That's looking at it way too short sighted. Using that same logic, Toyota and Honda would have wanted to make cars of poor quality in the early 80's because making cars last longer = fewer car sales/repairs = less profit. When in fact, the long term effect of building cars that lasted longer was being known as a market leader in quality long after the US/Japan quality gap closed = more car sales = more profit = worldwide market leaders. JD Power announced Ford won more awards for initial quality this year than any other company: http://www.jdpower.com/press-release...spx?id=2007088
yet Ford is losing billions of dollars. How can that be? Surely people must believe that a Ford will last longer than a Honda!
How many people pay a few cents more for gas at a chain gas station (BP, Shell, Chevron, etc.) because of the perception that the gas is better quality? Where's the proof to justify the difference in price? It's more about marketing and the perception of quality rather than actual quality. The days of conspiracy theories were a dozen men from competing companies meet in a dark room and decide to hold back technology for the benefit of each other are long gone. Companies use whatever they can to get an edge and will sell out their own sister divisions for the opportunity to make a profit.