The things he got fixed were probably recalls. Ford kicks ass at recalls. Some people say it means they make crappy vehicles, I say it's because they want to keep their customers happy. My truck has several problems, none of which covered by a recall, all of which I have to harass the shit out of my dealer to get fixed. Ford sends me a letter about problems telling me to come get them fixed before I even know I have them.
Making fun of American vehicle quality used to work, but not anymore. These US-built Tacomas have plenty of problems, and the US companies have stepped up their game (well, GM hasn't, but the other two have.) In fact, I'm pissed off enough about my crapped-out clutch at 13k miles and the fact that the mpg of this truck drops like a freaking rock when it gets below 50° outside that I really wish I had bought the F150 I test drove at the same time instead. With the employee pricing and crap at the time I could've gotten it for only about $1k more. I just assumed Toyota built a better truck, since they used to. They sure as hell don't these days. They still build a good truck, but this thing is a far cry from my '88 that I could jump 6 feet in the air without making it whimper. I've babied this thing and it has had more niggling little problems than my Dodge, and I know how the Toyota folks love making fun of Dodge.