I actually owned a Vega
Bought it before many of the problems you cite came to light (plus it was the only car I could afford at the time).
It actually worked for me very well but I'm good at mechanics and took good care to ensure I didn't run it out of coolant, etc.
However, I went on a deployment with the Navy and left it with my sister and her idiot husband. I don't know what they did but when I got back it ran like crap. One day I opened the hood to see the engine head glowing red. Needless to say, I got rid of it soon after.
Art