Yes I know the tier 1's and work with them. As I pointed out, the testing involves cycling through what they give me as the "life cycle" of the vehicle. This varies, but is far less than people think. They are really only interested in making sure warranty costs are kept down, not eliminated, just kept down to a "reasonable" level, say 5% or so. I have never heard of a "start-stop" feature being tested as a complex package, ie "in-the-car", only some components are tested. Be aware, even after the cycle tests are complete, I generally have to run them to failure, which is typically not long afterward, and then do a forensic report on all the components that make up the unit, measuring the wear (before the test) and after. GM doesnt throw that much money, believe me. Last tier 1 I worked for was Fiat/Diamler/Chrysler, had to do with the Wrangler, but thats all I can say about it, as you know. "..a good percentage will make it past warranty.." Yes, that is the plan, not all of them, but a decent percentage. Lately Honda and Toyota (the Toyota Way, which was a modification of lean manufacturing) have slipped quite a bit in the quality department, although earlier they were top notch. Always a gamble trying to second guess the quality when you buy a new car, past performance is no indication of current quality. You are buying based on old news.