20 Worst Cars of Model Year 1987

The 20 Least Reliable and Durable Cars of Model Year 1987

This page lists the 20 worst cars (as well as the worst 30, worst 40, worst 50, worst 60, and worst 65) of model year 1987 by reliability-and-durability grade point average (R-D GPA).

1987's Bottom 10 Cars: The Ten Worst

The 10 worst cars of 1987 are listed below in ascending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (worst first), together with the corresponding R-D Grade.

  • The Hyundai Excel, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 0.24 and a Reliability-Durability Grade of F
  • The Chevrolet Suburban 2-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 0.24, an F
  • The Pontiac Sunbird Inline 4, with a R-D GPA of 0.29, an F
  • The Chevrolet Suburban 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 0.31, an F
  • The Ford Taurus Inline 4, with a R-D GPA of 0.31, an F
  • The Pontiac Firebird, with a R-D GPA of 0.33, an F
  • The Dodge Ram Charger, with a R-D GPA of 0.33, an F
  • The Ford Tempo 2-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 0.35, an F
  • The Ford Aerostar Van, with a R-D GPA of 0.35, an F
  • The Jeep Wrangler Inline 6, with a R-D GPA of 0.36, an F

Manufacturers of the 10 Worst 

General Motors Corporation's share of the 10 least reliable-durable cars in model year 1987 is 4, down from 5 in 1986 and 1985, but up from 2 in 1984.

Ford Motor Company's share of the 10 worst cars of 1987 is 3, same as in 1986, and up from 0 in 1984, 1983, 1982, 1981, and 1980.

Chrysler Corporation's share of the 10 worst is 2, up from 0 in 1986, but down from 3 in 1985 and 4 in 1984.

American Motors Corporation's share of the worst cars of 1987 is 0, as financial challenges occasioned a merger with Chrysler Corporation.

None of the then Michigan 3 manufacturers accounted for 1987's 10 best cars, 

1986's 10 best cars, 1985's 10 best cars, 1984's 10 best cars, 1983's 10 best cars or 1982's 10 best cars.

The following chart depicts each manufacturer's percent share of the Bottom 10 of 1987.

This is a pie chart of each car manufacturer's share of the Worst 10 cars and trucks of model year 1987 by the Reliability-Durability Grade Point Average (GPA). General Motors Corporation (40%), Chrysler Corporation (30%), Ford Motor Company (20%), and Hyundai Motor Company (10%) account for all of the 10 worst automobiles of 1987 by the R-D GPA. The R-D GPA of a car model is a composite score based on the category and overall reliability ratings of Consumer Reports for age range 4-to-5 years. The chart and computations are by James Benjamin Bleeker, 05 June 2012.

1987's Next 10 (12 by Tie) Worst Cars

The next 12 of the 22 worst cars are listed below in ascending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (worst first), together with the corresponding R-D Grade.

  • The Plymouth Sunrise, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 0.39 and a Reliability-Durability Grade of F
  • The Plymouth Horizon, Turismo, with a R-D GPA of 0.39, an F
  • The Dodge Shadow, with a R-D GPA of 0.39, an F
  • The Dodge Omni, Charger, with a R-D GPA of 0.39, an F
  • The Dodge B150-250 Van V8, with a R-D GPA of 0.40, an F
  • The Merccury Topaz 2-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 0.41, an F
  • The Ford Club Wagon (a van), with a R-D GPA of 0.42, an F
  • The Chevrolet Pickup Truck K10-20 V8, 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 0.42, an F
  • The Pontiac Bonneville, with a R-D GPA of 0.44, an F
  • The Pontiac 6000 Inline 4, with a R-D GPA of 0.44, an F
  • The Ford Bronco V8, with a R-D GPA of 0.44, an F
  • The Chevrolet Monte Carlo, with a R-D GPA of 0.44, an F

Worthy of note is that unit sales of the Hyundai Excel plunged in succeeding years, while there was no similar plunge in unit sales of products by General Motors, Chrysler, Ford, or American Motors. Most likely, the expectation of many U.S. consumers was that the quality of the first generation made-in-South-Korea Excel would roughly approximate the quality of made-in-Japan vehicles, an expectation that would prove to be far from the mark, while Michigan 4 consumers knew what they were buying and were inured to similar or greater shortcomings.

Manufacturers of the 22 Worst 

General Motors Corporation accounts for 36.4% of the 22 worst cars of 1987, down from 45% of the 20 worst cars of model year 1986 and 1985, up from 35% in 1984, and down from its 75% in 1983 and 1981, 80% in 1982 and 50% in 1980.

Chrysler Corporation accounts for 31.8 of the 22 least reliable-durable cars of 1987, up from 20% of the 20 least reliable-durable cars of 1986, down from 30% in 1985 and 1984, and up from 10% in 1983, 1982 and 1981 and 25% in 1980.

Ford Motor Company accounts for 27.3% of the 22 worst of 1987, up from 20% of the 20 worst of 1986, 10% in 1985, 1984 and 1982, and 0% in 1983, 1981 and 1980.

Hyundai Motor Company accounts for 4.5% of the 22 worst of 1986. 

The Detroit 3 manufacturers (General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford) account for 21 of 1987's 22 worst cars, up from 17 of 1986's and 1985's 20 worst cars.

1987's Next 8 Worst Cars

The next 8 of the 30 worst cars are listed below in ascending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (worst first), together with the corresponding R-D Grade.

  • The Ford Mustang Inline 4, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 0.45 and a Reliability-Durability Grade of F
  • The Chevrolet Camaro, with a R-D GPA of 0.45, an F
  • The Chevrolet Sportvan V8, with a R-D GPA of 0.47, an F
  • The Buick Regal V6, with a R-D GPA of 0.47, an F
  • The Oldsmobile 88 V6, with a R-D GPA of 0.49, an F
  • The Chevrolet Cavalier V6, with a R-D GPA of 0.49, an F
  • The Dodge Dayton, with a R-D GPA of 0.51, a D
  • The Buick Skyhawk, with a R-D GPA of 0.53, a D

Note that all but 2 of 1987's worst automobiles have a Reliability-Durability Grade of F.

    Manufacturers of the 30 Worst 

    Each manufacturer's percent share, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent, of the 30 worst vehicles by R-D GPA is:

    General Motors Corporation: 46.7%, up from 40% in 1986 and 43% in 1985
    Chrysler Corporation: 26.7%, down from 30% in 1986 and up from 23% in 1985
    Ford Motor Company: 23.3%, up from 16.7% in 1986 and 20% in 1985
    Hyundai Motor Company: 3.3%

    Chart of the 30 Worst Cars of 1987

    The following bar graph depicts how much below average the Bottom 30 cars of 1987 are. The 30 worst are listed in ascending order (worst first).

    This is a bar graph of the Reliability-Durability GPAs of the 30 worst cars of model year 1987. The Reliability-Durability GPA of a car model is a composite measure based on the category and overall reliability ratings of Consumer Reports for age ranges 4-to-5 years. Chart by James Benjamin Bleeker, 5 June 2012.

    1987's Next 10 (11 by Tie) Worst Cars

    The bottom 11 of the 41 worst cars are listed below in ascending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (worst first), together with the corresponding R-D Grade.

    • The Ford Escort, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 1.12 and a Reliability-Durability Grade of D
    • The Chrysler Le Baron Coupe, with a R-D GPA of 1.13, a D
    • The Chevrolet Celebrity Inline 4, with a R-D GPA of 1.13, a D
    • The Ford F150-F250 Pickup V8 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 1.14, a D
    • The Ford F150-F250 Pickup Inline 6 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 1.14, a D
    • The Pontiac Grand Am V6, with a R-D GPA of 1.16, a D
    • The Chevrolet Pickup Truck C10-20 V8 2-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 1.16, a D
    • The Ford Range Pickup Truck V6 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 1.16, a D
    • The Dodge D/W100-250 Ram Pickup V8, with a R-D GPA of 1.17, a D
    • The Ford F150-F250 Pickup V8 2-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 1.18, a D
    • The Pontiac 6000 V6 2-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 1.18, a D

    Manufacturers of the 40 (41 by Tie) Worst 

    Each manufacturer's percent share, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent, of the 41 worst vehicles of model year 1987 by R-D GPA is:

    General Motors Corporation: 43.9, down from 50% in 1986
    Chrysler Corporation: 24.4%, up from 21.4% in 1986
    Ford Motor Company: 29.3%, up from 19% in 1986
    Hyundai Motor Company: 2.4%, same as in 1986

    1987's Next 10 Worst Cars

    The next 10 of the 51 worst cars are listed below in ascending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (worst first), together with the corresponding R-D Grade.

    • The Volkswagen Vanagon 2-wheel-drive, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 1.19 and a Reliability-Durability Grade of D
    • The Jeep Cherokee, Wagoneer I6,V6, with a R-D GPA of 1.20, a D
    • The Mercury Sable V6, with a R-D GPA of 1.20, a D
    • The Dodge Aries, with a R-D GPA of 1.20, a D
    • The Chrysler Le Baron Coupe Turbo, with a R-D GPA of 1.20, a D
    • The Buick Le Sabre V6, with a R-D GPA of 1.20, a D
    • The Buick Century V6, with a R-D GPA of 1.20, a D
    • The Buick Century I4, with a R-D GPA of 1.20, a D
    • The Pontiac Grand Am I4, with a R-D GPA of 1.22, a D
    • The Chevrolet S10 Blazer V6 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 1.22, a D

    Manufacturers of the 50 Worst 

    Each manufacturer's percent share of the 50 (51 by tie) worst vehicles of model year 1987 by R-D GPA is:

    General Motors Corporation: 45.1%, up from 48% in 1986
    Chrysler Corporation: 25.5%, up from 22% in 1986
    Ford Motor Company: 25.5%, up from 20% in 1986
    Hyundai Motor Company: 2%, same as in 1986
    Volkswagen AG: 2%, up from 0% in 1986

    Note that no Japanese manufacturer offered a car or truck among 1987's 50 worst of North America.

    1987's Next 9 Worst Cars

    The next 9 of the 60 worst cars are listed below in ascending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (worst first), together with the corresponding R-D Grade.

    • The Oldsmobile 98 V6, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 1.22 and a Reliability-Durability Grade of D
    • The Chrysler New Yorker 5th Avenue V8 rear-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 1.22, a D
    • The Chevrolet Blazer, with a R-D GPA of 1.22, a D
    • The Buick Somerset Skylark I4, with a R-D GPA of 1.22, a D
    • The Mercury Lynx, with a R-D GPA of 1.23, a D
    • The Saab 9000 Turbo, with a R-D GPA of 1.24, a D
    • Mitsubishi's rebadged Dodge Colt Vista Wagon 2-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 1.24, a D
    • The Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera V6, with a R-D GPA of 1.24, a D
    • The Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais I4, with a R-D GPA of 1.24, a D

      Manufacturers of the 60 Worst 

      Each manufacturer's percent share, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent, of the 60 worst vehicles of model year 1987 by R-D GPA is:

      General Motors Corporation: 46.7%
      Chrysler Corporation: 23.3%
      Ford Motor Company: 23.3%
      Hyundai Motor Company: 1.7%
      Volkswagen AG: 1.7%
      Saab Automobile AB: 1.7%
      Mitsubishi Motors Corporation: 1.7%

      Note that Japanese Manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors Corporation had a model within the bottom 60. The Detroit 3 account for more than 93% of the 60 worst cars of model year 1987.

      1987's Next 5 Worst Cars

      The remaining cars with a Reliability Grade of D are listed below in ascending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (worst first).

      • The Chrysler New Yorker, E-Class I4 front-wheel-drive, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 1.27 and a Reliability-Durability Grade of D
      • The Chevrolet Cavalier I4, with a R-D GPA of 1.27, a D
      • The Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais V6, with a R-D GPA of 1.29, a D
      • The Chevrolet Spectrum, with a R-D GPA of 1.29, a D
      • The Buick Estate Wagon, with a R-D GPA of 1.31, a D

        Manufacturers of the 65 Worst 

        Each manufacturer's percent share, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent, of the 65 worst vehicles of model year 1987 by R-D GPA is:

        General Motors Corporation: 49.2%
        Chrysler Corporation: 23.1%
        Ford Motor Company: 21.5%
        Hyundai Motor Company: 1.5%
        Volkswagen AG: 1.5%
        Saab Automobile AB: 1.5%
        Mitsubishi Motors Corporation: 1.5%

        The Detroit 3 account for 93.8% of the 65 worst cars of 1987.

        By corporate headquarters, the U.S. accounts for 93.8% of the worst of 1987, South Korea - 1.5%, Germany - 1.5%, Sweden - 1.5%, and Japan - 1.5%, although it may be argued that some part of the Chevrolet Spectrum (Isuzu Motors Ltd., an affiliate of General Motors Corporation, helped design and engineer it) should be attributed to Japan. 

        Computations

        To compute the reliability-durability grade point average of the MY 1987 cars, Consumer Reports' reliability ratings for the age range 4-to-5 years are used. For the R-D GPAs for model year 1975 to 1986, Consumer Reports' reliability ratings for the age ranges 4-to-5 years and 5-to-6 years are used. The reason for the difference is that CR did not provide an overall reliability rating (a component in the computation of the Reliability-Durability GPA) for much of the 1990s and the first half of the 2000s.

        CR's ratings are converted to numerical values following the standard academic pattern: a grade point of 4.0 (an A) is accorded a rating of Much Better Than Average, a 3.0 (a B) is accorded a rating of Better Than Average, a 2.0 (a C) is accorded a rating of Average, a 1.0 (a D) is accorded a rating of Below Average, and a 0 (an F) is accorded a rating of Much Below Average.

        Then, for each age range, the grade point of CR's overall reliability rating is weighted 2/3 and the average of the grade points of the category ratings is weighted 1/3.

        Best and Worst Vehicles of Each Model Year

        The Best Cars of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA:  1975  1976  1977  1978  1979  1980  1981  1982  1983  1984  1985  1986  1987  ...  2004  2005

        The Worst Cars of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA:  1980  1981  1982  1983  1984  1985  1986  1987  ...  2004  2005 

        Additional Resources

        The Best Car Brands of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

        The Worst Car Brands of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

        The Best Car Manufacturers of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

        The Worst Car Manufacturers of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

        Best Car Brands by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid:  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 

        Worst Car Brands by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid:  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006

        Best Car Makers by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid: 1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006

        Worst Car Makers by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid:  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006

        For additional car quality information, visit www.AutoOnInfo.net and www.CarsOnInfo.net.

        In particular, for additional durability information, see:

        http://www.AutoOnInfo.net/SharesOfHighMileageVehicles.aspx 
        http://www.CarsOnInfo.net/Toyota-Age-Equivalents 
        http://www.AutoOnInfo.net/ToyotaMileageEquivalents.aspx 
        http://www.AutoOnInfo.net/HighMileageRoster.aspx

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