My opinion on part of quality is dependent on part suppliers, engineering, assembly, and organization. Consumer Reports have reported that the avg. car maintainence problems is with the Japanese cars arcing above this avg. car problem line and Germans and US cars arcing below this same line.

Being a DIY and buying parts and repairing all the above. I find that parts play a pretty heavy role with superceding parts and various parts. I do not know if it is the sourcing of the parts, but Japanese cars are being outsourced just like the German and American cars. Does it contribute to the quality of the cars? Probably. My Lexus oil filter is no longer being made in Japan, but in Thailand. It is not just where it is made. Though, quality control does play a major role,but the design even something simple as a oil filter. If you look at the bottom of the oil filter and the construction even of the outside. You can see a major difference between the one that is made in Japan vs made in Thailand. The one made in Thailand looks like worse than a AC Delco filter and being charged around $10. No thanks.

I just think in the age of hybrid and maybe even nitrogen cars soon. Mercedes cars in the luxury market may still be a good bang-for-the-buck against Supercars such, as Ferrari, Bugatti, Porsche, but against cars that cost less and more practical. It may not be worth it. BTW, has anyone driven the new 507hp, V-10 BMW M5? Whatever happened to the gentleman's agreement between Mercedes and BMW? Has it flew out the door?