I'll admit that EPA crap and purely litigious silliness has added an immense amount to the cost of an automotive product, but as for the "Big Three", the biggest cost has been the extortionist demands of the United Auto Workers and the Teamsters.
Removing all that, the price of a mid-level automobile in the US should be right around $12,000.00, and that is allowing for a decent profit for all concerned, from the bottom up.
The unions and the EPA/OSHA/NHTSA, etc agencies have ruined this country.
...but as for the "Big Three", the biggest cost has been the extortionist demands of the United Auto Workers and the Teamsters. Yeah, there's that as well. Thank you for pointing it out.
How long has it been since we had a free country?