Recently we had a car come into the shop with 1 headlight that didn't work. Now, normally it's a simple bulb replacement, but this particular car had headlights that were, well, let's say expensive. The bulb alone, $140. The ballast (yes like in a fluorescent light,) $400! So instead of a simple circuit that supplies power to a bulb, there's an elaborate system that is going to cost our customer almost $500. Just to fix his headlight. You may be thinking that it's gotta be a Saab or a BMW or some exotic car. It's not. It's a Cadillac.
Even so-called domestic cars aren't domestic anymore. More and more manufacturers are teaming up with European designers and engineers and in some cases have even partnered with foreign companies. One that comes to mind is Daimler/Chrysler. Daimler is in fact Mercedes Benz. So now that Dodge minivan you're looking at could potentially be part Mercedes in design and engineering. Which is fine. Mercedes makes some awesome cars. But can you afford to drive or fix one?
I guess the point of this post is that it's not our (the mechanic's fault) that your vehicle is a morphidite of several different manufacturers, engineers and sourcing. Just be aware that some vehicles cost more, sometimes a lot more to fix. A responsible shop will do their best to control your costs, but in the end they still need to make a profit to stay in business.
