4 Of The Worst GM Cars Ever Made

Few automakers are as massive and influential as General Motors. From being behind the Pontiac LeMans GTO, often considered America's first muscle car, to introducing big-block engines, there seems no end to GM's achievements. Think about the Corvette and the Camaro, as well as powerful and reliable General Motors engines like the Chevy LS9, Buick 3800, and, yes, the beastly 454 Big Block. There's a reason GM is part of the U.S. auto industry's "Big Three," and has been a leader for well over a century.

But some of GM's nameplates are also responsible for a few of the lowest-rated vehicles in automotive history. With companies as huge as GM, "hits and misses" is the name of the game, and every once in a while, something comes that doesn't quite stick. From the Chevrolet Citation and Vega to the 1987 Pontiac LeMans and the Cadillac Cimarron, let's take a look at four of worst cars General Motors ever made. 

Over the decades, GM has created many impressive cars. The failed Chevy Citation is certainly not among them. Over 1.6 million were sold, but it still ended up on a lot of people's bad lists, including our ranking of the worst cars ever made. 

The Citation arrived in 1979 as a response to the overwhelmingly efficient foreign cars that were taking over the industry. GM's answer to this glaring problem? A two-door or four-door hatchback that came with either a 2.8L V-6 with 115 horsepower or a 2.5L four-cylinder engine rated at 90 horsepower. Since most of the foreign competition at the time relied on front-wheel drive, the Citation had it, too. This, along with other features like the 20-cubic-foot trunk in the four-door that matched the Chevy Impala's trunk size, made the car an instant hit. Over 800,000 were sold in 1980, and fans saw it as revolutionary. However, the honeymoon phase came to an abrupt stop.  

Although the Citation had created a sensation in the car community, many started to realize that the car wasn't all it seemed to be. It cornered terribly due to its soft suspension mounts and had braking malfunctions, among other issues. The car racked up a heartbreaking 15 fatalities before the U.S. Department of Justice had to step in and sue General Motors. It came to light that GM rushed the car's development and did not adequately test the systems intended to make the Citation great, such as its drivetrain.  

While we're still on Chevrolet, let's tag in its next culprit, the Chevy Vega, which is among the most hated Chevrolet models ever made. Chevrolet debuted the Vega in 1970, and like the Citation, it was a response to a rise in foreign imports. Vehicles like the Datsun 510 were establishing themselves as the more economical choices. Given the circumstances at that time, such as rising fuel and vehicle prices, there was a need for an American option that was not only affordable to purchase but also friendly to your wallet when it came to driving. 

The Vega was affordable, a 2.3L "2300" single overhead cam 14 subcompact that could produce either 70 horsepower with a single-barrel carburetor installed or 85 horsepower with two barrels. There was even a GT variant of the car with all the bits and bobs to make it stand out, like a four-spoke sport steering wheel and a motor rated at 110 horsepower. Even more interesting was the Vega's price, which GM had set at only $2,196 ($17,340 today). 

As expected, sales were excellent, with the first model year selling over 270,000 cars. Even Motor Trend named it the 1971 Car of the Year. But it wasn't long before engines started melting, gas tanks caught on fire, and wheels literally fell off the vehicle. By 1972, GM had to recall half a million Vegas because of these and several other issues. 

When you hear the names "Pontiac" and "LeMans" float by in a single phrase, either one of two things pops up in your head. The first is the 1963 Pontiac GTO LeMans, one of the most influential cars in recent history, especially when considering muscle cars. The second, well, the second is the 1987 Pontiac LeMans, a sedan that failed to live up to its big brother's power and presence, so much so that it became one of the most hated Pontiac models ever made. 

The 1987 Pontiac LeMans was supposed to be something new in a changing world. The age of the classic muscle car was over, and since Pontiac was the brand that pioneered that era with the LeMans GTO, it appeared that adopting a new direction was the right choice. But the new direction was a teardrop-shaped, lightweight three-door hatchback or four-door sedan with the body of the Opel Kadett E, which had done extremely well in Europe a few years prior. 

GM partnered with South Korean automaker Daewoo, which produced the LeMans until 1992. But the 1987 model produced a measly 74 horsepower. For comparison's sake, the base version of the 1964 GTO's engine pushed out 325 horsepower. And the LeMans lacked the charm that had made its predecessors so cherished. Its subpar components made it a burden to own, and its lackluster performance caused people to opt for other vehicles. By 1993, the car was no longer on the market.

Cadillac has been in the luxury vehicle business for over a century. In its time, it has produced several hits like the Escalade. However, it is also responsible for the Cimarron, a cheaply built '80s disaster that's one of the Cadillacs that everyone forgot existed — for good reason.

The Cimarron was meant to go against some of the most successful German luxury cars at the time, but it was the smallest vehicle Cadillac had ever built, with no special high-end luxury elements to tie it to the legacy the company had worked so hard to establish. The original vehicle came with either a 1.8L four-cylinder engine or a 2.8L V-6. The 1.8L eventually had its capacity increased to 2.0 liters and was rated between 86 and 88 horsepower. The V-6 could produce 125 horsepower and became standard on the 1987 model of the vehicle. 

Most agree that the Cimarron's lack of resonance with its target audience was due to its being just a rebranded Chevy Cavalier. Cadillac was the standard for vehicle luxury, and the Cimarron was clearly struggling to even see that lofty benchmark, let alone reach it. It didn't help that the car's $12,131 ($40,202 today) price tag was about double that of the Cavalier when the Cimarron was essentially just its rebadged version.