I few years ago I compared the CR reliability ratings of Mexican and German manufactured VWs. There wasn't any correlation. One of the least reliable models was assembled in Germany, one of the most reliable was hecho en Mexico.
where its made is generally quite irrelevant...what is important is how its made and with what...many auto plants have seen significant investment in new automation and equipment...the robots that assemble much of the vehicle on the line are the same regardless of what country they are actually in.
You're all forgetting the horrible reliability of the Gen 4 Golf/Jetta in North America. The windows would fall through, the seats would loosen up, etc. Anything where the final bolt was humanly done was horrible coming from Mexico. This is the exact reason why VW has gained such a bad rap quality wise and deservedly so. I would ONLY buy a VW made in Germany or just maybe North America. Mexico - not ever. If I want good Chinese food, I'll go to an exclusively Chinese restaurant, know what I mean...
That very well may have been the case with gen 4, and that was the biggest drawback for me buying a Golf wagon built in Mexico. However I did some research and found that the plant there was completly revamped in time for the 2007 models and is now a state of the art plant. Since the 2007 model, Jettas, particularly with the 2.5 engine, have been quite reliable and well screwed together. So, I decided to buy a 2010 Golf wagon, which is basically a previous gen Jetta with a Golf front end, and take a chance. I have no regrets. It is the first car I've ever owned that I've never needed a repair or adjustment in three years of operation let alone the first few weeks, which is much more than I can say for the 2004 and 2008 Camrys I leased before.
Also I don't know why the 2.5 gas engine gets such a bad rap. It is the quietest and smoothest idling and running engine I've ever had in a vehicle. Granted it does emit a characteristic growel when revved up, but I like it better than the buzz of a typical 4 cylinder engine. And it gets better mileage than any of the 4 cyl Camrys I've had. Just sayin it like it is!
