The "Things I Dislike About My Car" Thread

[SVT666]

Mustang

-OEM tires - at least 10 mm too narrow, the profile is too tall, and they have a 600+ treadwear rating, so they offer only slightly better grip than those hard plastic wheels on a big wheel trike.  They will probably last a long time, though.

-Steering ratio is a little slow.  Lots of hand-over-hand when weaving up and down aisles in a tight parking lot

-Auto-dimming interior features - I hate that the gauges decide when they should be at daytime brightness and when they should be dimmed to night mode.  On dim, overcast/rainy days I usually keep the gauges at full brightness but the car will sometimes decide they should be dim.  Sometimes it will be borderline and the car will cycle between.  The auto-dimming mirror is a little less annoying, but there are times when I don't want it dimmed at night.

-Engine RPMs don't fall as fast as I'd like when you let off the throttle, especially at higher RPMs.  Not sure if it's ECU programming or the flywheel, but the engine will shed the first ~600 RPM fairly quickly (perfect if I was shifting at ~2500 RPM) and then the fall rate cuts in half.  Makes you compromise shift speed for smoothness.

-1-2 upshift can be clunky or grind slightly if the car is cold and temperatures are under 50F

-Steering wheel audio controls should be on the left, not the right.

Mazda -
-RUST
-Like many cars its age, it doesn't have MP3 capability or an aux input.
-No remote trunk release on the key fob.
-No auto up on the driver's window, just auto down.
-AC compressor is mounted on the bottom of the engine where the clutch gets blasted with road spray.  The clutch has rusted shut (locking the AC compressor on) a couple of times now due to road salt.
-low beams are pitifully weak.

That auto dimming thing should be caused by your headlights turning on or off automatically.

[WookieOnRitalin]

The stock tires fitted on my car are awful. 13k miles and I am almost at the wear bars. I won't be replacing with the same brand (obviously).

Noticed the same problem. The Dunlops were shit.

[Vinsanity]

For me, fuel economy pretty much anywhere...

Also, a $6 quart of synthetic oil mysteriously vanishes around every 900-1500 miles or so

[MX793]

That auto dimming thing should be caused by your headlights turning on or off automatically.

The headlights are not automatic, but the auto-dim of the gauges and interior lights only happens when headlights are on.  Basically, if you turn the headlights on in a bright light environment (like during the day), it does not dim the gauges.  If it's below a certain brightness level, it will dim them.  The problem is on rainy days.  You have to have your lights on (state law, lights on when wipers are on) and even though it's bright enough that you don't want the gauges to dim, it will dim the gauges anyway.  Or shuttle between dimmed and bright as the level of overcast changes (or if you pass under an overpass).  I don't like that switching.  I'd rather just have a button (like my Mazda has) to manually switch between "night time" dim gauges and "daytime" bright gauges when the headlights are on so I can lock it in and it stays there.

[MX793]

Noticed the same problem. The Dunlops were shit.

I think it's a general OEM tire problem.  Seems most OE tires just don't last as long as non-OE tire models.  In fact, I've heard that for some models of tire if you buy the same model tire, but not the one designated as the OE (tire rack will list two of the same basic model, one as OE and one not) you'll get more life out of it than the OE version of that model.  The Goodyears on my Mazda only lasted ~33,000 miles, and the large majority of that was highway cruising (which is the most gentle type of driving for tire wear).  I got ~60K miles out of my Fuzions and they had every bit as much grip.

[SVT666]

2009 Infiniti G37xS

- #1 pet peeve is the rubbery material on the spokes of the steering wheel that nicks extremely easily and makes the steering wheel look well used.
- Throttle is very jumpy off the line.
- Steering ratio is not quite as quick as I would like.
- Paddle shifters don't react nearly quick enough.

Otherwise, no complaints.

[Lebowski]

4runner could have a bit more power. The sliding cargo thing in the rear is stupid, I'd rather have some kind of covered storage in the floor.

Corvette, not much, interior I guess but it's fine.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

FWIW, I learned a while back that for this is caused by dirt/grime/grease/etc., on the windshield, and in particular, it being trapped/embedded in pits and scratches of the glass. This doesn't come off with just glass cleaner but needs special attention like a light cutting compound like that found at a jewelry/craft shop or a major scrubbing (I use the local car wash place with high pressure hose and foaming brush and have to do 5 passes). I have to clean about once a week or my windshield streaks bad.

I've tried everything! It's at least 10 threads n the G8 Boards about the wiper issue! I've tried everything from SOS pads to bending the wiper arms but they still streak and chatter like crazy!

[hotrodalex]

RX-8

Wind noise around driver and passenger side glass when going over 60 in the summer or slower in the winter if it's really cold outside and the window rubbers are cold and hard.

Because of the thick pillars where the front and rear suicide door close together it make for some very loud wind noise when you're driving with the windows down. The RX-8 with it's windows down is louder then the Miata with the top down going over 60 on a interstate.

My car had the Sirius radio put in it at the dealer and the person who did it sucked. He didn't put all the clips and snap all the interior panels back correct from the dash all the way back to the trunk lid. I've fixed all of them but one, behind the rear seat it rattles on days it's below freezing out.
Other then that this is the most rattle free RX-8 I've ever seen. The changes in 09's must have helped because RX-8's rattle bad over time.

I love the Recaro seats and I'm not sure I could go back to regular car seats now. But the leather on these isn't the best in the world an no matter how much I condition them the driver seat bottom is wearing down much too fast. In 5 years it will look like shit and it cost $5K for new Mazda seat covers. That's
because you can't just get the leather covers but you must get the foam and air bags with them. So it cost an arm and a leg.

I have a love hate relationship with the electronic key. And at work I hate all cars what come with those fucking things. The battery dies in it too fast too.

The piano black interior parts look good when clean but are impossible to keep clean.

Floor mats are cheap and wearing out on driver side after 3 years.

As with all Mazda cars I've owned the paint chips too easy.



Miata


It's over 23 years old so it's got lots of little things. But I can't fault them for it. All of them are what a car of that age would probably have if not more.

You can get Mazda seats covers? Is it possible to get cloth Mazda 6 covers?

[Byteme]

On mine I hate the fact that the status button for the wiper-speed-sensitivity is hidden behind the wheel. It's not visible from my seating position
Post your issues!

On the 07 Mazda 6 I miss having a aux input jack for the stereo and I'd like a trip computer like we had on the 3.

The 95 Miata?  The zip out rear window is annoying and the power windows are slow (a common complaint).

The 97 F150?  The tailgate weighs about 3 tons; but on the other hand, it's sturdy.  That's a reasonable tradeoff.

[Byteme]

Floor mats are cheap and wearing out on driver side after 3 years.

Ain't that the truth.  Here is a fix that cost me $20 on the 3.  Take the drivers mat to an auto upholstry shop and have them sew a heel pad in the wear area.

[Onslaught]

You can get Mazda seats covers? Is it possible to get cloth Mazda 6 covers?

I've never looked but I don't see why not.

[JWC]

New exhaust pipes can sometimes smell for a while when they get hot.  Has kind of a burned metallic smell.  That typically goes away after the first thousand miles, though.

True.  A lot have cosmoline, or something similar, to protect the metal during shipment.   I got complaints on that also.

[afty]

Our Sorento's infotainment system is annoying.  When you start the car, sometimes it takes about 30 seconds to boot.  During that time you can't do anything with it, like use the backup camera, change the radio station, etc.  And when it does boot, the touchscreen is unresponsive -- it can take multiple attempts to get it to pause the music or change the radio station.

Also, the Sorento's automatic climate control will blow cold air when the engine is cold, instead of waiting until the car is warm to turn on the fan.

[Secret Chimp]

Dodge: Not enough turn to match zoom

Miata: Not enough zoom to match turn

[Madman]

Another minor gripe about my Odyssey is that it has the turning radius of an aircraft carrier.  One of the drawbacks of front wheel drive, I assume?  The rear-drive Catera (and my old rear-drive Volvos) have much tighter turning circles.

[MexicoCityM3]

Dodge: Not enough turn to match zoom

Miata: Not enough zoom to match turn

Solution: engine swap.

[AutobahnSHO]

Another minor gripe about my Odyssey is that it has the turning radius of an aircraft carrier.  One of the drawbacks of front wheel drive, I assume?  The rear-drive Catera (and my old rear-drive Volvos) have much tighter turning circles.

Yes, but also Toyota paid specific attention to this- the Sienna turns sharper than almost anything out there that long...

[68_427]

Gas mileage and four speed auto

[Laconian]

Solution: engine swap.

[hotrodalex]

Yes, but also Toyota paid specific attention to this- the Sienna turns sharper than almost anything out there that long...

It's usually just due to the width of the engine.

[2o6]

- My wipers only have three speeds, slow, intermittent, and fast

- The gearbox sucks, as does the clutch

- I don't have keyless entry

- The handling can get a bit sloppy at higher speeds

[cawimmer430]

Some more complaints.


1) Small gas tank and low range despite being relatively frugal on gasoline

2) High wind noises at 160 km/h+

3) Very loud engine at 150 km/h+

[Cookie Monster]

Some more complaints from me:

Things that I hated which I have fixed:

- Suspension ride height too high
- Suspension too squishy/too much body roll
- Stereo too shitty
- Shift knob too plasticky
- Exhaust too quiet
- Taillights too ricey
- Tires too shitty, especially in the wet (found that out the hard way)
- Vinyl soft top tears too easily
- Seat too high


Things I don't like that I haven't fixed yet:

- Car too slow
- Rollbar too short
- Steering wheel doesn't telescope
- Carpet too thin

Things I dislike that I can't fix:

- Car too impractical ()

[MrH]

How did you end up fixing the stereo?  I didn't know you did anything there.

And did you end up getting a soft top too, or are you just running hardtop only?

[Cookie Monster]

How did you end up fixing the stereo?  I didn't know you did anything there.

And did you end up getting a soft top too, or are you just running hardtop only?

I got a new headunit about 6-7 months ago. Cost me $100 and I'm still using the stock speakers.

Also, I am running hardtop only. I like the extra space inside.

[Raza]

How did you end up fixing the stereo?  I didn't know you did anything there.

And did you end up getting a soft top too, or are you just running hardtop only?

It was a gorgeous day the other day when I was out with the top down.  Came across a Miata with a hardtop in place.  I just looked at the driver with pure and utter disgust. 

[AutobahnSHO]

It was a gorgeous day the other day when I was out with the top down.  Came across a Miata with a hardtop in place.  I just looked at the driver with pure and utter disgust. 

Good! 

(I miss mine...) (still)

[Onslaught]

It was a gorgeous day the other day when I was out with the top down.  Came across a Miata with a hardtop in place.  I just looked at the driver with pure and utter disgust.

Perhaps it was me? My hardtop is on year round now. But the reason is someone cut my old top so I took the damn thing off and haven't got around to buying a new one.

[Raza]

Perhaps it was me? My hardtop is on year round now. But the reason is someone cut my old top so I took the damn thing off and haven't got around to buying a new one.

It was green.  And an NB.  And in Pennsylvania.