Ford And Chrysler Make False Statements About American Made Cars

The consumer watchdog group Made in the USA Foundation has filed formal complaints with the Federal Trade Commission over what it calls false statements and misleading ads regarding the Ford Fusion and the Chrysler 300.

''Imported from Detroit.'' is the tagline in every Chrysler 300 ad. Unfortunately, that is not true. The car is assembled in Canada and usually has a Mexican made engine. ''Last time I checked, Detroit is not in Canada. Chrysler is flat wrong to imply the Chrysler 300 is made in the United States and we have asked the FTC to order corrective advertising,'' said Joel D. Joseph, general counsel to the Foundation.

A radio ad for the Ford Fusion clearly states that the Fusion is an American car; however, ''The Fusion is made in Mexico, and is not an American car. The Ford ad misleads and confuses the public and we have asked the Federal Trade Commission to stop the ads.''

While consumer watchdog groups may seem like a waste of time to many, they can be all important in delving into these types of misleading advertisements. After all, if you go to the trouble to get a subprime auto loan for an American car, you want to know it is actually made in America.