What's The Worst Thing That's Ever Happened To A Car You've Owned?
Car ownership has its ups and downs. You could be riding high after bombing down your favorite canyon road on a perfect day, but when you stop for lunch someone hits your car in the parking lot, or you could've planned your dream car camping trip but find the battery is dead when you try to start it up. Here at Jalopnik we know both the pains of ownership as well as the joys of driving, but we want to hear from you, what's the worst thing that's ever happened to a car that you've owned?
Some people treat their car as an appliance that transports them from place to place, but odds are you're not one of those people. You likely have a deep affinity for your vehicle, or even if you've had to trade in your dream car to make room in the driveway or the budget for a less-than-thrilling ride that swaps driving enjoyment for space for your genetic offspring, we still want to hear about the worst thing that's ever happened to a car that you've owned. Sound off in the comment below!
The worst thing to happen to a car I've owned was having my catalytic converter stolen
Picture it, Long Beach, 2019, I recently moved back home after graduating from college on the east coast and I'm elated to have my car back. One fateful morning I wake up and go to start my car, but the exact moment I start my car, someone starts a gas-powered lawn mower right behind me. It's gotta be a lawn mower, right? Oh no, it's my car making that horrifying noise.
My 2003 Honda CR-V wasn't fancy or fast or cool, but it was the reliable transportation that I needed as a fresh college graduate, and it let me wet my feet with some light off-road shenanigans. Unfortunately, while I was riding the Sleepytown Train, some neer-do-well crept under my sweet, unsuspecting car and unceremoniously relieved it of its catalytic converter.
The car had high miles and some damage from a prior accident, so the $3,000 quote I received to have a new catalytic converter installed didn't make sense for me at the time. Without the cat, the car was absurdly loud at idle and deafening while driving, so I ended up selling it to one of those "we buy junk cars" people and using the money to buy a different car. My poor CR-V was taken from me far too soon, and I will never forget the pain I felt when I realized the atrocity that happened to it. That's enough from me, though, we want to know the worst thing that's happened to a car that you have owned, so share your story in the comments!