answer:I have only ever owned one semi-new car; a ‘98 Saturn SW1 purchased in ‘00. Between an electrical problem in the anti-theft system disabling the starter permanently, and not one but two blown transmissions, and the dealer not taking care of those since the original warranty no longer applied because we bought it used, I am a bit skeptical of new cars. And while the dealer did take care of the anti-theft/ignition issue, it was enough of a hassle that I definitely considered it a problem, especially since I had to leave work to rescue the wife. That said, no car is without problems of some sort. In fact, brand new cars are a little more prone to them; call it “breaking in”, call it “teething pains”, but either way, cars generally need a little time and a few thousand miles to sort themselves out. Oddly, the one that has caused me the fewest problems is my current one; an ‘85 Corolla. While cars have changed a bit in the last few years (notably, the quality of American cars has generally improved), there are some things that still hold true.