Originally Posted by Olas
Your view is different - a Merc/BMW/VW/Audi built in NA is typically a low quality item with poor fit and finish, which the majority of the market place seem to be happy to buy and live with.
The same car built in Germany is a well designed, well executed high quality item with exceptional attention to detail, and segment leading fit&finish.
Tesla are better than NA built Euro cars. Euro built Euro cars are significantly better than Tesla - you only have to look at the orange peel and panel gaps on any new Tesla to see how poorly they are built.
Being all that distance away distorts your view
Disgree here.
I've owned 4 BMW's over the past 15 or so years and every one was German built and every one had orange peel. Also every one had some weird issue which was inherent with that particular model.
In any case fit-n-finish isn't indicative of durability. For example, aside from the peeling plastic film on the door handles/gear selector, I don't think anyone would disagree with the fit-n-finish of the E90 M3 of the E60 M5 but clearly it has nothing to do with why those engines chew through their bearings.
OR
How about the well known timing chain problems for the BMW 320d (Engine Cod N47)? It took BMW UK years to own up to that fiasco. BMWNA has extended the warranty on this to 7 yrs/70k miles.
In the US Mercedes Benz just agreed to a massive recall over a mold issue with regards to the climate control system.
The thing is that in the US these vehicles are priced as luxury cars along with their luxury car labor rates (although that gap has been closing). People expect similar components found in less priced vehicles to be as durable, not less durable (ex, rear cameras, engine related gaskets).
The Germans do excel at rust prevention.