In 1978, I bought a new car from a manufacturer universally acclaimed for its quality and reliability.

The car was a lemon from the get go. Just about everything that could go wrong went wrong. Some months, the car spent more time at the dealer than it did in my garage.

At first, the manufacturer was very accommodating, but always with the caveat, "This issue isn't really covered under the warranty..."

At 25K miles (after fastidiously adhering to all maintenance requirements), the engine began to burn oil at an alarming rate. The manufacturer refused to do anything for me, suggesting the problem was the result of abuse on my part.

Shortly afterward, I got rid of that car. I moved on, so to speak. In the 28 years since, I have bought 20 new cars - none of them from that manufacturer.