Stellantis has created nearly 50 “quality war rooms” as it works to address reliability and build-quality problems across its brands. Chief executive Antonio Filosa said the company expects substantial progress over the next two years and is targeting first-quartile quality performance by 2028 in every segment and market where it competes.

The initiative brings together engineers, manufacturing specialists, quality teams and supplier-quality engineers to focus on components and systems identified as needing improvement. Filosa said in comments to Auto News that corrective work is already moving quickly.

Engineers assigned to quality improvements

Stellantis has been pursuing quality improvements for some time. The automaker hired more than 2,000 engineers last year, with many assigned specifically to quality-related work.

Filosa said the newly established teams are intended to concentrate expertise on known problem areas rather than address issues in isolation. The company’s stated goal is to reach the top 25% of quality results by 2028 across its various markets and vehicle segments.

Dodge Charger Daytona highlights customer concerns

The all-electric Dodge Charger Daytona has been one of the more visible examples of Stellantis’ quality difficulties in the United States. Owners have reported problems involving panel alignment, the trunk, the passenger-side door and the easy-entry seat system.

One owner previously described the vehicle as “practically useless” because of the defects. The source notes that other Charger Daytona owners have reported similar concerns, although it does not provide a total number of affected vehicles.

Stellantis brands trail the industry average

Results from J.D. Power’s latest U.S. Initial Quality Study also show weaker-than-average performance for several Stellantis brands. The study measures problems reported during the first 90 days of ownership per 100 vehicles, with the industry average at 175 problems per 100 vehicles.

Jeep recorded 182 problems per 100 vehicles, while Ram posted 222 and Chrysler recorded 229. Ford led the mainstream brands with 152 problems per 100 vehicles. Genesis and Porsche ranked ahead of Ford overall, at 151 and 138 problems per 100 vehicles, respectively.

Improving quality can take time because changes made during vehicle development or manufacturing may not reach customers until new vehicles enter production. Some observers have also linked Stellantis’ problems to cost-cutting measures implemented under former chief executive Carlos Tavares.