Not only are US-made automobiles still less reliable than their Japanese equivalents, but the US doesn’t make the micro-cars that are so essential to navigating the narrow streets of most Japanese towns and cities. And because spare parts are more expensive (and more frequently needed…) it costs more to insure a US vehicle. All in all, Japan is not a good market fit for US automobiles and the cost of adapting practices to meet Japanese requirements would exceed any probable value thereby obtained. It’s always important to know who you shouldn’t try to serve, rather than assuming one should always try to serve all markets equally.