) it didn't feel very special to me, just felt like a car without the emotional connection like I had with my first car.
Then overtime I built more of a special connection with the car :P

Sounds weird but that's just me I guess haha

[bingoTE50]

Saab 900S V6 . When it was going it was great - when being the key word ...

[Chopped]

It normally takes me about 1-2 months to fully bond with the next company vehicle. I always miss the previous car for a short period as well.

[nstg8a]

i regret buying my au, worst falcon ive ver owned.

the whole interior feels cheaply made and poorly put together, the ohc is thrashy and gutless.

my old ef ghia was a much much nicer car to drive.

the only positives is its reasonably economical (450-500 per tank, all city driving) and i can park anywhere cos i hate the damn thing. i backed into a wall the other night and didnt even bother checking to see if there was any damage to the car.

[zoomie]

The only car i bought that ive been disappointed with was my G6E turbo. I bought the brand new lemon that after 9 months of ownership was still having issues, so i sold it.

Pity cos when it was actually running well it was a nice car. I really would like to get another Turbo FG sometime in the future (might even splurge on a S/C 5L)

[JG34JA]

A 2004 Toyota Echo bought new as family runabout. It was a fantastic car really, no mechanical issues at all, great on fuel, great build quality. But what made me regret buying it was the amount of drivers who just... pulled out in front of it, as if it was not even on the road!

[adamRSLC]

I've had a few cars and the only one I was a bit devo on was the 2007 VE SSV , I bought it from the auctions without driving it ( just read the reviews) and after a few weeks I couldn't gel with it . A pillar blind spot , huge seats and crap auto drove me nuts , ticking lifters on start up and left hand front clunk on every bump was it's death sentence .

Wisely I test drove the FGxrt for a few days and was very happy straight away , I've had it for a year and still brings a smile to my face when I drive it .

Adam

[XRDeeze]

moral of this thread: dont buy a Holden Caprice, oops.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

i regret buying my au, worst falcon ive ver owned.

the whole interior feels cheaply made and poorly put together, the ohc is thrashy and gutless.

my old ef ghia was a much much nicer car to drive.

the only positives is its reasonably economical (450-500 per tank, all city driving) and i can park anywhere cos i hate the damn thing. i backed into a wall the other night and didnt even bother checking to see if there was any damage to the car.

Now that's what I call love

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Bought a 2005 Citroen C3 Pluriel

Its not European. Its French. The French are allegedly good at making three things.........wine, cheese, and love. Cars come a distant 4th!

[Ford_The_Win]

I'm so far very disappointed with my current ride, but then again I should have known better and spent more money. It has just been problem after problem, some of them age related but when a car seems to hate you as much as mine hates me... my old Hilux ran like a champ with three times as many kays on the clock. I want to like this car, it used to be my baby, but these days I just don't care, hasn't seen the soap for months and generally gets hammered. I'm hoping someone steals it or it gets written off so I can get some money back.

[The G6ET Spot]

Originally Posted by rocket67

Only thing i noticed was the rear bumper was slightly off colour. Same thing on the Caprice. I am told bumper bars are painted in different areas of the factory and it is quite normal for them to be off colour.

It's not that they are painted in different areas of the factory. It is the fact they are plastic and show up the paint differently to metal.
Every car with plastic bumpers will be the same, some more than others.

As for regretting buying a car. my biggest regret was getting rid of a XR8 ute for the G6ET.

If you are not happy with the seats in the WM you will not be happy with the G6ET seats. they have bugger all lateral support and are too soft(for my liking) and too many rattles for a supposedly top of the line car.
Thankfully I only have another 12 months to go and it will be gone.

[Supercharged]

Originally Posted by rocket67

Other problem is my wife hates Fords after a previous unpleasant experience with a BA Fairmont Ghia. To make matters worse, friends of ours have just found out their Ford Focus with only 60,000 klms needs a new Auto Trans.

Rocket.

Sometimes that isn’t about the car but the driver. I had a sister in law that had good sight distance from their driveway and would back out fast and not bother using the brakes at all but go straight from moving backwards into drive and almost floor it. Much the same thing waiting on hills, she would ride the transmission rather than hold on the hill with brakes or hand brake. She went through transmissions regularly and it was all brands of vehicles, it didn’t matter what the brand was, what ever she drove it required constant transmission re-builds.

[rocket67]

Originally Posted by Ford_XR603

moral of this thread: dont buy a Holden Caprice, oops.

Ford_XR603, Well..... probably at least test drive before you buy.

In fact it is probably myself at fault more than the car. My son drove the Caprice over to Glenelg and back today. When he returned he had a smile from ear to ear and made the comment " Effin awesome car dad ". He has not seen this thread. Thankfully!.

Forum members j0nni and Chopped possibly hit the nail on the head when they both mentioned it can take time to bond with a new car - especially when you are very fond of the car it is replacing. Perhaps the WK was such a step up from the VX Berlina that it replaced, i was expecting a similar step up. Didn`t happen!
My wife - who loves the Caprice - told me to write down what i like and dislike about the car.
Exterior Appearance - Love it. I spent a couple of days earlier this week giving the car an Autopian Polish with my trusty Flex Polishing machine and Menzerna polishes -





Drivetrain - Satified with the 6.0 litre v8 and six speed auto trans after i changed the oil.

Interior. Not happy with comfort of drivers seat. Who knows, maybe a very large person was the driver and the seat foam is compressed? Getting used to it though so not a major concern.
The bloody flasher can annoys the shyte out of me because it has a very loud tick,tick when the indicators are on.
The Dashboard is very plain compared to the WK. It is very functional - but i think Holden could have done better with the design of the Dash.

Suspension is quite firm compared to the WK. You don`t really feel the bumps as much as hearing them if that makes sense. Maybe the car has less sound deadener than the WK?

So not many problems to deal with. The missus sys it is all in my head - she may be right, or maybe as i am getting older the capacity for change is less tolerable.

Two posters - zoomie and The G6E Spot - have written that they were disappointed with their G6ET`s. Bugger! Guess the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side. Would like to see more about the problems with the cars.

Thankyou to everybody for your replies. Please keep them coming.

Rocket.

[Ben73]

I regret buying my current Jeep Patriot. Nothing mechanically wrong. I had a great 40000kms with it, bit its Way too small for a 4x4, but way to big and slow for a car. Hopefully it will be sold tomorrow!

[Parkway]

I've only owned 3 cars. My first car was given to me and my two current cars I think were sort of bought without too much thinking; one of those things where you have to have right there and then. So far they've been fantastic cars and almost couldn't say a bad word about them (one reason being I'd cop it from my Folden loving friend)

It probably depends on how picky you are with things though. The things you mentioned I wouldn't bat an eyelid for; but that's just me. I didn't pay thirty odd thousand for my car so I can't really complain. As others have mentioned, see how it goes. If it doesn't turn into a love affair then I guess it just wasn't a match made in heaven or maybe you're just lusting after a more superior machine, say, a Ford?

[calais]

I turn cars over every 2 years give or take, and the only time I'm ever disappointed is at trade in time!

All in all though, I am happy to pay for the privilege of having new cars to drive around in.

Last year my old man decided he wanted to buy a WH series two Caprice, so he spent months and months searching, finally bought one which was a fully optioned 5.7, from an old bloke who plays lawn bowls with him. It has 43,000km on it, and for the money he paid, I would have driven away feeling like I robbed the bloke.

After he bought it, it sat in the garage, highly polished and covered. I asked him why he doesnt get out there and get out and drive it, and he said he doesn't like it. I was gutted for him, because I knew how much he wanted to buy one since they were new.

At the time, I guess he was feeling guilty about buying something he didn't really need. But the way I saw the situation was he had worked his whole life, and if he wanted to blow some cash on something he likes, Bugger the consequences and throw the dice.

I visited a week later, and the Caprice was in the driveway, a new exhaust fitted a mafless tune, and some unusual rubber residue along the rear mudflaps........... I didn't say anything, but it was pretty clear he was starting to enjoy it.

Sometimes you just have to give a car time to show its strengths.

[asdf1234]

Through a complicated process I basically got given a used Ford Fiesta automatic by my parents and then told I owe them for the price of the car. First car, I'm quite disappointed. Came scratched with small scratches and dents on every single panel inside and out. No idea how much money I've spent on it. The engine is fine but everything else that could go wrong basically has. Wheels, suspension, transmission, brakes, WINDSCREEN WIPERS?! Through fixing those I forked out so much money but at the same time made upgrades on those parts. Now I'm lost as to how I feel about the car because the upgrades I've made have made the car so much better and unique and I feel like I've worked so hard on it but the car is still not what I ever want. It's scratched, small, weak, automatic and eating my money away which are all flaws I can't really live with. Suggestions anyone?

[tex]

Biggest disappointment Ive ever had car related was the performance of my brand new GT as I drove it home. I was nearly heart broken.

[rocket67]

Originally Posted by asdf1234

Through a complicated process I basically got given a used Ford Fiesta automatic by my parents and then told I owe them for the price of the car. First car, I'm quite disappointed. Came scratched with small scratches and dents on every single panel inside and out. No idea how much money I've spent on it. The engine is fine but everything else that could go wrong basically has. Wheels, suspension, transmission, brakes, WINDSCREEN WIPERS?! Through fixing those I forked out so much money but at the same time made upgrades on those parts. Now I'm lost as to how I feel about the car because the upgrades I've made have made the car so much better and unique and I feel like I've worked so hard on it but the car is still not what I ever want. It's scratched, small, weak, automatic and eating my money away which are all flaws I can't really live with. Suggestions anyone?

Hopefully the repairs are behind you and being a small, economical car - you can save up to buy another car of your liking.
I say be happy with the car for a while as it beats the heck out of walking.
Did you make the repairs yourself or pay somebody to do them?
If you are a DIY sort of a person then fix the body and paint yourself just enough to make the car presentable. Check out this forum -
http://www.autobody101.com/forums/
Believe me - most of us started out with bangers and learnt how to fix them ourselves.
No need to be in a rush to buy a late model car if you need finance for it. Interest on a car loan can mount up quickly so it is far better to save and pay cash. Why make bankers any richer? You must be quite young and the best advice anybody can give you right now is to plan your financial future and have an easy life rather than be a slave to the system, even if it means a bit of sacrifice like driving a banger for a few years.
Happy motoring.
Rocket.

[Parkway]

Originally Posted by asdf1234

Through a complicated process I basically got given a used Ford Fiesta automatic by my parents and then told I owe them for the price of the car. First car, I'm quite disappointed. Came scratched with small scratches and dents on every single panel inside and out. No idea how much money I've spent on it. The engine is fine but everything else that could go wrong basically has. Wheels, suspension, transmission, brakes, WINDSCREEN WIPERS?! Through fixing those I forked out so much money but at the same time made upgrades on those parts. Now I'm lost as to how I feel about the car because the upgrades I've made have made the car so much better and unique and I feel like I've worked so hard on it but the car is still not what I ever want. It's scratched, small, weak, automatic and eating my money away which are all flaws I can't really live with. Suggestions anyone?

This is a tough call. At the end of the day it is YOUR car and YOUR call. Everyone will tell you that but it's true. I wanted to sell my first car a few months after it was given to me by my parents, but I felt like I had an obligation to keep it since it was given to me. That's my story.

Search the forums about horror stories people talk about with bad experiences from mechanics, dealers, getting their cars stolen, buying lemons etc. It will make your problems look like a cigarette burn in your carpet. It makes me less worried about my problems every time.

[Angeldust]

i bought an 05 wrx... 6 days later i sold it back to the dealer.

The whole thing cost me $6000 out of pocket, but i could sleep at night again.
Just did not like it.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Brent

Its not European. Its French. The French are allegedly good at making three things.........wine, cheese, and love. Cars come a distant 4th!

4th... no way. Bit further down the list to be honest. The thing was a heap is crap and there were more electrical problems but I forgot them at the time of posting.

Shame it wasn't made in Japan.... and had a standard gearbox, would have been sooo much better.

[Till_Lind]

They are a nice shape, very popular in the middle east too.

If you wanted seats that you "sat in", a VE Senator perhaps would of been better. The original VE Senator though, not the series 2 that looks horrible now. Ofcourse then there is the price of said car to consider...

[asdf1234]

Originally Posted by rocket67

Hopefully the repairs are behind you and being a small, economical car - you can save up to buy another car of your liking.
I say be happy with the car for a while as it beats the heck out of walking.
Did you make the repairs yourself or pay somebody to do them?
If you are a DIY sort of a person then fix the body and paint yourself just enough to make the car presentable.

Yeah I did most of the repairs I could myself except where I needed special tools and a lotta hours. It's part of the reason why I'm so love hate with it. I've made it so much more presentable to the point where it's in between love and hate. Dunno where I wanna go from here. I think I'm gonna call it quits on this car and save for my next. Maybe I'll show some pics to show what I mean.

[XD 351 Ute]

I have an ED Ghia with the works sitting in the shed, owned it for just over 12 months now.
Low kays, very well looked after, but yeah, I am a bit flat in my opinion about it.

Hopefully it will just take a bit of time and we will come good.

Ed

[THE CADBURY KID]

the missus got a new 2010 lancer,the paint is that thin the wind can scratch it,knocking suspension,noisy doors, noisy tyres,stupid rev limiter.
Had to get a stage 1 ecu tune just to get rid of the limiter
Most of all its the fact of buying a new car with problems already,may be a bit minor in some peoples eyes but for our first new car it really sucked and the first time i took it to the dealer to get some driveline noises checked they charged me.Stupid new bitsashitty

Slightly off topic, i always wanted a te cortina 250 xflow for around 10 years or more.
finally got a nice one and spent heaps of time swapping motors interiors seats blah blah and found my legs were too long to drive it,even set the seat back an inch and no dice.had to sell it.

[lowriding]

Classic remorse yes .... I have "let down" a couple of times and it has always been because of the gap in tradein versus your old car which was familiar and reliable which had already depreciated , your new car fails to live to the hype after what you have paid ! All the little things annoy because of it imo . Well thats me anyway .