Is it true that the Mazda 3 was a group design effort by Ford, Volvo, and Mazda? To me, that isn't good news for reliability. Even if they make the 3 in Japan, I think the design matters the most.
The Japanese cars that are made in the USA still have higher than average reliability. (Seems to be an obvious topic for a study, but I couldn't find anything on the Web.) Also, the much maligned Focus, is most often insulted because of its large number of recalls, which are in essence design flaws. (I suppose management could be implicated if they mandate cheaper than required parts.) If a large portion of the 3 was designed by Ford, I'd be worried. (Personally, I'm holding my breath for a MazdaSpeed 6 hatchback.)
Is there any other reason why the American companies do so poorly in reliability? I think the fact that Japanese cars made in America are close to the quality of the cars build in Japan show that the workers can't take most of the blame. Is it the designers, the managers, the plants, ...?
The Japanese cars that are made in the USA still have higher than average reliability. (Seems to be an obvious topic for a study, but I couldn't find anything on the Web.) Also, the much maligned Focus, is most often insulted because of its large number of recalls, which are in essence design flaws. (I suppose management could be implicated if they mandate cheaper than required parts.) If a large portion of the 3 was designed by Ford, I'd be worried. (Personally, I'm holding my breath for a MazdaSpeed 6 hatchback.)
Is there any other reason why the American companies do so poorly in reliability? I think the fact that Japanese cars made in America are close to the quality of the cars build in Japan show that the workers can't take most of the blame. Is it the designers, the managers, the plants, ...?