The Ten Most Annoying Flaws Of Great Cars

In spite of the millions and billions automakers spend on developing cars, they still make mistakes. These are Jalopnik readers' greatest annoyances.

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Now there are some problems that aren't exactly errors on the part of the development team, but just problems with cars as a whole. Mazda Miatas are too small for really tall people, for instance. Contrariwise, only really tall people can rest their elbows out of the new Camaro. The Audi RS6 Avant is wonderful in every way, but it's not coming to the United States. Maseratis fall apart, Lotus Elises are a struggle to clamber into, and all cars nowadays are complicated and impossible to work on yourself.

These aren't exactly annoyances of any one design, just compromises in the nature of the cars themselves.

With only ten spots on this list, there are tons of annoyances that we didn't have space for. What did we forget? Let us know in Kinja below.

Photo Credit: Lamborghini

We love a good rear-drive sporty coupe, but the 240SX we got back in the '90s wasn't perfect, as DrFreeze explains.

The fastback's trunk gets sucked down and re-latched when you close the drivers side door with the sunroof sealed. So if you want to open it in the winter, you have to leave your door open.

Suggested By: DrFreeze, Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove

Speedmonkey explains this problem on his website.

My S4's heater controls go up in 0.5 degree intervals so when you want to go from, say 18°C to 26°C you have to press the button 16 times. This irritates me, although I'm sure many would think I was being OCD (and you'd be correct).

Suggested By: Speedmonkey, Photo Credit: Ahmad Hashim

AbarthGuy breaks down how one of the better family sedans of the past few decades had at least one painful flaw.

It wasn't a dream car, but no one can deny that the MkIV Jetta TDI was a great car. It was as German as they come: Stalwart, reliable, efficient, and minimalist in design. Which is why the over-engineered trunk release was such a huge, Nichtdeutsche disappointment. The arm driven by the actuator failed on roughly 175% of the Jettas produced (if you owned one, then you replaced that arm more than once).

Suggested By: AbarthGuy, Photo Credit: Mike Simonds

The Murcielago Roadster only seats two people. Its cloth roof, however, requires half of the graduating class of a top engineering college to put up.

Suggested By: wbizarre, Photo Credit: CarSpotter

Sure it might be the nicest double-clutch around and faster on the track, but we just want that third pedal dammit! Well, not all of us do.

Suggested By: burglar, Photo Credit: Automotive Rhythms

You'd think that like any car part, you are able to buy the hydraulic fluid necessary for keeping an old hydropneumatic-suspension Citroën on the road. Owen-magnetic explains how you're wrong.

Some of the most beautiful, comfortable, complex cars ever made require a special fluid that (pre-Internet) could only be found by haggling with an old man in Nice that was hoarding cases in a shed out behind his chicken coop.

But now you have to email the same old man in Nice who is still hoarding the cases behind his chicken coup. But he lives in Mallorca now. Because Supply & Demand.

Suggested By: owen-magnetic, Photo Credit: Denis de Mesmaeker

We're not surprised that a modern Mustang appears to have been designed with automatic transmissions in mind, but the shifter is so far away you can only comfortably shift into third or fifth if you're hugging the steering wheel. Or you have the world's longest arms.

Suggested By: pauljones, Photo Credit: Grant C.

Basically, every European or small car with a manual transmission has shitty cupholders. Either your hand hits the drink when you shift or the cupholders aren't even big enough to hold anything anyway.

Suggested By: everyone, Photo Credit: BMW

Ravey Mayvey Slurpee Surprise put this one simply:

The Jaguar E-Type is a beautiful car, and is perfect in nearly every way. Except for the Lucas electronics that grace it. It is basically like getting Jennifer Lawrence on a date only to find out she has severe epilepsy.

Suggested By: Ravey Mayvey Slurpee Surprise, Photo Credit: ardas:ardas

As StreetsideStig puts it, owning a fast Impreza is "like dating a supermodel who picks her nose." You never get used to the rattles, and it just comes with the territory.

Suggested By: StreetsideStig, Photo Credit: Jacob T. Meltzer