In the three-year interval since that "crisis" meeting with suppliers, Nissan, Honda, and Toyota have suffered their own supplier-related powertrain failures and subsequently set up publicly disclosed 7- to 8-year "goodwill" engine and transmission warranty extensions affecting 1997-2004 Toronto airport limo service cars, trucks, SUVs, and minivans.

In 2006, Ford’s quality shortcomings may be alleviated by its closer partnership with Mazda and Volvo. The new 2006 Fusion, Milan, and Zephyr (one car sold as three), for example, is a Mazda6 spin-off, slightly smaller than the Five Hundred (which replaced the Taurus), competing with the Chevrolet Malibu, the Honda Accord, the Hyundai Sonata, and the Toyota Camry. Volvo’s platform was used for the first time on the 2005 Five Hundred, Freestar, and Montego. Several new front-drive Lincolns, based on Volvo’s D3 architecture, will arrive as 2007 models (I smell another front-drive Continental goof). Lincoln’s reliable and proftable Town Car will likely remain for a few more years as Ford’s only rear-drive Lincoln, such is its popularity with seniors and fleet managers.

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