The Chevy Vega: the Worst Detroit Car Ever?

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I still have all he the paperwork and brochures from my 1972 Chevy Vega. I was so excited when I picked it up 3 days before my 23rd birthday. Unfortunatly the head gasket blew at 10K miles. The car rusted out and the engine died at 50K after five years of driving to work to pay for it. Now I only buy Toyotas. They last over 200K and more than 10 years.

Don of MA 6:38AM April 09, 2013

I still have mine. Sure the engine burned oil- I had her sleeved-- gained about 5 - 10 extra HP that way -- had to ramp up my sparkplugs and coil.
yes they had to be babied but my little Vega and I had lots of camping and fishing and Car show adventures. Now I am restoring her inside and out-- her name is Truckula-- she is a modified Vega "hearse". I do most of the work on her.
Cheers
Ace

Ace of NY 5:01PM March 19, 2013

Yes, I also had a early model Vega...rusted as you watched it. Consumed oil like you owned BP. But the absolute worst was the local Chevy dealers and Chevrolet pointing fingers at each other stating the humid Miami Florida climate was the cause for the rust and refusing to accept liabilty. End up painting a yellow lemon on the side and parking next to "SUN Chevrolet" across from Dadeland. And YES, I was ordered by Dade deputies to move it.

Ggerard Sweitzer of FL 10:43AM February 21, 2013

After my dad passed on in 1975 I inherited his 1973 Vega. At the time I was taking auto mechanics in high school. The engine was burning oil by 40k miles! Under the guidance of my teacher my classmates and I did a complete overhaul of the engine complete with steel cylinder sleeves. It solved the oil burning problem but it continued to over heat. After 6 new head gaskets I called it quits.I'm retired from auto repair now, but in 30 years of work I've seen why the U.S. auto industry has all but failed.I wish I had a $1 for every time I heard ''I will never again buy an American car!''Now, to be honest American cars have improved to the point that I have recommended some of them to friends and family.But there is no doubt that the U.S. auto industry has left a bad taste in the consumers mouth.When I purchased Japanese or Korean made cars current and former U.S. auto workers would ask me '' How does it feel to put your own people out of work?!'' I simply replied '' About as good as you felt showing up to work drunk and stoned to assemble cars. Frankly, I needed cars that got more miles going forward rather than up and down!''

Shepperd November of FL 12:06PM February 04, 2013

My brother bought one of the originals. I thought it was a really cool car. But, in the salty air of the California centarl coast is didn;t survive long. The hatchback rusted off the hinges. He eventually sold it to a guy who welded the hatchback shut and drove it a few more years. Probably what saved it from major engine troubles was the very mild climate of the central coast.

Tom of CA 4:22PM November 30, 2012

I was provided with a 71 Vega Kamback company car. Drove it hard on a daily basis in the Northwest, then transferred to L.A. and drove it hard there. Had it for two years, never changed the oil, never had a bit of trouble with it. Later I bought a used 73 Vega; took a little better care of it. Used it to commute to and from work daily. Never had a bit of trouble.

Don Kane of WA 10:35PM November 03, 2012

I had a 71 Vega and a 72 Vega. I bought them used for next to nothing in 1979. They handled well and were fun to drive. Burned oil like anything though. Too bad GM didn't see the aluminum block engine problems coming.

Phil of NJ 4:52PM October 11, 2012

Ahhh...My '72 Vega. I got it in 1974 as a hand me down from my older step brother when I went off to college. You talk about fond memories! I have a few I'll never forget like -
the time I was sitting in the car with my girlfriend on her driveway just before leaving for college - and all of a sudden the engine started smoking - her fther rushed out with a fire extinguisher, opened the hood put it out - the electrical harness had spontaneously caught on fire and melted. Unfortunately the car was repaired and I kept it.
It was a yellow colored car and after a year at college the entire roof and hood started to have rust spots - my friends nicknamed the car "the leopard"...at least I thought they did - now that I think of it, it could have been "the leper". At the time I thought it happened because I parked in the dorm lot next to the dorm and figured kids were either pouring coca-cola, or bong water or beer out the windows on it - it wasn't until much later I found out the rust problem was just one of the great design deficiencies.
I could go on, but I might start crying.

Labby of NJ 3:59PM October 02, 2012

I had a 1976 Vega,, all I can say,, 200K, and other than a small oil leak in the valve cover,, it was a great car

tom shreck of TN 11:12PM September 23, 2012

At age 18, I purchased a new '72 Vega notchback sedan with an AM pushbutton radio and powerglide two-speed automatic for $2302.85. Drove it back and forth to college for a couple of years without major problems. Then, one morning, on my way to work, I stopped at a traffic light and found myself surrounded by thick clouds of white steam. Opened the hood and saw the head gasket sticking out of the rear of the engine block. Drove the car to a nearby dealer who repaired the engine under warranty but charged me $24 for a new timing belt. I managed to reach all of 27,000 miles in the three years I owned the car before trading it for $985 on a new '75 VW Rabbit, which started falling apart before I got it home from the dealer. Out of the frying pan and into the fire?

Walt of NJ 1:34PM August 17, 2012