What is the average total number of parts that make up an american automobile?
What is the average total number of moving parts on an american automobile?

Estimates for seemingly reliable sources (including government
sources) as to how many total parts there are in a "typical" or
"average" modern car vary in a rather wide range from "X thousand" to
double that number. I could give you this range (along with sources
for the lower and higher ends of the range), but I suspect that you
are looking for something a little more specific.  Also, the
references to these totals are not limited to Americn-made cars.

I have not (so far) found a similar number (or range) for "moving
parts," probably because the term does not have a precise meaning,
and, if you are interested in moving parts in engines only, the number
will vary widely depending on the type and size of the engine.

I hope another research can get some better information for you, but I
wanted you to know that your question is not being ignored.

markj-ga

As markj says, the term ?parts? is difficult to define. Take a
ball-race, is this one moving part or many? The manufacturer of the
race might say it has two shells, two seals, a dozen balls and a
couple of seals. Or take a motor. To the car manufacturer it might be
one part because it is bought in, but it?s built from many parts, some
of which are indefinable, such as the wire. One winding of wire might
be considered to be a part but all the wire probably came off the same
reel. Then there is the electronics -- is a car radio one part or 500?
Is the volume control a moving part? And are all the various fluids to
be regarded as parts?

This sort of question has kept philosophers in employment since from
whenever, so there is no absolute answer unless perhaps it is framed
as ?how many items are used?, where an ?item? is a bought in or
manufactured unit.

The question is perfectly valid though because it is important to
those generating parts lists and bill-of-parts. Say one was generating
a list for an electronic item, included in this would be an estimation
of solder quantity. Not really a part, but must be regarded as such.

Best