Lately, the recalls have been numerous. But automobile manufacturers have improved their product and their reliability. I asked Jody Victor  to take us back to a time when vehicles were not so great.

Jody Victor: Some of you will remember these white elephants either because you drove one or you heard about it. For the complete story go to msn.com.

Yugo - The boxy Yugoslavian vehicle sold for less than $4,000 when it hit the US market in 1985. It was the cheapest new car for sale - and you got what you paid for. A litany of performance problems (not replacing the timing belt every 40,000 miles killed the engine, for instance) resulted in a harsh review from Consumer Reports (an editor said it would be hard to recommend at any price), and quickly made it the butt of car geek jokes.

Pontiac Fiero - The words Fiero and fire are inextricably linked and not just for the obvious reason. If, in the mid-1980s, you were an unlucky owner of this 2-seater and you weren't diligent about changing the oil, drove aggressively and also ran out of oil, you might have ended up with a broken connecting rod. Oil might then spill all over the engine and send it up in flames. One theory about why the Fiero was such a firebox pointed to user error : Fiero drivers were riding the car hard and over revving the engine. Another was a major oversight in the owner's manual which called for three quarts of oil instead of the necessary 4.5.

Trabant - Urban legend had it that the East German-manufactured Trabant was made of cardboard. The car was East Germany's most popular for nearly 30 years, and it could be seen tooling around the other Communist bloc countries. A 2-stroke engine gave it all of 18 horsepower, and while it wasn't made of cardboard, its fiberglass-like construction and reinforcements of recycled cotton and wood gave it an exceptionally flimsy aesthetic. A dearth of basic feature such as turn signals and brake lights didn't help. To fill the gas tank you had to lift the hood, add gasoline and oil, and shake. This would be your prize for enduring a 15-year waiting list before taking delivery of the compact 4-seater.

Mazda RX-2 - The technology behind rotary engines, primarily the domain of airplanes, was becoming obsolete by the 1920s. Still, Mazda decided to use the rotary engine (it runs in circles versus the up-and-down of pistons) in its RX-2, which debuted in the 1970s. The RX-2 had some major liabilities - things such as high carbon emissions, poor fuel economy, leaky rotary seals, catching on fire. To solve a problem with the O-ring seals (which allowed coolant to leak into the combustion chamber and eventually made the car undrivable), Mazda tried to get drivers to buy new seals for $1,000 - a third of the vehicle's $3,000 sticker price. Many opted to walk away from the RX-2 instead.

Plymouth Prowler - A hot rod that doesn't have more than 250 horsepower isn't much of a hot rod. This may have been the Plymouth Prowler's biggest liability, due in part to the automatic transmission. But its hideous design likely also had something to do with the public's underwhelming response to the Prowler. Business Week magazine named the Prowler, first released in 1997, to a list of the ugliest cars of the past 50 years, describing it as a pie wedge on wheels. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Thanks, Jody! An interesting blast from the past!

Joe Victor

With all the recent recalls it makes you wonder what the car industry is thinking? But there was a time when even worse things happened to cars on the road. I asked Jody Victor  to tell us about some of the ugliest looking, poorly designed, horrendously built and in some cases most dangerous cars, of the past 50 years.

Jody Victor: The auto industry usually has our confidence in their product. But as you will see, there have been some real stinkers. For the complete story go to msn.com.

Ford Pinto - The Pinto's tendency to explode during rear-end collisions earned it a reputation as the "barbecue that seats four." The lack of a real rear bumper of reinforcements surrounding the gas tank meant that it was vulnerable to puncture and thus, explosion on impact. In other words, a fender-bender could lead to an inferno. Poorly reinforced doors were also susceptible to jamming in an accident. Multiple lawsuits were filed over the Pinto's safety issues, and Ford came under fire when a memo revealed that the automaker had decided it would be cheaper to pay off lawsuits for any Pinto deaths than to pay for a redesign of the vehicle.

Chevrolet Corvair - A Part that reportedly cost $6 was the difference between a Corvair that maintained its decorum while cornering at high speeds and one that grossly over-steered. The decision to skimp on the part came back to haunt Chevrolet when Ralph Nader highlighted it in his 1965 book, "Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Danger of the American Automobile," which accused car manufacturers of resisting safety features such as seat belts and generally balking at spending money on safety measures. Among the Corvair's other problems, it's steering column might impale its' driver in a collision, its' heating system flooded the car with dangerous fumes and it hemorrhaged oil.

Fiat Strada - Warnings were issued regarding service issues for the Strada  (known internationally as the Ritmo) before it even hit the streets in 1978. I was riddled with rust - floors, engine mounts and suspension were all susceptible to premature oxidization. Coupled with the fact that it was a real slug - it maxed out at 75 horsepower - it's no wonder the Strada helped hasten the fall of the Fiat brand in the US. Lawsuits regarding the rust pushed the Italian car-maker from the American market. The Strada also managed to give robots a bad name. It was the first car built exclusively using robots.

Chevrolet Vega - Leading up to its 1970 release to US consumers, the first Vega prototype fell to pieces just eight miles into a shakedown drive on a General Motors test track. The aluminum 4-cylinder engine on the Vega (producing only 90 horsepower) had an insatiable need for oil, and was practically guaranteed to fail - if it didn't rust out first or if the car didn't literally fall apart. GM was hoping to break into the subcompact category with the Vega but instead, the car, may have done irreparable damage to the automaker's reputation. The Vega is widely credited as having contributed to GM's downfall.

Triumph Stag - Cooling problems, lubrication issues and problems with the ignition system and the quality of the rubber and metal were all liabilities for the Stag. Triumph already had a shoddy reputation (British cars weren't known for their quality), and eventually the company both discontinued this convertible coupe in 1976 and ceased existing as a car manufacturer altogether in 1984. But what the Stag lacked in utility it more than made up for in aesthetics. It was a luxury sports car designed to compete with the Mercedes Benz SL class models and it held up that part of the bargain relatively well.

Thanks, Jody! Can't wait to hear about the rest on this list next time.

Joe Victor

On your way to a beach vacation? I asked Jody Victor  to give us some more info on the best cars for the beach.

Jody Victor: This list from msn.com gives the 10 coolest vehicles to take to the shore this summer. Here's the last five.

Cadillac Escalade EXT Pickup Truck - A Bose sound system with eight speakers and a noise-cancellation system that blocks outside noise makes this the summertime party-mobile. Short surfboards fit easily into the bed of the pickup, and if you push down the truck's mid-gate and back seats, you can slide in a longboard - or even a sailboat. throw an air mattress in the truck bed and attach one of GMAC's Sport Tents and you have a luxury beach camper van. Leather seats have individual heating and cooling systems for when the beach bonfire either isn't doing its job or is doing it too well.

Hyundai Accent - The price tag is the draw here, pure and simple. The 2-door Accent is one of the least expensive cars on the market. For $9,970, you can get a zippy beach car without any bells and whistles - no car stereo, no air conditioning. Those may seem like big sacrifices, but think of all the money you'll save for more Coronas or even a beach-house rental. If you splurge on anything with this car, let it be a sunroof to amp up the fun factor. There's enough legroom in the back to bring a few friends to the beach - as long as they're not beach-volleyball-player tall.

Mayback 62 - Riding in the back of a Mayback 62 is like having a poolside lounge-chair butler - the reclining seats have leg and foot rests, and 10 mini fans located in the seat cushions work to keep you cool. Each passenger also has a personal climate-control system and window curtains. A gigantic electro-transparent glass roof lets in the sun's rays when you're in the mood to sunbathe; with the flip of a switch it goes opaque and you're in the shade. Fruity summer cocktails can be mixed and stored in the refrigerator in the back-seat console. If you're in this car, chances are you're not driving - many Mayback owners opt for chauffeurs.

MINI Cooper - MINI Coopers decorated with racing stripes or British flags are a dime a dozen. But a couple of years ago, MINI struck a deal with Original Wraps, a company that does colorful, artistic vinyl wraps - think dashboards covered in polka dots, car doors decorated with flames. One of the designs they came up with has a surf theme (palm trees, waves ans sun) and another depicts a giant breaching whale. These scenes transform the MINI from a peppy but stodgy British driving machine to as fun and beach-worthy a car as any you'll find zipping along California's Pacific coast Highway.

Porsche Boxster - Plush leather interior, the option of Bose surround sound with no fewer than 11 speakers serving a small 2-seater cockpit, and up to 320 horsepower make the Boxster the best pick for driving on twisting coastal roads. In fact, the cockpit is so plush you might not even want to get out when you get to your oceanside destination. A ventilation system in the seats evaporates moisture and seat on hot days, and if it's too steamy outside you can crank the air-conditioning and keep the top on; the car comes with the option of hardtop or soft.

Thanks, Jody! We'll be checking these out soon!

Joe Victor

The best beach cars are big enough to carry a surfboard or two, zippy enough to hug a coastal highway, and so rugged that you can hose them out when they get too sandy. Preferably, they're all of the above, with a convertible top to boot. I asked Jody Victor  to tell us about msn.com's choices for the best beach cars of 2010.

Jody Victor: Each one of these choices fits the above criteria - a few even fit them all!

Honda Element - The Element is a vehicle you can hose down, inside and out. The floor mats are rubber and the seats are made of durable water- and dirt-resistant fabric; there isn't a speck of carpeting in this small utility vehicle. A detachable refrigerator (an option, of course) in the center console makes it easy to chill drinks while you're en route to the beach and keep them cold once you get there. The seats can be configured in 64 different ways, including removing the rear ones altogether to transport anything from a grill to a stack of beach chairs.

Jeep Wrangler - The best choice for sun-worshippers, the Jeep Wrangler lets you choose among a hardtop, a soft-top with roll-back sun roof or no top at all. There's also the option of doors or no dorrs, and you can get a full-on sea breeze by taking advantage of the fold-down windshield - bes done if you're driving on the beach. A tent accessory attaches to the rear of the vehicle for when you pull up to your favorite beach campsite; you can store your gear in the back of the Wrangler and access it through the tent.

Toyota Prius - The ultimate environmentally friendly beach car got even greener in 2010 with the addition of a solar-powered cooling system. When the interior temperature rises above 68 degrees, rooftop solar panels power fans inside the car, helping to keep the Prius cool on steamy summer days. Another energy-efficient feature designed to keep the mercury down in the car's cabin is the electric air conditioner, which can be operated by remote control while the car is off, alowing you to start cooling it down before you even leave the sand at the end of the day.

Volkswagen Routan - Reminiscent of the classic surfer-mobile, the VW bus, the Routan is wide and long with plenty of space for surfboards, beach chairs or even a kayak. The rear seats tilt all the way back - a configuration that allows for sitting way in the back and dangling your feet out the back door and over the sand while you're parked beachside. You can even participate in a Frisbee toss, grill a marshmallow over a campfire or watch the surfers hang ten from the comfort of the car. A storage space under the floor in the second row is ideal for stashing pails and shovels, volleyballs and other essential beach gear.

smart fortwo passion cabriolet - With a price starting at just under $17,000, the smart fortwo passion cabriolet is the most fun you can have without a roof and without breaking the bank. It's a tiny 2-seater, so you'll have to choose between bringing a friend to the beach and bringing anything else. If you opt for a lounge chair, umbrella or cooler, the passenger seat folds down to accommodate cargo. The roof electronically adjusts to any configuration you want, from one-tenth of the way open to let in a bit of sun, to all the way down for letting your surfboard pop out the top.

Thanks, Jody! Can't wait to hear about the last five from this list!

Joe Victor