The auto industry is built on innovation, but not every new idea turns out to be a success. Some features launched with hype and style only to reveal themselves as costly headaches or outright flops. From safety gimmicks to tech that aged like milk, here are ten features automakers likely wish they had never put into production, with real examples of cars that carried them.
Pop Up Headlights
Pop up headlights became a styling craze in the late 70s and dominated sports cars in the 80s and 90s. Models like the Mazda RX7, Chevrolet Corvette C4, and Toyota MR2 looked cool with their hidden lamps flipping open, but the mechanism was fragile. Motors often failed, leaving one headlight stuck open like a lazy eyelid. Pedestrian safety laws and aerodynamics eventually killed them off, and while enthusiasts remember them fondly, manufacturers dealt with years of warranty claims and repair complaints.
Digital Dashboards of the 80s
The rise of digital watches inspired automakers to push digital dashboards into cars like the Buick Riviera, Dodge Daytona, and Nissan 300ZX. They promised a futuristic driving experience but delivered flickering displays, unreadable numbers in bright sunlight, and costly repairs. By the early 90s most carmakers abandoned the idea, reverting to analog gauges. Only in the last decade have digital clusters made a successful comeback, this time with much better technology.
In Car Cassette Dictation Systems
Luxury cars like certain Mercedes models and even some Japanese sedans in the late 70s and 80s offered built in cassette dictation systems. The idea was to let executives record notes on the go. In practice it was clunky, distracting, and unsafe. Very few owners actually used it, and it quickly became one of the least appreciated features ever sold. Today, these systems are curiosities that collectors laugh about more than cherish.
Automatic Seatbelts
The U.S. government’s push for passive restraints in the 1980s led to motorized seatbelts. Cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry of the era had belts that slid along the door frame automatically when the door closed or opened. Drivers hated them. They were slow, awkward, and prone to breaking. Worse, many people simply disconnected the lap belt, leaving them unsafe. Once airbags became standard in the 1990s, automakers abandoned the system without looking back.
Built In Car Phones
In the 1980s and early 1990s, nothing screamed luxury like a factory installed car phone. Models like the BMW 7 Series, Cadillac Seville, and Lincoln Town Car offered them. They were expensive to buy, expensive to run, and became obsolete almost overnight when handheld cell phones flooded the market. Automakers had sunk money into tech that became useless by the time the first owner traded in the car.
Rear Window Louvers
Rear window louvers gained popularity on sporty cars like the Ford Mustang Fastback, Pontiac Firebird, and Datsun 280ZX. They looked aggressive and helped keep interiors cooler, but they rattled, blocked visibility, and made washing the rear glass a chore. While they still exist as aftermarket styling accessories, most manufacturers phased them out quickly once practicality complaints piled up.
Swing Away Steering Wheels
In the 1960s Ford introduced swing away steering wheels in cars like the Thunderbird and Galaxie. The column could pivot to the right when the car was in park, supposedly making entry and exit easier. While clever, the system was mechanically complex and raised safety concerns. If it malfunctioned while driving, it was potentially dangerous. Ford quietly abandoned the design after a few years.
Two Way Tailgates
SUVs and wagons like the Ford Country Squire and Chevrolet Blazer once featured tailgates that opened both down like a pickup and sideways like a door. The idea was versatility, but in practice the designs were heavy, complicated, and prone to failure. Hinges wore out, latches broke, and many owners complained it was harder to operate than a simple single function tailgate.
Push Button Transmissions of the 1950s
Chrysler’s “PowerFlite” and “Torqueflite” push button automatic transmissions looked futuristic when introduced in the 1950s. Drivers selected gears by pressing buttons on the dashboard instead of using a lever. While innovative, it confused drivers and introduced reliability problems as the systems aged. By the late 1960s most automakers abandoned the experiment. Although modern cars have revived push button shifters, the early attempts were failures that gave the idea a bad reputation for decades.
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Car loans are one of the most common ways people fund car purchases. Like any other kind of loan, car loans can have certain features that can be regarded as an advantage or a disadvantage to the borrower. Understanding all essential facts about car loans and how they work to ensure that you get the best deal for your financial situation is essential. Here are 25 shocking facts about car loans that most drivers don’t realize:
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