You may be right. I've noticed the same thing, although I also have noticed that Honda and Toyota DO have fewer problems overall (so I wonder if it's not specifically a bias towards *them* as towards vehicles which "cause them less trouble" in terms of having fewer issues).

(On the other hand, I'll take sludge over vehicles which randomly burst into flames, a problem Ford has recently re-developed. :) )

I cited them only because they're a recognizable name; most other sources appear to agree that it's a problem from 1996/7-2001 and that it's not something which crops up with great frequency. I *do* at least trust their data, with the usual caveat that it relies on self-reporting.

I do think we're coming to the same conclusion here, though : this car's probably not as reliable as its brand and age would suggest.