Stellantis Is Hiring 2,000 New Engineers As Quality Concerns Finally Reach The Top
- Stellantis has hired over 2,000 engineers to boost quality.
- Recent launches and tech shifts raised reliability worries.
- Dealers link earlier cost cuts to some quality issues.
Automakers can release all the cars they want, but if the public perceives them as cheap or of bad quality, that reputation can stick. After some recent trials in that realm, Stellantis is hiring some 2,000 engineers to combat quality issues. The brand’s CEO is calling this a ‘deep reset’ as a new wave of models comes to market.
Speaking during a February earnings call, CEO Antonio Filosa said Stellantis is restructuring its processes to address problems caused by previous operational decisions. “We are resetting execution and improving quality management processes to address previous operational issues triggered by past decisions,” he said.
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According to AutoNews, quality has a more prominent role in the automaker’s leadership structure. For example, Chief Quality Officer Sebastien Jacquet sits on Stellantis’ strategic leadership team. That signals a desire to ensure that quality is a part of the central business plan across all brands. That said, it’s also clear that the work taking place there will need to trickle down to buyers.
A Mixed Track Record
Stellantis’ recent report cards on quality have been uneven. In 2020, Dodge became the first domestic brand to lead the J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study, and it repeated the feat in 2023. But the brand fell to last place the following year before climbing back to seventh in 2025. Meanwhile, Chrysler and Ram both finished below average in the latest study, which measures problems reported during the first 90 days of ownership.
That’s an interesting set of results, especially given the vehicles in question. Typically, it’s uncommon to see consistent issues with older models. The Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Durango both fall into that category. On the flip side, it’s not unusual for newer models like the recently revamped Ram 1500 to have growing pains once out in the public.
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“When you launch new vehicles, when you redesign vehicles, when you add new technologies, this is the time that you have most problems,” said Jake Fisher, the director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center. “You look at the automakers that are very reliable, they’re the ones that are very stable. They have carryover platforms, they carry over powertrains.”
Some dealers believe these issues trace back to cost-cutting under former CEO Carlos Tavares, which they say reduced engineering resources. “In my mind, that all probably goes back to engineering,” said Sean Hogan, chairman of the Stellantis National Dealer Council. “When you make those cuts that Tavares did, and you still want the same quality, it’s just not going to happen.”
A Reset Built On Simplicity
Looking forward, Stellantis is leaning on simpler and proven hardware in some cases. The company recently brought back the long-running 5.7-liter Hemi V8 in the Ram 1500, a move some analysts believe could help stabilize reliability. Buyers have expressed extreme interest in the vehicle despite it being less powerful, less quick, and generally less fuel efficient.
That said, it’s clear that Stellantis is trying to streamline production to enable better quality and improve customer satisfaction. Now, it has an extra 2,000 teammates on board to help that cause.
The Auto World
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