[amol4184]

We all have been there. Waiting for months if not years to buy a car or bike only to lose steam slowly (or worse, immediately!) until realizing yes, it was a mistake. Like seeing your dream die a slow death right in front of your eyes.
Thorns of reality piercing you, bringing up the ugly question how will you ever explain this debacle to your family and justify next purchase? Fret not.

We give you a shoulder to cry. Won't solve anything but crying in a group among sympathizers is better than doing it alone in your head. Bring up your bad decisions. Let us feel we are not alone in this world.

I begin. I have had enough of these.

First car

I was in the US and looking for a reliable and cheap (read Toyota/Honda) car like a true blue Indian techie too afraid to think boldly. I had some notions about owning a car and I fell right in the trap. Everyone around me had Corollas, Civics and Sentras while ones with little flair had Accord V6s. A few even had SUVs from early 2000s look at the guts?!

I chose, for some rational reasons, the 2008 RAV4. Mind you it wasn't a bad car but nothing to be excited about. I was okay. Until the water pump broke, long out of warranty it set me back by $784. It was slightly less than 10% of my car's cost. Umm, operational costs.. I told myself.

However, only a few months and few thousand miles later damn thing broke again! Then on one fine day the car decided to throw its own Christmas party. While cruising along one of the freeways every light on the dashboard started blinking. And I mean EVERY single one. It probably also flashed headlamps and indicators but I was too busy inside trying to gather courage.

The car also started shaking as if it fell in ice cold Pacific and caught cold.
From 70 odd mph it limped to 40-45 and I panicked. This is downright dangerous. We stopped on a wide exit with 10-15 feet wide shoulder, opened up the hood and acted all pro but nope, nothing. We called Uber, sent the ladies home and I along with one of my friend, took a looooong way home through some slow country roads reaching home with car throwing a bash inside. Thanks to Google maps, I saw some incredible scenery right in my backyard that day.

Toyota dealer was about 30 seconds away from where I lived so that was a relief. Upon checking, they confirmed two things : A spark plug had given away and... water pump - the third freaking time. While they didn't replace the pump, Christmas inside the car stopped immediately after replacing the plug. But that was it. All my trust and notion of Toyota reliability went out the window. I felt betrayed by my car expert friends. The car in the end did exactly opposite of what I had in mind - be trouble free and cheap. What did I ever do so wrong?! I wasn't even expecting it to be a hoot to drive for god's sake.

First big-ish bike

This is going to stir some pots.
Again, being a little conservative I wanted something reliable, fast (by Indian standards - big mistake) and of course cheap to maintain. One thing led to another and I landed on a pristine Kawasaki Ninja 650R in white color. The bike was owned by a lady, ridden only 3400 miles without any crash or drops and just like new.

She was selling it because she was, and I quote "bored" with it. Hmmm. Bored? In 3400 miles? That was something I had unheard of. In India, I had ridden a battered old 2004 Activa for 40k kms.

Anyhoo, your loss my gain I thought and paid cash, signed the title and took the bike home. Next few days went in ogling at it and just showing it to colleagues and friends who were surprised I was going to do daily commute to office on it. I used it to commute to office dead in the winter with piercing PNW cold before giving it a rest.

Summer came and I took the bike to twisty roads of Mt. Rainier NP. It was then when I realized this isn't a "big bike". Sure its big physically, but that's about it. The acceleration is mild, in gear rolling is average and the exhaust not just terrible. Add to that one piece of the massive fairing had a tendency to vibrate incessantly above 45 mph. Only a large serving of double-sided tape stopped it from going wild.
And then there's the inherent characteristic of the bike - just plain jane, unexciting appliance like a Whirlpool washing machine that does its duty for years without any issues, without any maintenance. I was so disheartened. It had excitement quotient of a wet sock. I swear I had more thrills on my puny Pulsar 200 back in the day.

Unlike the RAV4 though, bike had 0 issues until being sold. I was almost happy to part ways with it. A guy bought it for his young son. In fact, I was so glad I also threw in my BELL helmet as free.
It was also the day I realized why the previous owner was bored with it in 3400 miles. That milestone came to me at about 2100~ miles.

After that I bought Triumph Street Triple 675 and my mind was blown. Frantic and bonkers wild is how I can describe it, despite having engine approximately the same size as Ninja. I believe it to one of the best automotive decisions I made but of course it is a story for another thread.

Second hand regret

In 2019 my sister out of some weird wisdom decided to sell their incredible green/brown Duster AWD and asked me if I wanted to buy it. I was in the USA and asked my dad if he wanted it. We had a Kwid back then, being used approximately 3000kms/year. Buying Duster made little sense and he said no. My BIL with his vast network managed to sell the car within 2 days at asking price, cash. It was (is) clearly a high demand car within enthusiasts but I was too dumb to realize it.

Fast forward to 2020, Covid put literal halts on all my plans and I came back home. The Kwid felt too small, too slow and too flimsy for our war torn roads. So I immediately started looking for an SUV slash crossover in used market. It was only then that I realized what a gem the Duster AWD is and that there is nothing like it in the market currently. Used markets were dry. One or two examples were from Bombay with high mileage with a lingering fear of them being flood damaged.
I literally could not find a single AWD Duster to my liking for months, in about 300km radius from my place. I finally gave up and bought a Thar. Not that I am unhappy with it but Duster AWD was still my first choice.

I have bought, and ultimately repented those purchases but this is the only one that I regret without even buying it.

---
So, what shattered your expectations? What mauled your joy? What left a big hole in your pocket and nothing else to remember? What do you want to forget? let it begin!

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Bring up your bad decisions. Let us feel we are not alone in this world.

It was only then that I realized what a gem the Duster AWD is and that there is nothing like it in the market currently.

Why did you have to open up old wounds? I was in deep discussion with the Renault dealer here in Pune, torn between 2WD RXZ110 and RXZ AWD. For some stupid reason, the difference of boot space (475 lt vs 400 lt) was on my mind. On the day I made the decision, the dealer had also propped up the AWD on a rock like incline outside the dealership to show off the car. I had also read the odd reports of transmission / rusting issues in some of the AWD cars. All these preyed heavily on my mind resulting in me going for the 2WD RXZ. The dealer principal also indicated to me with a smirk- if I were you, I'd go for the AWD without batting an eyelid. Sometimes, you are just zoned out in your decisions. And I wasn't a regular member of TBHP then !

A second, albeit minor one, is to have sold off my Nano. Looking at some of these in my society, I realize now that if ever there is a safer "scooter on 4 wheels" it is the Nano.

[TorqueMonster]

I think my personal automotive regret with regard to cars is not upgrading my car 3 years ago. I personally don't believe in replacing cars once every 3 or 5 years, as I feel that we cannot fully use the car during such a short time, and secondly, I do not have the finances to do so, a car is certainly an extremely big purchase.

But my car is now more than 11 years old. The Dzire was an extremely competitive car back in the day, for 5.5 lakhs, I got AC, Power Steering, Radio, Central Locking, all features which were well specced (I'm talking for that time, these features are now basic in modern cars), and coupled with Suzuki reliability, we were able to use the car for a long time. The problem lies in the fact that my car has now aged and to get a proper upgrade, I would have to spend way more money than what my family has. For a car bought for 5.5 Lakhs, I cannot afford to spend more than double of my existing car.

If I buy a car for 10 lakhs now, my options include middle variants of C - SUV and hatchbacks, and compact sedan, a segment from which I already own a car. Except for the modern features, I am not able to jump a segment. Even if I get to 15 Lakhs, the options to get a bigger car are not enough, I can get a top of line C -SUV or base model of a bigger car.

My car does not have airbags and the overall cost of maintaining it has certainly been rising over the years. If I had upgraded 3 years ago, I may have been an owner of a decently specced crossover, or a good sedan of my choice, instead of being relegated to stick to the same segment my current car is from. For now, I have retained the Dzire, added some modern features like a touchscreen and reverse camera, and hope to use it to save money for an eventual upgrade a few years later.

Replacing an ageing car was certainly a need that I had ignored and this leads me to stick to my present car, at a time where I had expected to upgrade from my car. This may be my automotive regret, other than that I have not regretted any vehicular purchase or any other automotive-related issue.

[sandeepmdas]

My first car was a Tata Indica DLS V2. Bought in 2004 and within 2 months, I discovered Team-BHP while searching for some answers. Therefore absolutely no regrets and the car was with me till 2010. I exchanged the Indica for my first enthusiast car: the Punto Emotion Pack.

The Fiat was a gem, but in January 2014 the AC condenser went kaput. I saw the car's interior completely dismantled, and I also saw a new red/black dual tone Punto 90BHP in the showroom. The red car was ordered by someone in December, but loan was denied. The dealer offered by a whopping discount plus reasonable exchange price. I bought the red Punto.

The next four years were like in the movie/book The Omen. The red Fiat was apparently assembled by Satan or his sidekicks. Two accidents, multiple major issues, whatever. The last nail in the coffin was a relative girl to whom I gave a lift to her first day in +2 class. She was a very studious and gold-medal winning student. But after a mere three months, she committed suicide as she somehow failed in a Math paper.

Exchanged the red devil for an Ecosport AT. Zero regrets, even after the demise of Ford.

[achyutaghosh]

Biggest regret- selling off the wonderful Volkswagen Jetta TDI in 2016 to a fellow BHPian. The car was only 2 years old, immaculately maintained and had run less than 20k kms. Still miss that car big time

[aaggoswami]

Two regrets :

1. Not buying Etios Liva diesel in February 2014. Dad insisted on Etios Liva diesel, but the central placement of instrument console, and not so premium interiors or rather the interiors not befitting the asking price made me avoid it. Instead was sold onto Grand i10 diesel, a decision that I later regretted, so bad that in July 2015 I ended up getting Swift VXi.

2. Swift Vxi. Dad wanted me to buy diesel variant, VDi or go for Dzire VDi, or Swift ZXi. At that point of time, VXi didnt' have ABS and also the Optional safety variants were not introduced. Baleno was launched soon after I got Swift Vxi. I was rigid in decision making, ended up buying a trim lacking ABS. Eventually, that is a decision which I regretted a lot. Enjoyed the car, but still something was amiss I always felt.

[mayankk]

Biggest regret:
Checking out the Storme 4x4 in 2018, but backing out at the last moment thinking I will make the down-payment kitty a little more substantial over the next year. The rest, as they say, saw the storme become history. Now I cant even get one in the used car market.

[nma83]

My hurried purchase of a Nexon petrol AMT underestimating my tolerance for half-baked 'automatic' transmissions. Could not live with it after a few months, sold it and ate the loss instead of having to make a glum face every time I had to drive.
But it taught me to be more discerning in picking my next cars .

[KPR]

On 16.03.2019, when I was doing PDI for my brother's Abarth at showroom, I had my eyes set on last brand new white Fiat Linea TJet that was unloaded in that consignment (Fiat closed by March '19). Dealer executive told that tjet was up for sale. I still regret for not bringing that white home.

[PVS]

My BIG Regret - 1

Not having waited for the Wagon R VXi (Options) Pack that came with ABS and Dual Airbags, back in 2012. I should have waited for those additional couple of months, spent additional money and should have gone in for the Vxi (O). Alas, we had sold our Esteem by then, and 4 month long waiting period(for the VXi(O) model) was simply not acceptable in the household.

My BIG Regret - 2 (In the USA)
Way back in 2009, when I moved to the US of A, I was looking around for a car, as I used to stay in the suburbs of Chicago, and needed a car to commute, and also take the family out on the weekends. Having recently moved to the US of A, and with almost no credit history, and working for a IT services company , on a L1 visa, the paycheck was not that great, and I had to take care of rent and other expenses. So I was pretty much constrained on the amount I could spend on the car

I picked up a pre-owned Mitsubishi Gallant, and during the next couple of years of ownership, i realized that I would regret the decision to go in for a well run used car. The Mitsubishi Gallant regularly demanded repairs, and I had to shell out $$$ from my pocket at regular intervals. Thankfully, the car got totaled a few months before I shifted back to India, in late 2011, and I could at least a worthwhile amount from the insurance company.

That experience with the Mitsubishi Gallant made me stay away from pre-owned vehicles.
Of course, now, I do realize the value of a good pre-owned vehicle, and will not hesitate to pick up one, in case it ticks off all the right boxes for me.

[nik0502]

Ahh,

Nice thread. And yes it did open old wounds. I always loved the Maruti Esteem as a kid. So when I started earning, my first goal was to get an Esteem. However, my father wasn’t okay with me spending a few lacs on a car so early in my life. I was 20 then. One of my bike mechanics suggested a 1997 carb Esteem, which was available for 50K. I just couldn’t believe it. Immediately jumped to buy the car.

However, one of my cousins suggested that I should get the car checked by a known mechanic who also happened to be working in a Chevy service centre. The car was badly rusted and he advised against buying it and offered me an Opel Corsa for the same price. But I declined thinking that the rusting could be fixed by denting and painting and no way am I giving up on my childhood dream. Got the car home and it turned out to be a money pit. I had it for 10 months, drove it around 10K km and spent every penny I had on it during that time. To begin with, the car needed new tyres and I remember how cheap tyres were those days. Apollo costed me Rs. 2200 a piece.

I took the car to a cousin’s wedding some 200 km away and on my return, the apron gave way after hitting the pothole due to the rust. The whole car was sitting on the right wheels and I had to pull it for 150 km in that state. I ended up losing two new tyres in the process. I covered 150 km in 13 hours. Got a new apron, but the car kept eating tyres. It needed a new front set every two thousand km.

Next was the AC compressor. I got it replaced, but the AC didn’t work. Drove around for a couple of days only to be told that the new compressor was busted. Got a second compressor along with condenser and pipes, but the AC still didn’t cool. And while I was going through this trauma, the apron came off again since the gas/electric welding couldn’t hold it together for long.

I was too attached with the car to let it go. In the end, got everything fixed and gave it to a cousin for learning. I got myself a Ford Fiesta - a beautiful car. I had this car with me for over 5 years, but apart from two clutch master cylinders giving up, the car didn’t give me a single problem. Everyone advised me against buying a Ford but it was worth it.

Regret 2

After owning an Esteem and driving it, I was even more in love with the car. It was so much fun to drive and I missed that in the Fiesta. Don’t get me wrong, the Fiesta was fun too, but of a different kind. It’s like an RX100 vs a Karizma. Both were fun, albeit different. So I decided to get another Esteem and use it as daily driver and keep the Fiesta for the weekends.

I always loved the facelifted Esteem, more so in black. Over the next few weeks I had bugged my mechanic to find me a good one. OLX didn’t exist back then. After a lot of searching I came across a 2005 model MPFI Esteem VXI in black and it was love at first sight. I asked my mechanic to check the car and he was so fed up of me that he asked me to buy it without checking the car thoroughly. The seller seemed to be a gentleman, so I got her home. However, it was another mistake. I took the car on a 100 km drive and after covering 50 km, the AC stopped. I was trying to figure out why and realised that the car was overheating. I pulled over to a side and found the radiator to be empty. Filled 3 litres of water and the car was overheating again by the time I reached home. I was thinking of it as a radiator leak, but it turned out the head itself had a leak and was repaired, that too very shoddily, by the previous owner. I got a replacement head from Mayapuri.

After the head replacement I started facing a very strange problem. The car wouldn’t start immediately after being driven for some time. But if I left it alone for some time it would start just fine. We couldn’t find anything wrong. Got the self starter replaced, the battery was fine. I had a lot of embarrassing moments due to this issue. Finally, we tried a different battery and the problem was gone. I drove the car 30,000 km in a year.

During a routine service, I realised the apron in this one was rusted too, but was finished nicely so that it wasn’t visible. I was in love with the car. I wanted to keep it forever. So I decided to get it fixed from MASS this time. The MASS in my area didn’t have spot welding. So I dropped the car in Gurgaon. The initial quote was Rs. 30K (approximately) for replacement of both Aprons and few other parts. I gave a go ahead. In the next few days the estimate was revised several times and I kept giving the go ahead. The second last estimate was Rs. 70K, which was more than the car’s value, but I still gave a go ahead. The very next day I got a call and now the revised estimate was Rs. 90K.

I was so fed up with these continuous revisions that I just felt that they didn’t want to fix the car and were increasing the estimate just so that I say no to the repair. This I did when they quoted Rs. 90K, which was way over the market value of the car. I asked them to return the car for which they asked Rs. 10K as labour charges. It took few emails to higher ups and I got the car back with a bill of Rs. 1.5K and a non-working AC which I had to get fixed on my own. Gave the car to a local guy who did a shoddy job and the car was sitting on its wheels 50 km away from home the very next day. Sold the car right after that. The Esteem still remains a dream but a distant one now.

Regret 3

It was some time in 2010-11. The off-roading threads were raining on Team-BHP and I got smitten by the bug. After a year or two, I decided to get a SWB Mahindra. Couldn’t find one to my liking. They were noisy with too much NVH and finally landed up with a Gypsy King MPFI. Spent a lot of money getting it done since it was ex-army and once it was ready I was so disappointed!

The car was just not for me. But, I wasn’t ready to accept the fact. I kept it for five years and spent lot of money. I would send it for service every six months but wouldn’t drive it. In five years it had got a few new batteries, new clutch, new crankshaft, new hood and what not and it saw a total 2000 kms in those 5 years. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable driving it. It was too bumpy and I was already used to a Fiesta, Civic and a Fluidic Verna. Finally, after 5 years, I decided to sell it.

I have been wiser since than and all my purchases are now head over heart.

[ss212]

2016, checked out a used Skoda Laura TSI at the owner's house.

The car, a 2011 Ambition variant, had run only ~30k kms. Everything felt tight and it drove like a dream.

Got an unbelievable price - the owner was leaving the country. For some reason, I can't exactly remember, I had to produce the car at the RTO 1 month after purchase or something like that. This wasn't my own town/city and finding a safe parking for the car for 1 month seemed cumbersome. Dropped the deal.

To this day, I recall that deal and curse myself for not having tried harder.

[saurabh2711]

Thanks for sharing my pain.

I have Two:

1: Not able to buy (brand new) Safari Dicor (Vtt's) 4x4 (Any variant would have done).
Though the main reason was Vitamin-M, as I was in early days of my carrier with salary slightly above entry level. But, I still regret.... a lot. But I love my EX4x2, to bottom of my heart.

2: I used to drive a 96 model Esteem. My family still owns it. Once Safari came in my life - Esteem was a bit sidelined & then eventually handed over to my brother. He later bought Aria & Esteem moved on to be neglected from sidelined.
Poor darling is in a bit of bad shape these days. Waiting in our garage to be restored to its full glory - as soon as I settle (move back) to Indore. Fingers crossed for the day to come soon. But this will happen for sure.

[abhishek46]

I bought my first car just because of it's aesthetics, looks, and rock solid build.
Didn't pay much attention to the Engine (the most important aspect).

Of course, regretted it shortly after.

If you haven't managed to guess, the Car is question was the Polo 1.2 MPI.

[aargee]

I think it was 1998 or 1999, I had been at a certain FNG workshop at Egmore in Chennai, you can call it FCG (Friendly Cheaters Garage) now, to collect my Rx after service. As we were talking, we touchbased on RD350.

The owner suddenly stopped the conversation, asked me to come along with him; after walking to a close gulley, he asked me too peep through a door & there I saw...

A sky blue color, newly painted, gleaming RD 350

He said, it's all yours for Rs. 56000

I wasn't able to take a decision; I was thinking & thinking, just staring at the beauty of the motorcycle & still staring...and then we walked away

Even today I cannot forget the scene, the dimly lit room, the blue color RD 350 (had front disk brake as well), through a caged door (the door was green in color & the iron bars in white)

Damn it!! I could've bought it with just 1.5 months of my paycheck then & I should've bought it