In regards to your post about why the alternator died prematurely, I dont think the country where it was made had anything to do with it. I had my Valeo 140amp alternator die at 60K and it was made in Germany.

What probably went wrong with your alternator is the voltage regulator was worn out or faulty. Changing that piece may have solved your issue. Thats what I changed out and found it to solve my alternator issue. This was after purchasing a new alternator since I didn't have much time to be without a car.