I agree with others that you can have bad experiences with any brand. It is really an issue of how the dealership is run, not the car company. On the design flaw though, it is okay to learn from your experience. That doesn’t mean that you should never buy another GM though. In the past I have developed a hatred for Ford, but I will admit that they have made a lot of improvements lately.
A lot of people say bad things about Detroit’s big three because negative experiences leave us with a lasting hatred while good experiences fade from memory with ease. That leaves Detroit’s big three fighting an uphill battle against prejudice. All car companies have all improved quality in recent years, although not at the same pace. So don’t count out any single car company without researching the individual model in which you are interested.
Left footed braking does not wear out brakes early. The brakes cannot tell which foot is on the pedal. Riding the brakes will wear out brakes early.
I have large feet, and I have been using my left foot for brakes since I got my first automatic transmission. Anyone who rides the brakes with his left foot also does almost everything else carelessly.
I drive now and then through the outskirts of Mexico City, and holding my left foot over the brake pedal dramatically cuts reaction time. You right-footers would need to stop and take a nap after while.
We have had these bogus claims about left-footed drivers for a long time on this URL. Even the cartalk brothers repeat it. In truth, those who know the most about driving left-footed are always those who have never done it.
Most of my driving is on the highway, and the smallest touch on the brake pedal disables the cruise control. I often drive 1500 miles in two days, and the cruise control never disables inadvertently.
My front pads on my 2002 still had life when we replaced them at 85,000 miles (by memory). At 130,000 I checked the rear shoes and they still had plenty of life, I may have them done next year.