Stellantis, parent company of Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Maserati among others, has confirmed it has added 2000 new engineers to its workforce in a bid to improve quality and reliability of its vehicles.
The recruitment drive, revealed by the automaker during an earnings call last month, was described by Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa as part of a “deep reset of our quality organisation”.
“We are resetting execution and improving quality management processes to address previous operational issues triggered by past decisions,” said Mr Filosa during an earnings call.
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Stellantis appointed Sébastien Jacquet as its chief quality officer – joining the senior leadership team – in June 2025.
“Our global offensive to improve quality started very strong, with one month in service, over 50 per cent improvement in North America, over 30 per cent improvement in Europe, and 20 per cent improvement in South America since 2025,” said Mr Filosa.
According to Automotive News, a 2025 US study of vehicle quality saw Chrysler (no longer sold here) and Ram ranked below average – despite Ram having taken the top spot in both 2021 and 2024.
Jeep ranked 11th overall in the 2025 JD Power Initial Quality Study, brightened by the Gladiator mid-size pickup winning its segment.
However, Automotive News pointed to a Consumer Reports review of the Jeep Wagoneer S electric SUV which described the vehicle as “unfinished”.
The Wagoneer S uses the new STLA Large platform also underpinning the Jeep Recon and a new generation of the Cherokee that left local showrooms in 2023. The Cherokee isn’t coming Down Under, though the Recon and Wagoneer S have previously been confirmed for a local launch but have yet to appear in Australian showrooms.
“In my mind, that all probably goes back to engineering,” Sean Hogan, chairman of the Stellantis National Dealer Council, told Automotive News.
“When you make those cuts that [Carlos] Tavares did, and you still want the same quality, it’s just not going to happen.”
Mr Tavares, who had previously run French brand Renault, unexpectedly left the top job at Stellantis in December 2024. The company cited “different views” between the board and the now former CEO.
It’s not all bad, with the Ram 1500 named the most dependable light-duty pickup truck in the latest JD Power 2026 US Vehicle Dependability Study.
Ram finished the highest of all Stellantis brands in 17th place but was still below the industry average, while Jeep was ranked 25th.
Broader results saw Lexus ranked as the most dependable overall brand, while the Lexus IS sedan was also declared the single most dependable model.
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