Well, the truck part of your theory, doesn't hold up extremely well, since the foreign manufacturers have only just really begun building, big "real" trucks. Once Nissan get's into the game and Mercedes starts to import some of their non-commercial trucks most likely via Dodge, I think you will see a change if and only if they start building true workhoses that can haul crap and have the engines to back them up.
On the other hand, if I compare my old '03 Ranger to my old '02 SVTF, the truck never gave me any problems, with the exception of a bad design on the cigarette lighter where it kept falling apart, the SVTF was in the shop 34 times in the year that I owned it. However I never held the truck up to the same standard I held the car up to. I expected squeaks and rattles, non quiet ride, etc., but man that truck sure loved to play in the mud. I miss my truck, but I don't miss my car.
Now that trucks are getting more luxurious and used more as passenger vehicles I think you'll see the tide change on that too, because they are adding more non-essential items to them.
But that's just my theory.