I'm not entirely sure what they mean by 'Lean', it's a term usually reserved for Six Sigma style process management. The Toyota Production System introduced Just in Time (KanBan) and continuous improvement/total Quality Management (Kaizen), which when properly applied should eradicate the quality control problems they have.
The essential point, which I seem to spend all my professional life telling my clients, is that it is ALWAYS quicker and cheaper to get things right first time than it is to get them wrong and then rectify them. Most companies don't have the money or time to produce sloppy work. MMC, sadly, seem to be able to afford to not follow this advice.
In contrast to MMC's effort, I have just spent 30k on a new Honda CRV, vastly more complex than a Plus 4 for considerably less money, and the thing has been absolutely and completely flawless right from day 1. They do it right, and it's not about the robots...
