The American Spectator

Roger D. McKinney br> Broken Arrow, Oklahoma /p>

Back in 1980, I insisted (against my father’s advice that I buy a Toyota) that I wanted an American car. I purchased a Pontiac Sunbird, which was a BIG mistake. I was beset with problems almost from the date of purchase. It was previously owned with only 6,000 miles on it. I was told that the previous owner had wanted a Toyota instead of the Pontiac and thus traded it in. (This was a Pontiac/Toyota dealership.) I was not given the owner’s name and number until after I had completed the sale.

The owner said, “Oh! You got a lemon. My wife has had only trouble with that car — that’s why we traded it back for a Toyota.”

I later found that the engine block was separated from the front of the car, causing an oil leak whenever I drove the car over 50 miles. This allowed carbon monoxide to get into the car due to its contour even with windows closed and a/c on. I would feel drowsy after driving 50 miles and have to pull over, crack the window, and “rest” for 15 minutes and continue my trip.

The timing also would go out about every six weeks. A friend would reset it for me. We later found that the timing gear was made of hard plastic, not metal. This caused the gear to slip if I drove over too many bumpy roads.

The engine block was finally replaced on warranty after I complained to the district office in Jacksonville, Florida, about my problems.

This is the last American car I have ever owned. As I have watched American cars in the past 25 years, it seems that there have been recalls of American cars each year for various problems.

I understand that in the late 1970s, American car manufacturers did away with their quality control departments at the end of the assembly line. They told the dealers to go over the cars and if they found anything wrong, to repair it, and they would be compensated. The dealers were given a certain amount per car to perform this function.

The dealers, however, let the customer be the QC department, telling customers, “If you have any trouble in the first few months, bring the car back and we will fix it.”

p>I feel that GM and Ford will continue to have lagging sales until the quality is restored to their cars. They can put out as many models and brands as they like, but without quality, they will still miss the mark. br> — Bill Reynolds /p>