The 2000s were a terrible decade for General Motors and its subsidiaries. By the end of the decade, the situation had become so bad that GM had to close down two of its largest brands, Pontiac and Saturn. This left most gearheads feeling sad, as both brands had built some of the most iconic American cars, including the likes of the legendary Pontiac GTO, Saturn Sky, and more.
There are many reasons why Pontiac and Saturn struggled in the 2000s — the global economic downturn, a lack of market focus, and the fact that GM had too many brands under its wing are some of them. Another key reason why the two beloved brands failed is bad vehicles. Over the years, Pontiac and Saturn released several terrible models that sold poorly and made customers gradually lose interest in their cars. This article explores ten awful cars that led to the death of Pontiac and Saturn.
10 Horrible Car That Killed Pontiac: Aztek
In the late '90s, Pontiac needed to find a new way to survive, as it was struggling to sell cars. After much deliberation, Pontiac decided to develop a new SUV model called the Aztek. The Aztek was actually a great idea at the time, as the demand for SUVs was growing rapidly.
Unfortunately, the execution was all wrong. When the Aztek debuted in 2001, it immediately made the headlines for having one of the ugliest designs ever conceived. Although the Aztek was a practical and capable SUV, people just couldn't accept its horrible design, which is why it only stayed in production for four years.
9 Horrible Car That Killed Saturn: 2003 Ion
The Ion is a compact car built by Saturn in the 2000s. The Ion was the replacement for the Saturn S-Series and was based on the GM Delta platform. Saturn had a lot of hopes riding on the Ion, but it ended up being a huge disappointment.
The main problem with the Ion was its poor build quality. Buyers had a mountain of repair issues to deal with. Add a cramped, uncomfortable interior, safety recalls, and a poor driving feel, and it's easy to see why the Ion failed miserably.
8 Horrible Car That Killed Pontiac: Fiero
When GM unveiled the Fiero in the '80s, many were impressed. Its eye-catching wedge-shaped design could compete with European imports, while its mid-engined layout gave it a superb driving feel.
Sadly, the Fiero was built at a time when GM cars were known to have serious reliability and build quality issues. The Fiero had many breakdowns and would even suffer from engine fires at times. It's no surprise that the Fiero is one of the cheapest classic sports cars available today.
7 Horrible Car That Killed Saturn: 2002 SL1
The Saturn S Series was a complete disaster from the moment it debuted in the early '90s. There was nothing special about the S Series. For one, the design was plain, and while it received some updates throughout its production run, there just wasn't anything there to catch people's interest.
Then there were the build quality issues. The SL1 had a plastic body and had a myriad of reliability issues. It's no surprise why this horrible car sold poorly.
6 Horrible Car That Killed Pontiac: Montana
The Montana is a minivan Pontiac produced from 1997 to 2009 over two generations. The Montana started as a trim level for the Pontiac Trans Sport van, but later became a standalone model in 1999.
The Montana was a decent family minivan with plenty of space and decent reliability. However, it performed poorly in the market, forcing Pontiac to end its production run in 2009.
5 Horrible Car That Killed Saturn: 2008 Vue
The demand for SUVs in the US was growing rapidly in the early 2000s, so Saturn decided to build one in an attempt to improve sales. The result was the Vue, a compact SUV that impressed many at first.
Unfortunately, the Vue still had Saturn's poor reputation for unreliability, as many buyers complained it had transmission and electrical issues. It didn't help that the second-generation model was a rebadged Opel Antara.
4 Horrible Car That Killed Pontiac: 2004 GTO
With every attempt to improve sales failing, Pontiac decided to turn to its most iconic model ever, the GTO. However, instead of reviving it as the glorious muscle gearheads knew, Pontiac decided to slap a GTO badge on the aging Holden Monaro coupe.
Of course, this move didn't sit well with most gearheads. One of the most iconic muscle cars of all time had been reduced to a rebadged Australian coupe. Even though it had a powerful V8 under the hood, the 2004 GTO still failed miserably.
3 Horrible Car That Killed Saturn: 2008 Astra
In the mid-2000s, Saturn needed a new affordable model to add to its lineup. With no funds or time to develop a new model from scratch, Saturn decided to rebadge the European Opel Astra.
The Astra looked like it was destined for success, as it was stylish, had great handling, and had a solid fit-and-finish. Sadly, buyers weren't interested. According to GM executive Bob Lutz, the Astra failed because GM had to raise its price after the dollar lost value against the Euro.
2 Horrible Car That Killed Pontiac: Sunfire
In 1995, Pontiac unveiled the Sunfire as a replacement for the Sunbird. Not only did the Sunfire have a different model name to its predecessor, but it also had dramatic styling changes that many didn't like.
Things didn't get much better under the hood. There were four engine options for the Sunfire, but none of them had more than 150 hp. Add rust issues, an imprecise manual transmission, and an overall boring ride, and you can see why the Sunfire failed.
1 Horrible Car That Killed Saturn: 2001 L300
Saturn had a lot of hope riding on the L Series when it introduced it in 1999. This line of mid-size sedans and station wagons was supposed to appeal to budget-minded buyers, but it ended up being a massive disappointment.
The L300 and other L Series models gained a reputation for engine failure, transmission issues, and overall fit-and-finish issues. Saturn finally pulled the plug on the L Series in 2005 after a massive recall affecting over 300,000 vehicles.