[runako]

I think this is a dated perception. JD Power shows a fair showing of American cars in its 2013 initial quality study:

http://autos.jdpower.com/ratings/quality/cars.htm

[soperj]

I've always found JD Power to be a bit biased towards American made cars. Maybe because he worked for Ford and GM, I don't know, but even at their worst, they always seemed to be featured by them.

[gtaylor]

I'm not sure about the American bias, as I see tons of non-US cars in the sedans list, but their truck ratings are a travesty:

http://autos.jdpower.com/ratings/quality/trucks.htm

I have been utterly unimpressed with the Silverados and Avalanches. For that kind of money, I expect a lot more than fragile/cheap interiors (Silverado) and the crummy bed on the Avalanche.

[skorgu]

"Initial quality" is the key phrase. You could imagine a car being very appealing in the dealership and falling apart a year down the line.