the basis of comparison , used by Congress's office of Technology Assessment, is assembly defects. beginning in the 1970s and extending through the 1980s, Japan ese automakers held center stage in the worldwide guality drama. quality in the best U.S. plants equaled that in East Asia, Mexico, Brazil but did not equal that in japanese or European plants . the worst plants in the United States allwed more defects than the worst plants of all other competitors except those in Europe.