One thing about internet forums like this is that anyone can say anything they want to make their case for or against anything. This often makes it difficult to separate facts from BS.
However, one thing I have definitely noticed on all of the forums I read is that any story that starts off with "my buddy owns" or "a friend own's brand X, Y or Z", is just about always bs.
If you don't believe me, go to the Ford or GM forums and you can read the EXACT same stories about Dodges and all the horror stories about them. And it always starts the same way "my buddy owns... . "
That's why I completely disregard posts like that. Not that some my be true but that most are not.
And its usually pretty easy to tell which is which.