my sisters 96 Camry

They do. The problem is that they make a lot of cars that aren't so good, either.

Some Fords last a long time. Others don't.

Jeff

I'd guess maybe the 30 dollar an hour Americans are paid in union benefits and pay? Make that 40 or 80 bucks per hour, depends on the union contract. Look for the union label, if you are in a union, otherwise get along best you can.

The shareholders want an immediate return on their investments, and aren't willing to wait. So the cars get cheapened to make the max profit per unit and make the bottom line look good.

Toyota took a different tack, by making a good product, attracting new customers, and keeping them with quality and innovation. In the process, they eventually made a profit for their shareholders. It took longer.

But the Japanese are more patient and tolerant than American investors, and will wait to see their investments pay off.

And $3400 is a good price for a car in this condition.

Why you think they don't? I usually get tired of cars before they wear out, but I have kept a few US made cars for a while (1992 F150 - kept it for 14 years, 100k miles with minimal problems, 1986 Sable, 11 years, 140k miles no problems, 1997 Expedition 147,000 miles, minimal problems).

Ed