Maintenance assumptions and the limits of national engineering stereotypes

One proposed distinction assumes German designs expect strict compliance with the maintenance manual, while Japanese designs allow parts to wear together through less exact treatment. The comparison is immediately challenged with Japanese cars and rotary engines. High power from a small rotary engine is distinguished from suitability for an ordinary owner who may neglect its demands. Personal experience with Subaru and Volvo reliability, together with the cost of replacement parts, keeps the exchange at the level of examples rather than proving a universal national rule.