What Car Does Jesse Pinkman Drive?

From an impressively antiqued Toyota Tercel to a bullet-ridden 1978 El Camino, here are all the cars Jesse Pinkman drove in Breaking Bad.
Written by Max Werner
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
From an impressively antiqued Toyota Tercel to a bullet-ridden 1978 El Camino, Jesse Pinkman’s quest for stability was fraught with blood-red paint and broken hydraulics.
During its five-season run, Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad had a lot to say about purity. Pure crystal. Pure business. Pure intention. But for the world of its inhabitants, purity was a pipe dream. Exemplified by the windowless lowriders and sleazy Cadillacs that populate this vision of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Ready for a full deep-dive on all the cars Jesse Pinkman drove? We've got you covered—let’s get cooking.

1982 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

The 1982
Monte Carlo
is the first vehicle we see Jesse use in the series. It features a cherry red paint job, custom hydraulics, and a two-door design—but is also worn enough for any high-school-drop-out-turned-meth-dealer to keep up with appearances.
During the pilot episode, the Carlo's awkward hydraulics and custom plate “THE CAPN” are vindictive of the seasons-long struggles to come. In fact, without the plate, Walter White would have never discovered Jesse as the man wanted by the DEA.
However, the aftermarket upgrades truly elevated the Monte Carlo—dropping the car’s chassis to a near-asphalt grinding level. While lowrider Monte Carlo’s aren’t unusual, they're quite different from the intended design of the standard Fourth Generation models. 
But hey, intentions aren’t worth a nickel in a world of Breaking Bad. The last time we see the Monte Carlo is in season two. After realizing the car had been low jacked by DEA agents, Walt and Jesse watch from afar as oncoming bullets destroy the vehicle.

How many 1982 Monte Carlos were on the set of Breaking Bad?

There were two Monte Carlo’s used for Breaking Bad—one the studio rented for the pilot and another bought for its brown interior and lack of a hood ornament. The car remained a staple of the series until the desert shootout.
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1986 Toyota Tercel

After the untimely death of Monte Carlo, Jesse kept things on the “down-low” with a 1986
Toyota Tercel
. Though Tercel retained a red paint job, its compact, asymmetrical body was a far cry from the lowrider’s lively curves. The Tercel also lacked the attention-calling features of Jesse’s previous ride, causing White’s character to remark, “I hope this one doesn't bounce.”
The Tercel was the first front-wheel-drive vehicle that Toyota sold in the US. In the show, Jesse drives a second-generation Tercel—which came standard with a four-wheel-drive automatic transmission and design so bad it’s been compared to an overturned ATM. 
We last see the Tercel in season 5 as a depressed Jesse drives what’s left of the vehicle into a tree. Still, despite excessive damage and a whopping 181,500 mileage, the car sold for
$7,000 at auction
—over 1,440% times its estimated value.
Fun Fact: Though the car was abandoned at the beginning of season five, Jesse’s Tercel appears in the spinoff movie “El Camino” via flashbacks and several deleted scenes.
MORE: 7 things to look for when buying a used car

1986 Fleetwood Bounder

Though not technically owned by Jesse, this small-scale camper is driven by both of the main characters throughout the show—and it's a real piece of junk. While the now-iconic beige exterior and red and orange stripes give the RV an ‘80s camp vibe, duct-taped bullet holes hint toward more nefarious uses.
Back in season one Walter White gives Jesse his life savings (roughly $7,000) and tells him to buy an RV—which, according to
RV trader
, is roughly the right price for this model. Jesse returns with 1986 Fleetwood Bounder, quickly nicknames it the “The Krystal Ship,” and the two start cooking.
Whether it’s used to trap a group of gang members or being towed across the desert without a battery, the Bounder is reliable in its unreliability. Jesse once reminisced over the RV, saying, “every time we stopped at a light, I would pray for it not to die.” Begrudgingly, Walter destroys the RV in season 3, causing a rift in his and Jesse’s friendship.
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1978 Chevrolet El Camino

The final car used by Jesse in the series and the loose-end tying movie, also named El Camino, is a 1978 El Camino. Originally owned by Todd, Jesse uses this vehicle to escape from the white supremacist compound in the series finale—crying hysterically as it plows through the compound's main gates. The El Camino, as you might assume, plays a large role in wrapping up the series. In the El Camino movie, Jesse uses the car (and a suspiciously placed gun in its glove compartment) to escape a life of crime for good.
Of course, El Caminos weren’t just made popular by the show but have also appeared in various other forms of popular media. Despite being discontinued after only a few generations, this cult-classic sports utility vehicle has appeared in everything from
2 Fast 2 Furious
to opening scenes of the original
RoboCop
.

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