I have an early 90s 911 (993 shape).
It does use a bit of oil, but not excessively. A friend has a renault that uses more, and they too say it is an ecceptible level of use.
I'm sad to see they are having problems already. This can only harm the reputation of the car, and ultimately lose the owners more money.
When the cayenne & toureg came out they too had problems, although mainly gearbox electrics.
As for assembling components rather than building themselves, all 'manufacturers' do that, including Ferrari. It is called outsourcing and is what results in lower production costs. It doesn't make sense for an auto manufacturer to make their own pistons/rods/pumps etc when they can buy them in made to their spec from a specialist manufacturer.
All auto makers are having difficulties with different aspects of their cars.
I have an Audi that has a lifetime warranty on its wheels as they have a tendancy to buckle so easily. At 35k miles it has just had its gearbox overhauled too :|
Bmw have problems with M3's blowing engines. Hondas have recently had problems with cam belts snapping and vtec systems jamming.
Its a shame, but I guess all the time the makers strive for maximum market share and profits sometimes issues will be missed...