The Car Curse refers to the pattern where no Survivor contestant who obtained a car after winning a Reward Challenge has gone on to win the game. It was most popularized after the events of Survivor: Fiji.
History[]
- In Survivor: The Australian Outback, Colby Donaldson won a Pontiac Aztek after he won the Reward Challenge on Day 37. He subsequently finished in 2nd place.
- In Survivor: Africa, Lex van den Berghe won the Reward Challenge on Day 35, winning a brand new Chevrolet Avalanche. He finished in 3rd place.
- In Survivor: Marquesas, at the Reward Challenge on Day 34, Sean Rector won a new Saturn VUE. He finished in 5th place.
- In Survivor: Thailand, Ted Rogers, Jr. won the Reward Challenge on Day 34 after Brian Heidik gave him the answer to the challenge, winning a Chevrolet Trailblazer. Ted finished in 5th place, and Brian ended up winning the season.
- In Survivor: The Amazon, Matthew von Ertfelda won a Saturn Ion at the Reward Challenge on Day 34. He finished in 2nd place.
- In Survivor: Pearl Islands, Burton Roberts won a brand new GMC Envoy XUV at the Reward Challenge on Day 34. He finished in 5th place.
- In Survivor: All-Stars, a Chevrolet Colorado was given as a reward to Rob Mariano on Day 34. He finished in 2nd place.
- In Survivor: Vanuatu, Eliza Orlins won the Reward Challenge on Day 32, winning a brand new Pontiac G6. She finished in 4th place.
- In Survivor: Palau, a Chevrolet Corvette was won by Ian Rosenberger at the Reward Challenge on Day 34. He finished in 3rd place.
- In Survivor: Guatemala, on Day 34, Cindy Hall was informed of the Car Curse before she accepted her reward, but she still chose to keep the 2006 Pontiac Torrent she had won, rather than give 4 away to the other remaining castaways. She finished in 5th place.
- In Survivor: Panama, Courtney Marit, Danielle DiLorenzo, and Terry Deitz, won the Reward Challenge on Day 28, and fought for a GMC Yukon. Terry defeated Courtney and Danielle and won the car. He finished in 3rd place.
- In Survivor: Fiji, Yau-Man Chan won a 2008 Ford Super Duty after winning the second part of the Reward Challenge on Day 34 but used it to make a deal with Dreamz Herd to trade the car for the Immunity Necklace if Dreamz were to win immunity at the final four. Dreamz later broke the deal, resulting in Yau-Man's elimination in 4th place. Dreamz finished as co-runner-up.
Victims[]
Trivia[]
- Besides winning the Car Reward Challenge, there have been other ways for contestants to win cars on Survivor whilst avoiding the Car Curse.
- From The Australian Outback to Panama, the Sole Survivors also received a car as part of the grand prize. The car that each winner received was typically the same as the car offered in the Reward Challenge.
- In All-Stars, Amber Brkich, the eventual winner, was rewarded with a Chevrolet Malibu after being picked for a reward by Rob Mariano, who actually won the car challenge and was the one affected by the curse. It should be also noted that the car Amber received was a different model from the one that Rob won (a Chevrolet Colorado).
- At the All-Stars Reunion Show, Amber received a second car as part of the winner's grand prize, and Jeff Probst asked her to give away one of the cars to a fellow contestant. Amber chose to give one of the cars to Shii Ann Huang, who had finished in 6th place.
- In Panama, Cirie Fields, who had finished in 4th place, would later receive a GMC Yukon as a prize for winning the Fan Favorite Award.
- In Cook Islands, there was no actual challenge for a car, however, Ozzy Lusth, who had finished in 2nd place, won the Fan Favorite Award against Yul Kwon, the winner of Cook Islands, and received a Mercury Mariner as a prize.
- Some assume that cars are no longer offered as rewards because of the deal made between Yau-Man Chan and Dreamz Herd in Fiji, due to the use of the car as a way to bargain.
- Another possible reason for the lack of a car reward in later seasons is that according to U.S. law, the winner of the car reward has to pay taxes on the car by April 15 of the next calendar year, despite the castaways not receiving their winnings until the season finale airs, which is in May for even-numbered seasons. In Fiji, Dreamz received the car reward from Yau-Man, but was unable to pay taxes on it, resulting in the truck being repossessed.
- Rob Mariano is the only contestant to win the car and also win the title of Sole Survivor, although he won Survivor in a different season than when he won the car. His now-wife Amber is the only contestant to be given a car in any capacity in a season and go on to win the title, although she was picked to receive the car by fellow finalist Rob and did not win it herself.
- The car curse has also made an appearance in Australian Survivor.
- In Australian Survivor (2002), Sylvan Dorney won a Ford Escape as a reward via random draw in the final thirteen Reward/Immunity Challenge. He would be voted out in the final eleven.
- In Australian Survivor (2017), Michelle Dougan won a Holden Trailblazer as a reward for winning the final five Immunity Challenge. She would be eliminated in the final four.
- In Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders (2018), Brian Lake won a Holden Commodore Tourer in the final five Reward challenge. He would later be voted out at the final three.
- In Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders (2019), Abbey Holmes won an MG GS at the second post-merge Reward Challenge. She would later be voted out at the final five.
- In Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn (2021), Dani Beale won an Isuzu D-Max in the final eight Reward Challenge. She would later be voted out at the final six.
- In Australian Survivor: Blood v Water, Jordie Hansen won an Isuzu MU-X at the third post-merge Reward Challenge. He would later be voted out at the final six.
- In Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains, Simon Mee won a choice between an Isuzu D-Max and an Isuzu MU-X in the final eight reward challenge. He chose the Isuzu D-Max. He would later be voted out at the final six.
- In Australian Survivor: Titans v Rebels, Mark Warnock won an Isuzu MU-X at the final twelve Reward Challenge. He would later be voted out at the final three.
- The car curse has also appeared in Survivor South Africa; this was also the first franchise where the car curse was broken.
- In Survivor South Africa: Panama, Zayn Nabbi won a Hyundai Tucson in a Reward Challenge during the penultimate episode. He would later be eliminated via challenge at the final four.
- In Survivor South Africa: Santa Carolina, Gys de Villiers won a Volvo XC60 at the final seven Reward Challenge. He would later be voted out at the final seven.
- In Survivor South Africa: Maldives, Alison de Chazal won a Volvo V60 in the Survivor Auction at the final seven. She would later be voted out at the final five.
- In Survivor South Africa: Champions, Moyra Makina won immunity at the final ten, and was then given a choice on whether to take an an advantage, or a locked box reward that will not be opened until the finale of the season. Moyra chose the box. She would later be voted out at the final nine, and when the season concluded at the finale, Moyra's box was opened to reveal keys to a Jeep Wrangler.
- In Survivor South Africa: Philippines, there was no actual challenge for a car, however, Werner Joubert, who had finished in 4th place, won the Fan Favorite Award against Katinka Oosthuizen and Tom Swartz, the winner of Philippines, and received a Mahindra KUV100 NXT as prize.
- In Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets, while there was a car at a Reward Challenge, the castaways were not playing for ownership of the car. At the final nine, Rob Bentele was allowed to test drive a Mahindra XUV300 for a month. Because Rob did not own the car, the Car Curse did not count, and he still became the Sole Survivor.
- Like in the previous season, Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island had Chappies Chapman, Nicole Wilmans, Tyson Zulu and Wardah Hartley win a Reward Challenge at the final eight. They test drove a Mahindra Thar to a braai, but none of them got to own one, evading the curse, with Nicole becoming Sole Survivor.
- In Survivor South Africa: Return of the Outcasts, Dino Paulo won a Mahindra XUV300 at the final nine Reward/Immunity Challenge. However, he broke the Car Curse that has stood for 22 years after becoming the Sole Survivor of the season.
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