The five scariest cars I've ever driven

Easy one! A c.1985 Zaparozhetz. This frighteningly worthless piece of Soviet Era, Ukrainian built trash transported me in 1992 from Kyiv to Moscow with constant breakdowns and all the handling and breaking ability of a boat with water up to the gunwales! This was an experience that I wouldn’t wish on ANYONE!!!!

Don’t remember the year of the vehicle (maybe ‘89), but it was a Chevy Astro. Which was a good vehicle up until THAT day. Had just passed another vehicle going up a hill and wanted to take the next exit off the highway. The RPM’s were rather high I thought. Got into the shoulder lane and merged into the exit lane and the RPM’s were getting higher as I had my foot on the brake pedal to slow down. The throtle cable had seized in the full open position and I was fast approaching the light at the intersection now. I tried putting it into Nuetral, but then the engine just reved as fast as it could. What do I do??? Not sure how I thought of it in such little time but I turned off the ignition and stood on the brake, which was power assited of course, along with the steering. Eventually I came to a stop before the light and on the side of the exit ramp.

I replaced the cable and sold the vehicle shortly after as I couldn’t bear to think what my wife would have done with our young children in the car.

My brother used to have a 1968 Camaro rs/ss limited edition convertible with a 396 ci. engine. Beautiful, great car that many were envious of – even me.

He finally let me drive it one day, and I opened it up on Benedict Canyon – a little too much… I cam out of a corner and gassed it, and the back end just completely lost traction and I began to spin on a canyon hairpin turn. I thought I was going to go over the side, but fortunately I hit the tip of a guardrail and bounced back onto the road.

I had to get him a new rim and fix the left quarter panel, but fortunately it was built like a tank and the damage wasn’t that bad. I never drove it again. Not cause he wouldn’t let me, I just had no desire after that.

Nice car to look at and go fast in, but the canyons are a bad idea.

Driving home in the winter I came over a small hill on the highway where all the lanes join together to 6 lanes total one way. Basically the whole surface was suddenly ice. Cars were sliding every which way. The ahead tried to put on the brakes and suddenly spun off to the side like some giant hand had pushed it. I put the car in neutral, hit the four ways and grit my teeth. If anyone slid towards me, there was no way I could avoid it. Fortunately, momentum kept me going and the way ahead was clear.

And my wife in the passenger slept through the whole thing.

I bought a 64 1/2 Mustang in the early 90’s. I drove it one time to buy some uses parts and it scared me to death. . . . it handled like a greased pig, it would not stop (Drum Brakes)and it overheated.
I had Mustangs of that era. We forget the huge strides auto manufacturers have made in the last 30 years and what we take for granted now!!!

Scariest car?
My brother in laws Ford Ranger.
My sister had to go to the Hospital “it turned out fine” while he was working about an hour away so My wife and went to take care of her and our niece. Well when it was time to drive home they had two “cars” and my sister was in shape to drive. So I offered to drive his truck home. It had 300,000 miles plus on it and showed it. The gear shift came off in my hand.
Got to give him credit, my sister drives a new Ford Explorer and he drive the beast.

coming in at a close second is the current Ford Mustang GT500… it feels like it wants to put you into a wall at every turn.

First place however is a 1997 Dodge Viper I rented in Vegas years ago… just going straight and shifting from 1st to 2nd causes the rear end to come out. This car was SO scary, plus the heat coming off the transmission tunnel was melting my leg hair.

I guess you should have titled this “most scary almost accidents”. Oh well, at least a couple have got it so far.

Easy. I owned a 1959 Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite. Thing probably weighted what a 6 pack of Coke weighs, had drum brakes all the way around, no top or rollbar, and a bit over zero horsepower. Driving it on the 101 Freeway in L.A. 30 miles to work and home was a terrifying, character building experience.

A friend had a 1970 Dodge Challenger which had the touchiest steering I ever have driven. I’m all for steering that imparts road feel, but moving the wheel a micro-millimeter could send you careening from one lane to another. I suppose my friend had gotten used to it, but a drive I made in it from Cincinnati to Columbus on absolutely dry pavement was the most tense and gut-wrenching drive I’ve ever had. Much worse than driving through some pretty bad snowstorms!

1967 Camaro RS w/307 engine. My brothers car when he was in Army. Drove it without his permission after snowfall going down a hill. I hit the brakes and the car did 360 in between traffic. Luck was on my side because I slid through a red light and slightly tapped a fuel truck. Dented rear left bumper. Never drove it again.

Maybe our friend Aaron might benefit from a racing lesson or two.

I forgot one.
A 1979 Custom Chevy van.
My parents thought that it was a good idea to let the 16 year old boy use it then taking his girl friend out….
Enough said.
My parents must have been very naive or just not paying attention.

Agrees with Jeff. Lol.

Boris…I don’t know if Aaron needs driving lessons or not, but maybe some needed driving gear would be appropriate when he drives new cars with newfanganled gadgets. May I suggest a HELMET and DEPENDS?

It would have been Jeff Kyle’s Sentra, in the early 90s, as it had a vicious oil leak and we were being tailed by some guys who smoked.

I rented a 1st year Kia Sportage 2wd in Miami once. My family of 2 1/2 were too much weight for this thing. Its acceleration was the worst I’ve ever seen and could not keep up with traffic on the freeway. With a 65 mph speed limit and the accelerator on the floor, it would slowly top out at about 60 with all the crazies flying by me. On the rare occasion where the road began to incline, the thing would just start slowing down to a top speed around 45. It was a cheap tin can with non-existent handling. At least when I was driving alone, I could get it close to 75…on a very long, downhill, straight stretch of road.

Probably my former 1970 Dodge Charger R/T, 440 sixpack/4speed. Big car with gobs of power. Although I upgraded the suspension and handling, and never really drove the car to its potential, I always had a healthy respect for the untapped power lurking somewhere beneath the hood.

Easy.A new 1963 Thunderbird(Thunderchicken)Going down a hill on a 4 lane,passing a car at 65 mph,all brakes failed.I tryed to use the hand brake,and the cable snapped.No brakes at all.Luckily the other driver saw my arms waving and allowed me in so I could coast to a stop on top of the hill.Last Ford I ever drove.

Easy one for me. It was a ‘69 Ford Maverick coupe. She had a 200ci straight 6 cyl, drum brakes on all 4 wheels, alignment would never stay true for long, touchy rack and pinion steering (no power assist), iffy throttle response from a mysterious carb problem, dash lights went out from a strange electrical problem, etc… I had a love hate relationship with that car, I loved it’s quirky and unique looks, I hated that it had a mind completely of it’s own. Christine actually come to mind as I think she tried to kill me once or twice.

About 10 years ago I was in college. I drove the campus buses (standard 40′ city buses) and one night I volunteered for the overnight shift. My dorm was one of the stops on the route, so I got there a couple minutes early so I could stop in for a quick snickers and coke from the vending machine to help keep me awake. It had the opposite effect. During the next route of stops, I dozed off with 2 passengers on board. I snapped awake to find myself heading right towards a fence of a construction zone at the University’s medical center. Good thing I was near the hospital, me and my passengers almost had heart attacks. Luckily I was able to jerk the wheel and avoid crashing through the fence and running the bus off the road. Later, I finished my career after 5 years with a perfect accident-free record.

At this point I agree with Jeff and Jimmy…

69 Pinto.

Lime green, first the dealer got in.
First day 400 yards from dealer. stopped to show it to my dad. Screw holding starter armiture fell out. ruined the starter, 4 weeks to get one from Germany.

In the next 9 months, it fell apart, blew engine. The one I origionally ordered came in, chief ford mechanic bought it. got more milege in gas than oil. He took it apart no oil rings, wrong engine and none of the ordered assys.

Ford did not care. Gave it back to dealer, tried to make me sound like a loon. Gave the keys to a friend told him to drive it and see for himself. Never left the lot, starter burned up again.

Car sent to realitive in California.

Love it when a plan comes together.

Way back in my high school days one of my friends bought a used 1959 Ford wrag top. Richard came by the house and wanted to know if I wanted to go for a ride in his new car. Sure(BIG MISTAKE) As we headed out of town on the expressway, Richard had a open road in front of him and he kept the olf Ford floored. I looked at the spedo and it was pegged all the way to the 120MPH zone. OK I yelled thats enough, so we headed back. When we got to the house I got out and walked around the car. The car had 4 bald tires and three of them the threads were showing through the tires. I got sick to my stomach after seeing that and NO I never took another ride with Richard.

25th Anniv Chevy Carmaro (1997). Got it new off the lot on a lease. What a MISTAKE Got rid of it less than 2 years. Front window leaked water, and by leak I mean a RIVER when it rained. Head gasket failed after 1 year. Brakes failed, nearly resulting in a crash. Cold/Winter months steering would seize up, resulting in near accidents. Would vibrate like a mother just over 80mph at the highway. It was in the shop 1 week every 2 months, LITERALLY, for that 2 year period. The dealership/shop simply could not get it working. After that lemon I had a sour taste in my mouth. Only bought foreign cars (Subaru Forester and Honda Civic Hybrid) since, and have yet to have -any- problems what-so-ever.

Geo Metro – rental car. The most squirrelly car I ever drove. Thought the thing was going to skid right off the Tappan Zee bridge – it felt so unstable with zero ability to hold the road. Gives me the shivers just thinking about it.

Of course, my first car was a used 72 Pinto — the kind with the explodable gas tank – but it was my first car so I loved it. Even during a trip in a snow storm to Atlantic City where all the electricals on the car would power down while I drove it until I beeped the horn, when they would all power back up! So there I was, driving down the Garden State Parkway beeping my horn every 10 minutes just to keep the lights, radio and heat on (turned out to be the alternator). It was an adventure, but it never came anywhere near the Metro on the terror meter.

I’m from Sandpoint Idaho—stationed at Dover AFB and driving my then new 1964 MG1100 Sedan—I loved driving on the curvey back roads–coming back from my girl friend’s in PA.I had not been on this road before, I came to a bridge, the only warning sign said one-way–I approached it doing about 50—wow!!!It came to a uphill point in the middle like this [^]!!!!!! I was airborn without wings or an airplane!!! I had the where with-all to hold the wheel straight–and landed on all four—-I must have bottomed out the hydro-suspention? What a rush! I stopped to check for damage—none—then I went and looked at the bridge-there were huge srape marks in the pavement where large and long U.S. cars had done the same trick and scraped their under sides—I slowed down for PA back road bridges after that!