this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2026
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I worked in the government for a bit, national park service if it matters, we were only allowed to use US made vehicles.
Constant recalls, constant breakdowns, overall unreliable. These were all vehicles that were less than 5 years okd
I have a 2007 toyota today that refuses to die and has barely needed any work. I'll probably have it at least another 3 to 5 years at this rate
Worked at an oil refinery in the US. All the company cars were Ford. They all had various issues such as lights not working, the reverse beeper not working, constant engine light. We would get a loaner ford to replace our fleet ford and the loaner would fucking die. It would be comical if it wasn't my safety being jeopardized.
It's very possible your Toyota was made in the US.
Where car is made is irrelevant. How it is designed and engineered matters. Toyotas made in North America outlast anything designed in Detroit.
My point is that there's really not much difference now. I'm betting many car manufacturers are starting to have AI design some parts. So where something is designed matters a lot less.
Your point doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Different companies have different approaches to engineering and quality control, and it absolutely makes a massive difference for how long their products last. This is very obvious in the car market.
ML will likely play a massive role for engineering going forward, but again, it's up to each company or organization to decide how to use it. I wouldn't be surprised at all if some companies try to have LLMs weigh in on engineering matters, where they shouldn't. AI will amplify bad engineering.
But responsible companies will make proper use of ML and their cars will be better for it.
Except for the design and almost all the parts. Probably was assembled here
Many GM and Ford parts are made outside of the US. Possibly only the design and headquarters really separates them. It's a global supply chain for all companies.
But Ford is responsible for bad designs like EcoBoost and trucks with plastic oil pans. Peek under a Bronco, many of the steel parts aren't even painted and body seams are not sealed. Peak 1970s manufacturing.
Plastic oil pans save weight, who even uses metal anymore?
The only time I ever got a hole in an oil pan was a metal one and it was my ex who somehow hit a rock and hid it from me. The one car I had with a plastic pan never had any issues, but it also had a skid plate that makes a larger difference than the material of the oil pan itself, since loose debris would just bounce off. Plus the skid plate helps reduce wind resistance so it's a necessity in this day and age anyway.
There are always trade-offs. All polymers deteriorate when exposed to that kind of thermal cycling and chemical exposure. A metal alloy fit for the job can last forever.
American capitalism has rendered companies incapable of producing anything that's not crap at a scale because they need to maximise profit at all costs, while quality doesn't mean shit. Every company is Boeing.