[purple04]

Sounds like someone with a big axe to grind. Worded like a tort attorney's case, or a hyped TV show. There are issues with every car, and lawyers always say "this was supposed to be a safe car". The LEAST safe car now is MUCH better than one built even 10 years ago. I lean more toward the idea that as soon as you make something idiot-proof, a better idiot comes along. Between the need for making a profit, meeting consumer wants, gov't regs, and the intense competition, I think most manufacturers do a darn good job. Is any car perfect? NO. A friend once asked what was the best car. She wanted something that got great mileage, was safe, cheap and never broke. Let's face it, even a Rolls or a hand-built rod needs service and has components that will break. The average PT is a huge advancement over the cars of the 60s in emissions, MPG, safety, comfort, handling and braking. A comparable Mopar would be a Dart.
Say you got a 318, you had a 3000# car that got low 20 MPG, had a heater and AM radio, and lap belts. It required a tuneup every year, much more lubrication, would need engine work at around 120K and was still pretty dirty. It would do a quarter mile at about the same rate as a PT, and wouldn't handle, brake, or have the creature comforts. All our perceptions advance as quickly as progress.