1978 AMC Gremlin from North America - Comments

Electrical system shorted out, smoke & melting, headlights stopped working, while driving.

Drivers side floor rusted away.

Leaf springs wore out, had to be replaced, and then something else in the suspension went wrong so the tire scraped the wheel well if too much weight was in it.

Ignition suddenly stopped working, had to be replaced.

Water pump went out a couple times - partly because someone did a cheap repair that messed up the cooling system.

Radiator had to be replaced.

Muffler and exhaust pipes had to be replaced.

Transmission was wearing out, very tricky to shift gears.

Rear window trim came off.

Seats were getting to be like sitting on a grid of wires, chunks of foamy stuff missing.

It had a unique, cool shape, had a unique name, and I didn't see many others.

It had a tough exterior. I hit a deer on an interstate highway head-on at full speed, and it only messed up a couple parts close to the front of the car. I could also blast right through snow drifts at regular highway speed when I had studded tires in back. However, the rear wheel drive is a drawback for driving on anything slick.

The rear window that doubled as a hatch was awkward and somewhat fragile, not a practical design. It wouldn't stay open, either, also awkward.

It needed alignment of the wheels unusually often.

Driving this car felt like work. It was very loud and it always felt like it was working hard to go fast. The dark, plasticky seats made it really hot in summer. Even after I fixed the hole in the floor, the interior was kind of like an un-insulated, drafty room. The glass fogged up a lot in the winter. I got used to the sticky shifting, but no one else was able to get it to shift so it was hard to sell after a test drive! It took more effort to turn the steering wheel than most cars. The gas gage said it should have an eighth of a tank when it was actually empty.

There were also too many times when a normal trip was interrupted by sudden car problems.

Gas mileage wasn't good.

It was 16 years old when you bought it - did you seriously expect it to be in perfect condition?

Indeed.

I had a '77 Gremlin handed down from my mother. It was an incredibly tough car inside and out. At some point in the eighties, it threw a rod and knocked a fist-sized hole in the engine block, but guess what? It still ran, though slower and louder than before. I wish I still had it.