3 Notorious “Lemon” Cars

Despite years of intense development by designers and engineers alike, some cars simply don’t make the cut. Whether they’re simply an eyesore or downright dangerous, these three cars are some of the most notorious lemon cars of all time.

Ford Pinto

When driving down the freeway, most people don’t expect that their car could spontaneously burst into flames. However, this was a very real possibility for the Ford Pinto in the case of a rear-end collision. In 1977, allegations arose that in the case of such a collision, the car’s fuel tank would be punctured and erupt into flames.

While Rutgers Law Review produced a paper in 1991 refuting these claims, the car was recalled in 1978, and still tops “worst car ever” lists to this day.

Pontiac Aztek

The Pontiac Aztek is a mechanically sound car. The “lemon” status for this car comes from its bizarre design and poor market integration. The Aztek was Pontiac’s first attempt at an SUV crossover. While the automaker expected to sell over 75,000 Azteks within the first year of production, sales barely topped a measly 27,000 in its first year in 2001.

Public opinion and popularity have improved in recent years, thanks to the television series Breaking Bad. Main character Walter White drives around a Pontiac Aztek.

Yugo GV

The Yugo GV seemed too good to be true—and in the end, it was. Designed under license from Fiat and priced significantly lower than comparable domestic cars, the Yugo looked like a great option on paper. However, when it came time to test emissions testing, the car failed miserably. Additionally, the car topped out at 86 mph, barely fast enough to keep up on American freeways. Eventually, political turmoil in Yugoslavia forced the company to abandon its efforts to import to America.

When life gives you a lemon of car . . . it’s time to sell your car to Messy Motors. You’ll make a lot more cash than from a lemonade stand.

Photo Credits (top to bottom):

Photo By User Morven on en.wikipedia [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Common
Photo By IFCAR (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo By skinnylawyer from Los Angeles, California, USA (1987 Yugo GV) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons