I see better steel on Big 3 vehicles then I ever do on japanese companies. I see equal quality on american as well. Lots of dirty secrets the media wont talk about when it comes to toyota, honda, nissan, etc. Toyota, and their v6 engine in camrys and avalons, sludging up due to a poor pcv design, and large numbers of engine failures at low miles. Frames breaking on toyota trucks from mild rust. Hondas blowing out seals and losing oil. Toyotas and rampant headgasket failures. The import shops stay busy fixing a long list of common engine problems that somehow, the customers accept. If it was an american car, they would scream bloody murder. Another thing about consumer habits I see, import owners follow scheduled maint. more closely then american brand owners. Youll see japanese brand owners come in wanting their brake fluid flushed, ask about doing a timing belt, etc, but rarely ever on american brand owners. They drive them till the wheels fall off. That makes a difference on how people percieve a brand. Expectations that exceed the design.