The Chevy Vega: the Worst Detroit Car Ever?

No Way

I looked at a Vega in the 70's but did not buy one. The brake pedal had a bolt in the rubber that covered the brake petal. I opened the hood and there were two bolts and washer just laying in the engine department. This was a new Vega sitting on a dealer lot. I bought a Nova instead which was also a piece of junk just took a year to find out. I will still try an American car, currently own a GMC Envoy, which has been ok.

John McFadden of KY @ Dec 19, 2008 14:29:27 PM

One Chance

Car companies only get to sell a bad product one time to get on a buyer's "sh** list" for good. For many late Baby Boomers like myself, their first major purchase was a bad car from the Big 3. Mine happened to be a brand new 1988 Dodge Dakota pickup. Within a few weeks the window howled, it belched black smoke, it dogged out. The dealer said "no problem found" and insisted the truck ran just the way it was supposed to - which was terrible. I vowed then that I would never even consider another Chrysler vehicle. And after 21 years, I haven't.

By the way, I took a $2500 hit (which was a very big deal at the time) and traded for a Camry which ran perfectly for 200K miles.

Chris Mau of MN @ Dec 19, 2008 14:12:43 PM

Big 3 vs Imports

I grew up in the 80s with Dad insisting on buying American. If you got 80,000 miles out of a Ford, it made the news. When I went to college, my Oldsmobile died, engine blew a piston rod through the block. It burned a quart of oil a month. It had 77,000 miles on it. Since I had to have a ride to college, I picked up a '76 Datsun 280z for 200 bucks. It had 170k miles on it. That sucker got me through four years of college. I totaled it in a wreck and had drag it off to the junk yard. I had 280k miles on it and ran strong. From that day on I will NEVER buy Ford, Chevy or Chrysler again, no matter how good they may make their new cars. They deserve to go belly up, I hate them all.

Foriegn Boy of TX @ Dec 19, 2008 13:56:14 PM