On a recent earnings call, Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa addressed the problems and spoke about what the company was going to do to fix it. Including hiring thousands of new engineers to help reverse prior cuts.
Filosa described the move as "resetting execution and improving quality management processes to address previous operational issues triggered by past decisions." Those "past decisions" include multiple and massive layoffs of white collar workers at facilities in the US and overseas, and other cost-cutting that may have gone too far.
To fix the problem, Filosa said, Stellantis has launched a hiring spree. There are more in-field professionals and skilled trades workers at its factories, and that's just the start. Filosa said that Stellantis is "recruiting engineers, more than 2,000," to support the company's quality efforts as well as getting vehicles to market more quickly.
JD Power's 2025 Initial Quality Study put Chrysler and Ram well below average, and while Jeep and Dodge were above average, their scores from past years include a bottom of the pile in 2024. The company's Vehicle Dependability Study, a look at longer-term reliability, put the Stellantis brands covered all well below average.
CEO Says Progress Has Already Been Made
Filosa says the automaker is already making progress. "We have already enhanced quality with a one-month in-service KPI, which is improving more than 50% in North America, more than 30% in Europe," he said, using 2025 data. "We are improving a lot on manufacturing execution. We are improving a lot on quality governance and quality processes."
Stellantis is also seeing improvements in warranty spending. The company spent $7.2 billion on warranty work in 2024 and $7.4 billion in 2025. But it had predicted more, and CFO Joao Laranjo said on the call that "we are starting to see improvements in warranty, both in North America and Europe."
More evidence of the success or failure of the efforts should come soon. Stellantis is launching multiple models in North America and in Europe, with many of those already seen and arriving at dealers shortly. If those models aren't up to par, expect to hear about it from owners. Loudly.
Filosa expects company growth in some areas we haven't. He expects Ram 1500 sales to climb by 100,000 units this year, with 60,000 Hemi Ram orders already on the books. He said that Dodge has also already sold out planned production of the two-door Dodge Charger Sixpack Scat Pack for 2026.
