[enzo@af]

Well, here's a few case studies....

1) A friend of mine with a 94 V6 has had to replace a ton of stuff on his! unite@af could explain everything better than I can, but you get the idea.

2) Another friend (with a mustang emblem tattooed on his arm..drives a ranger) saw a ZX2 for sale that had 100,000 miles on it....his first thought was utter amazement that it lasted that long. Even Ford fans diss on their reliability.

But, as with every car, there are lemons out there. Some cars will die, some will drive forever. It's just a matter of luck. Of course, picking a make and model that aren't as prone to it of course helps, but there is always risk. I would suggest to your friend to get any car he may be considering (if it's used) with a warranty, low miles, and get it checked and rechecked by some mechanics. He may be able to haggle the dealer to pay for a compression test, or something.