‘Car of the Year’ Reports Aren’t Always Dependable
Dear Street Smart: I purchased my 1986 Ford Taurus after reading Motor Trend magazine call it the Car of the Year. Now I find from reading a recent newspaper article that the writers of stories about cars are given gifts and fringes by the auto companies. I feel betrayed!
Since I purchased my Taurus, I have replaced the gas tank, the brakes twice, two sets of tires, had a bolt break on the engine block and a new head gasket installed. The anchor holding the driver’s seat to the auto floor broke and I had to replace that. The transmission had to be replaced and the cruise control does not work. I replaced several hoses and seals around the wheels.
The car has less than 57,000 miles. I asked five of my friends who have a Taurus or Sable and found that the transmission had to be replaced on all of them. They also had other problems.
In buying the Taurus, I bought an American car. But I don’t think it will happen again.
Milt Jacobson
Mission Viejo
I find your letter disturbing on a number of fronts. I don’t know about the people at Motor Trend, but the perks allegedly accepted by some members of the automotive press go well beyond ethical bounds. It’s unfortunate that one must read some of their reports with a grain of salt.
As for the Taurus, you were caught in what I call the first-year car syndrome. Cars often are ballyhooed when they first appear, which was the case when the Taurus made its debut in 1986. But all those glittering early press reports say nothing about the car’s dependability, which is largely the most important factor for many motorists in their final judgment of a car.
I always like to check out the Consumer Reports assessment of repair records for cars. Unlike the opinions of the automotive press, these assessments are based on consumer feedback.
Consumer Reports rated the 1986 Taurus “average” for most repairs, but it got ratings of “much worse than average” for air conditioning, engine cooling, fuel system and, you guessed it, automatic transmission. On the overall trouble index, it was rated much worse than average. And in the years since, matters didn’t improve until 1989, when the car was upgraded to “worse than average” on the trouble index by Consumer Reports.
Obviously, not everyone can wait for a model to establish a superb repair record in Consumer Reports before he or she plunks down cash. There are, after all, cars that we just must have. And right away.
If that car of your dreams turns into a dud, remember that California has lemon laws that can help.
Under the law, a vehicle is a lemon if, within the first year or 12,000 miles, the same problem cannot be fixed after four or more attempts or if the car is out of service more than 30 days total while being repaired.
The law requires that the problems be covered by the warranty and substantially reduce the use, value or safety of the car. You must also notify the manufacturer directly about the problem, and a complaint must be submitted to a third party, such as a qualified arbitration program.
A booklet describing the law can be obtained by contacting the state’s Department of Consumer Affairs in Sacramento. Another resource is the Lemon Book, published by the Center for Auto Safety. It’s available at many bookstores.
Dear Street Smart:
When using the commuter lane on our Southern California freeways, it is awfully easy to miss your off-ramp. There is not an exit from the commuter lane for every off-ramp. Some exits out of the car-pool lane don’t give you much time to get over into the right lane in rush-hour traffic.
Why doesn’t Caltrans simply put a star or other marking next to the street name on the signs telling how far to a given off-ramp. The star would tell a motorist that there is an exit from the car-pool lane before an upcoming off-ramp. If there wasn’t one of the stars, a motorist would know they would have to get out of the car-pool lane sooner.
Robert G. Xiques
Orange
You cite an interesting problem that has plagued many using the car-pool lane. But the idea of a star or other symbol on the freeway signs seems like it would be confusing to motorists, especially newcomers unfamiliar with that system. Fortunately, the Orange County Transportation Commission has stepped in to help. The agency already has put up signs along car-pool lanes on the San Diego Freeway advising motorists that they must exit to reach certain off-ramps. Now the program is being expanded so that every commuter lane in the county is fitted with the signs, small green placards mounted on the median barrier to the left of the car-pool lane.
The signs should be going up in the next few months. Not only do they help car-poolers plan ahead, but the signs also seem to cut down on drivers crossing the double yellow line separating the commuter lane from regular traffic. Crossing the yellow line is an illegal act that carries a stiff, $246 minimum fine.
Dear Street Smart:
Some months ago I wrote in with a question about making a left turn against a red left arrow when the through traffic light was green and the intersection was clear. Your answer was that it is not legal, which cost me a $5 bet.
In your Feb. 4 column, you quote the “cardinal rule” that it is always legal for left and U-turns when it is not specifically prohibited.
The cardinal rule was my basis for making the wager in the first place. I would appreciate some clarification on this issue.
Merle D. Borman
Dana Point
Sorry I didn’t make the cardinal rule more clear.
The law does indeed state that you can make a left or U-turn unless a sign is posted specifically prohibiting it. But the law also says that you cannot make a left or U-turn against a red signal. In your case, a red left-turn arrow qualifies as a red signal telling you not to turn left.
As the Feb. 4 column pointed out, motorists occasionally will run across permissive/protective signals, which display a left arrow if there are many cars in the turn pocket but only a round green signal if just one or two want to turn left. In those cases, there is no red signal involved, and motorists can make their left turn once oncoming traffic has cleared the intersection.
