The German car situation in Europe is a bit different, several popular explanations:
- Lower spec versions are available and common; the brands themselves are not inherently special or upmarket
- This means mechanics who work on the brands do not automatically command a premium
- Parts are not subject to import duties and supply chain cannot get away with as much markup (after Brexit who knows?)
- Culture of better compliance with scheduled maintenance
- Depending on location, better maintained roads and milder weather
Also they have invested a lot in reliability in the 2010s and some of the reputation is a holdover from previous generation models. Problems will still be outrageously expensive to fix compared to Japanese cars but are not so disproportionately likely to occur.
My dad briefly owned a BMW as his midlife crisis car. The bi-xenon headlights looked better than any I had ever seen. But when one burned out it was $1500 between the part and the labor to remove practically the whole front end. This is considered a characteristic, “classic BMW” kind of problem.
- Lower spec versions are available and common; the brands themselves are not inherently special or upmarket
- This means mechanics who work on the brands do not automatically command a premium
- Parts are not subject to import duties and supply chain cannot get away with as much markup (after Brexit who knows?)
- Culture of better compliance with scheduled maintenance
- Depending on location, better maintained roads and milder weather
Also they have invested a lot in reliability in the 2010s and some of the reputation is a holdover from previous generation models. Problems will still be outrageously expensive to fix compared to Japanese cars but are not so disproportionately likely to occur.
My dad briefly owned a BMW as his midlife crisis car. The bi-xenon headlights looked better than any I had ever seen. But when one burned out it was $1500 between the part and the labor to remove practically the whole front end. This is considered a characteristic, “classic BMW” kind of problem.