MadMax96

I agree - I'll never own a Chrysler product. Talk to most any original Neon owner - odds are it had a blown head gasket. Chrysler did nothing about it to help the owners (usually occured out of warranty) .. but a friend who's brother is a Chrysler mechanic said they had like 8 different part numbers for the gaskets (revisions) so it's not like they didn't try to fix it..

As far as the DRL and turn signals goes - I'm pretty sure it's normal. The DRL on that side shuts off so the flashing amber can be seen better. Kind of a goofy design.

I prefer the high intensity amber lights like on the C5 Corvette & last generation Firebird/Camaro - as well as many other GM vehicles. But as far as DRLs go - I'd rather not even have them. I yanked the relay out of my '99 LS to turn them off.

Stormwind

It's really a bad design/engineering more than anything else. Like Fords tail lamps using a single red bulb for the entire assembly, combining brake, signal, and backup lights together....it doesn't take much to realize what will happen when that one single bulb goes out.

But the people responsible for them will scratch their heads looking at you saying they don't see what the problem was.

bagwell

based on the number of recalls?

remember Toyota is proactive with issues it finds instead of waiting until vehicles burst into flames and kill people like FORD and only then they are forced to issue recalls by the NHTSA/DOT.

mmarshall

No. Virtually every manufacturer has recalls sooner or later. I'm talking about general build quality. The 2007 Camry, for example, recall or not, IMO can't hold a candle in build solidness to the superb 1992-1996 models.

And a neighbor of mine had a new Tundra (2005 or 2006...I don't remember) that caught fire on the Interstate with just 10,000 miles on it. It only happened to three individual trucks......all from the same dealership, so there was not enough evidence for a national recall.

(He liked the truck so much he replaced it with another one exactly like it...at Toyota's expense, of course. )

bagwell

yes, but remember Ford had issues with vehicles not even running or being occupied and the cruise control shorting out and burning up the vehicle (and garage/house)! You think they did a voluntary recall? hell no!

19psi

true. i always have older cars, so that's what i look at. it's a good way to judge how your current new(er) car will look and feel in a few more years though.

speedflex

True or not Ford should just shut up about it because, as a marketing strategy, it comes across as somewhat insecure. First, it is a clear admission that their quality hasn't been equal to Toyota's in the past. Plus it seems a concession that Toyota is kicking their butt.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Any link anywhere to one of these ads? I've not seen any.

One thing Toyota could learn from though is Ford's "SYNC" - great stuff.

http://www.fordvehicles.com/features...ex.asp?id=1645

The refreshed Lexus GS still has a cassette player, right? And no iPod integration even offered?

LexFather

Ford IMO, in recent years has built some great built cars inside and out. Their interiors are very underrated, IMO.

However, this is like saying "Ford, our quality is equal to the 2007 Tundra, which is having tons of issues".


I couldn't believe Ford said TOYOTA in the commercial on T.V!!!

litesoarer

They know their target audience

mmarshall

Yes, some Ford interiors are nice (generally the upper-crust models), but the lower-class models, like the Focus, Escape/Mariner, and Mustang use cheap materials and have, IMO, poor fit/finish. I was especially sorry to see the way Ford did the new Escape/Mariner interior....I was a big fan of the old ones. I still like the mechanics of the new ones, but the interiors are a step down in material quality.

On the other hand, the Five Hundred/Taurus (another Ford model I like) is done pretty nicely inside.



It's fairly common now for auto firms to use each other's names in competitive advertising now. The days when that was taboo are long-gone. Almost all of the makers of mid-sized sedans now take pot shots at the Camry and Accord, for example. Heck, I can even remember some of that from the late 1980's when Nissan was trying to push the Stanza (remember that car?) against the Camry/Accord in radio/TV ads.

Stormwind

Hyundai likes to do that especaily, it got to a point it becomes annoying to listen to them comparing themselves to Toyota this Honda that you think you were watching sombody elses commercial.