In the second game, bonuses to the same attribute (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma) from items and their upgrades do not stack; only the highest value has any effect. This is most obvious with lightsaber power crystals, but it can also be seen with some armors and their upgrades.
This lack of stacking could be in the first game as well. For example, the Heavy Exoskeleton has Constitution: +1 and Strength: +2, and on the Upgrade Bench screen the description for Armor Reinforcement reads Special Properties: Attribute Bonus: Constitution, +3 and Attribute Bonus: Strength, +3. However, once upgraded the Heavy Exoskeleton has Constitution: +3 and Strength: +3, not Constitution: +4 and Strength: +5.