Top 10 Worst Cars GM Ever Built

This is a list consisting of the GM automobiles considered to be the worst in history. The car’s on this list are judged based on the following features: poor critical reception, safety defects, poor customer reception, and poor workmanship.

Another yard stick for determining their inclusion in the list, is that they have either been cited in popular publications among the worst automobiles of all time, or they have received a sizable number of negative reviews among critics.

Here are the top worst cars GM ever built:

Table of Contents

• Chevrolet Vega
• 2001-2005 Pontiac Aztek
• 1991-1995 Saturns
• 1976-1987 Chevrolet Chevette
• 1980-1985 x-cars
• 1987 Pontiac Le Mans
• 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
• Cadillac Cimarron
• 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu
• Chevrolet Uplander

Chevrolet Vega

Built with inferior interior plastic this is arguably one of the most hyped cars in modern times that turned out to be a fluke. The internal structures cracked with age.

The vehicle came with an awful and unreliable engine and suspension system. There were complains of the vehicle’s recirculating-ball steering which broke down with age. The brakes where no good as well and failed continuously.

2001-2005 Pontiac Aztek

The Aztek ended up with the most awkward dimensions. For example, the minivan’s firewall and high cowl worked fine on the plain boxes, but it left the car looking tall, narrow and fragile.

Compounding this mistake was the car’s horrid shape, and the fact that it was covered in gray plastic cladding. Although the Aztek was versatile and roomy with solid, easygoing road manners, it was nowhere near the Japanese crossovers when it comes to competition.

1991-1995 Saturns

Saturn cars were mediocre. Constructed around steel space-frame with bolted on plastic body panels, there were several gaps between the panels. These gaps were big enough to accommodate a hand through. Although the plastic panels were collision damage resistant, they faded quickly, and cracked as they aged.

Beyond that, the Saturns came with four-cylinder engines which sounded like threshing machines offering very little power. These vehicles offered nothing special when it came to handling or looks. They were neither accommodating- nor fuel-efficient. They were no match for the competition from Honda, Mazda, Toyota, and others.

1976-1987 Chevrolet Chevette

Many critics described the Chevrolet Chevette as an already outdated brand when it debuted in 1976. According to GM’s “T” platform, this car was primitive, with front-engine, and rear-drive subcompact all in a small-car world which was busy revolutionizing front-drive cars like Honda Civic and Accord, or Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Rabbit.

It was underpowered having being offered as a 1.4-liter Four engine (53hp or 1.6-liter version of a similar engine rated at 70hp).

1980-1985 x-cars

It is difficult to imagine the kind of hype that surrounded the launch of the 1980 Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Omega, Chevrolet Citation, and Pontiac Phoenix in 1979. Unfortunately, these four and six-cylinder automobiles suffered more recalls due to the numerous endemic problems it suffered (which was by far more than any other GM design).

Customers complained of problems like disintegrating transmissions, brakes that make the car shudder whenever they were applied and suspension systems that wobble on their mounts. There was a seemingly endless series of vehicle recalls that car’s sales almost tanked on its third year.

1987 Pontiac Le Mans

There was nothing that could keep the fact that the most recent Pontiac was nothing more than an Opel designed in South Korea rebadged and then sold in the United States hidden. You can imagine how the tooling may have looked at at the time. The vehicle failed in the eyes of many on all fonts.

2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

The 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo was supposed to receive a grand welcome as one of the best of the era but it didn’t meet our expectations.

This car has been called an allegory for everything wrong with the American automobile industry due to its failures in a number of categories. It came with a bloated FWD platform, shameless NASCAR tie in and a hideous design.

Cadillac Cimarron

The Cadillac Cimarron, with its additional Cadillac features and the extra few thousand dollars in its cost, was a total let down by the company. Many critics have described it as being like Lexus that offers a Corolla entry level sedan.

This single automobile was enough to be a setback for the Caddy market for a number of years (with some even saying it stood like that until the CTS entered the market in the early 2000s.

1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu

The 1997-2003 Malibu burst onto the automobile scene during what has been called the most competitive era when it comes to midsize sedans. However, it was woefully behind other car brands in the competition in all categories. The vehicle’s style, fit, finish, handling, and its 4-cyl engine in particular were horrid.

The fact that the automobile kept receiving many negative reviews following the years after its introduction, brought many to the conclusion that it was one of the worst cars built by GM by a wide margin in the modern era.

It underlines the perfect symbol of GM’s decision to focus on SUV‘s and trucks at the expense of every other design. The 97-03 Malibu is prone to corrosion around the gas cap and the engine cradle.

Chevrolet Uplander

The Chevrolet Uplander (just as it is with other automobiles) upon its launch was expected to be meet the requirements for a modern minivan as at the time but it turned out to be a disappointment.

The car had limited power due to its engine capacity, and didn’t have foldable flat seats which was the norm in minivans since their creation.

The worst part about this vehicle was that the design was an attempt by GM to design a minivan that resembles an SUV, but instead, they ended up building something that looked completely different. [td_smart_list_end]