Modern cars, cheap or pricey, are expected to run all of the time. The days of seeing late-model cars on the side of the freeway in the summertime, smoke billowing from their hoods due to overheating, are over. Cars may be more complex now, but they can no longer be mediocre, and they must be cost-competitive.



But the past is a different story. Here are what readers believe to be the worst cars of all times.

Now, it’s hard to find poorly made cars at all. True, nascent auto industries in places like Sri Lanka, Vietnam and other developing nations are a long way from turning out flawless automobiles. But even here the general quality is ensured, because most of the manufacturers have joint ventures with Japanese and Western carmakers.



The Japanese influence has rippled across the auto business, from inexpensive vehicles to high-quality sports and luxury cars. Early in his career, Porsche’s current president, Wendelin Wiedeking, shook up the company’s inefficient, crowded factories by consulting Japanese manufacturing experts. The experts reorganized Porsche’s plants, forging lean assembly lines that have made a once-reeling company highly profitable.



Click here for the worst car list.