Funny you mention buying American... I drive a Charger (3.5, not a Hemi) for work, and altho I really do like it, I admit I don't pay for service and I can get a rental thru work if it's in the shop for a few days.... like it was for a while week while they replaced the valve lifters at 50k. 3 sets of brakes too, they warp real easily. Also a steering pump... Thing rides great, eats up highway like it's twinkies, but the guy at the Firestone shop (Who I'm on a first name basis with now) says he is seeing a LOT of Crysler products coming thru the door lately. Lots of brakes and steering problems. I had a Jeep Liberty before that which only went thru a couple O2 sensors, but another coworker has one with 80K on it that is on a reman-tranny and he says it's creeking and moaning a lot. Granted we put like 30 to 40K a year on these things in the NY metro area, so it might as well be offroading ALL the time. We beat em... But just food for thought.
My wife has a Focus 3 door (the Skittle she calls it) that only had one weird gremlin when she first got it. Something about the alarm and remote starter weren't getting along well, and it would just NOT start. Stranded her in MA for a couple days. After that got worked out, it's been fine. Too bad they don't make the hatches anymore! I guess Ford's model decisions is a whole different discussion!!!
