Disclaimer: I'm a software developer at GM. That was once true. Since the bailouts, the company has shifted it's focus back to quality. Many more components a

Disclaimer: I'm a software developer at GM. That was once true. Since the bailouts, the company has shifted it's focus back to quality. Many more components and parts are developed and manufactured in-house. See battery systems. With this comes an increase in part/component testing and validation, as well as complete control of quality and behavior of the component. IMO, this is the biggest factor in our quality improvements that have saved us boatloads in warranty costs. The majority of R&D is done in SE Michigan, with additional small labs located around the world. We also do vehicle testing and controls development globally to validate our assumptions wrt climate/elevation/terrain changes. It's true that you won't meet many automotive engineers that live outside of Michigan.