If you are using your car for something other than this, then yes, my answer is that someone is trying to compensate for something.
Okay, so you view an automobile as a road-going major appliance. Lots of people share that view. A significant portion of drivers, however, actually want to *enjoy* the trip between points A and B, and if their car or truck is not performing in a satisfactory manner, they may choose to improve it.
When I install larger brakes, I am compensating for the manufacturer's cheaping-out on critical hardware. When I install aftermarket springs that lower the ride height by an inch or so, I am compensating for some ludicrous design compromise that makes the car heel over in turns like a tuna boat in heavy seas. When I install headlamps with European-specification (E-code) reflectors, I am compensating for 1930s technology that the U.S. DOT still foists on the buying public.
In short, I am improving the car in any number of ways. As I posted way up above, my car currently has a quieter exhaust system than it was equipped with at the factory. I must be "de-compensating", by your logic.
However, if you're making your car so loud that everyone in town can hear you start it, you obviously have some need to get attention. If you're souping up your car to leave everyone else in the dust, you've got issues.
There's a difference betwen improving your car's ride, and revamping your car to be some kind of a "mean machine".
I'm sorry if you misunderstood me, but I don't think I'm that far off base.
Out of curiosity ... Why would you buy a car you wre that dissatisfied with in the first place? seems to me like you're spending a lot more in terms of money and effort than you would by just buying something you liked in the first place.