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Slammed by Consumer Reports, Fiat Chrysler quality chief resigns

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12K views 98 replies 19 participants last post by  wkrichard 
#1 ·
Slammed by Consumer Reports, Fiat Chrysler quality chief resigns

The New York Times reports that Doug Betts, Fiat Chrysler quality chief, has abandoned his post this morning. The company, where Betts worked for the past seven years, occupied the very bottom of Consumer Reports magazine’s annual rankings released yesterday, with Fiat, Jeep, Ram, and Dodge taking the bottom four slots and Chrysler nabbing number 22 on the list of 28.

Betts, whose official title was Senior Vice President of Quality, had also served in quality control positions at Nissan, Toyota, and General Motors. But since joining Chrysler in 2007, Betts faced an uphill challenge turning around the company’s poor reliability scores.

Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram all dropped in Consumer Reports’ quality rankings compared with last year, with nagging problems like the rough-shifting 9-speed transmission in the Jeep Cherokee providing constant headaches.

In a statement, Fiat Chrysler named COO of Product Development Mark Chernoby and Matthew Liddane, quality head for Chrysler of North America, as Betts’ replacements. Betts, the company says, is off to pursue “other interests.”
 
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#2 ·
Maybe the CEO and customer support staff in Jeep Australia should follow suit.


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#3 ·
Now they just need to fire the rest of the ass clowns in the quality department. My 2015 is an example of the piss poor quality of these vehicles. No way in hell I'll keep this thing beyond the 3-year warranty period.
 
#5 ·
Excuse me. But why did you accept it and buy it in the first place then? If you didn't like the quality of it why did you drive it off of the dealer's lot? Obviously a Jeep is not the vehicle for you and you should have bought something else. Anybody who buys a Jeep should know what it is and has no right to bi--h about it after the fact in my opinion. Do your pre buying research. I am tired of this bashing of Jeep. It is not nor is it meant to be a German luxury car. Nor is it meant to ride like one or have the quality of one. It is by best definition a utility vehicle. If a utility vehicle is not what you wanted and you bought the wrong vehicle you can hardly blame Chrysler for your mistake. I do partially blame Chrysler for this in their trying to fit the Jeep into all vehicle categories like mall crawlers and soccer mom cars. They have confused the market as to what a Jeep really is anymore. I remember when if you owned a Jeep you carried a tool box and knew how to use the tools in it. Back in those days nobody ever complained about that. It was part of owning a Jeep. Now days if your Jeep has a slight rattle or vibration people go nuts, immediately call it poor quality, and demand Chrysler buy it back. I can honestly say without qualification that my 2014 Jeep Cherokee ADII 3.2L is the best vehicle I have ever bought/owned in my 64 years. But then again I knew what I was buying and what my intended use was going to be. I was not looking to imitate a foreign luxury car. I basically wanted a covered Ranchero or El Camino. My Cherokee serves that purpose perfectly with the back seat always in the folded down position. It is a comfortable yet rugged 4X4 hauler.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Hmmmm, Something doesn't add up here. There is somekind of disconnect, This came from the Detroit News this morning. Guess Consumer Report didn't get the memo.

Chrysler Group LLC's October sales rose 21.7 percent, driven by sales of its Jeep and Ram brands, the automaker said Monday.

Every Chrysler, Jeep and Ram vehicle saw year-over-year sales growth in October.
 
#14 ·
Actually, I'm considering doing just that. Unfortunately, I think I'd take the biggest financial hit by dumping it right away, as the depreciation would be a killer. Still though, I might just keep it through the winter and then get something else once spring arrives. Or I'll keep it for three years, since it's under warranty and I don't have to pay a dime to keep fixing it (or have them TRY to fix it, lol) and then dump it. Three years of depreciation might be easier to swallow than just dumping a brand new 2015 vehicle right away. As I'm sure you know, depreciation is greatest at the beginning and then the curve begins to level out.

Or....if by some act of God, they are able to fix it, I'll probably keep it for three years and then dump it for sure because I don't trust this vehicle to be reliable without having a warranty.
 
#40 ·
I agree. We have nothing more to talk about. I am one very happy and well pleased Chrysler/Jeep Cherokee owner. Sorry, your glass is half empty when mine is half full. I guess Michigan got all of the good Cherokees. My dealer is one of the largest Jeep dealers in mid Michigan. He can't keep Cherokees in particular on his lot they sell so fast. My service manger said he is not seeing the 9 speed transmission problems. He did get a batch of screwed up Wranglers a few months back but it didn't take him long to straighten them out. I know this service manger well and he gives me information he wouldn't give others so I trust him. Best of luck.
 
#48 ·
I guess Im gonna have to intervene since some of you act like children!


The next person to call someone stupid....meh.,......call someone ANYTHING or get out of line, break a ruleis gonna have a VACATION form the forums! Im tired of this crap! Be adults.....
 
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#49 · (Edited)
I didn't read all the posts, but wanted to chime in.

1. As I posted before, I am very happy with the quality of my 2014 compared to my problematic 2011. So far it has been the vehicle I wanted and expect. BUT...I will say to "macfan" and whomever...until you know what its like to have a vehicle that is problematic, AND deal with crappy dealers who don't care, AND deal with your vehicle (an SUV that is commonly the FAMILY vehicle) being out of commission for days...weeks....with no loaner available...then you don't get it. You have no idea how maddening and frustrating it is. it SUCKS. I gave Chrysler another shot and its worked out for me (so far), but never again will I begrudge somebody dealing with this their right to vent to the forum. Before my issues with the 2011 I was blissfully ignorant having always owned reliable vehicles (both domestic and foreign). Vent away guys.

2. Quality. Saying that a consumer has no right to quality or shouldn't be pissed off or whatever is asinine. Its a modern 2014/2015 vehicle costing $30-65,000. Owners have a right to expect that it will run...some of these vehicles just have annoying problems like my 2011 did...but some of these issues are really safety issues.

3. Loaners. My 2014 was just at the dealer all day for 4 or 5 recalls and TSBs (front axles, ACC reprogram, several other things). I rented a car at a cost to me of $57. Thats unacceptable. Its not a luxury car dealership, and I don't expect a loaner for routine service...we aren't paying Jeep for that (i.e. service on my Lexus is a lot more costly). BUT, if you are going to keep my family's vehicle for 12 hours because you couldn't build it right in the first place...you should loan me a shitty economy car to drive. My 2011 was in the shop for 5 days one time...no loaner. Its hard for a family to deal without having one of their vehicles for all this time, and I'm not going to pay $57 a day for 5 days again because Jeep couldn't build the vehicle right to begin with. As I said at the time, had I not been without a car for all the times the 2011 was in the shop I'd have been a lot less pissed off over the issues.

My Lexus was just in for a serious brake recall. I got a Lexus loaner, and a full tank of gas for my trouble. Had I wanted them to they would have picked up my car and dropped off the loaner and done the same afterwards at my home or work. I don't expect that level of care at Jeep, but a comped Enterprise Chevy Spark rental so I'm not carless I think is reasonable.

4. Foreign vs Domestic. I can attest to the fact that what macfan is saying is correct, these unions are RABID about domestic cars. My Dad did business with the UAW and the UFCW and for years he always drove Lincolns and Cadillacs because pulling up to lunch or a golf outing with union guys in a foreign car would be the kiss of death. He eventually got tired of driving crap (Lincolns and Caddys in the 90s, really bad) and bought a Lexus, but he drove our family Explorer to those outings until the day he retired. If macfan is in that world, I believe 100% he has never ridden in a foreign car.

The reality is though, Chrysler is no longer a domestic car...its owned by Fiat, an Italian company. Companies like Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mercedes, all build a lot of cars here. In fact, Lexus is about to open a big wing on their KY plant to build the ES sedan here...thats huge. The lines between "foreign" and "domestic" are really blurred today.

The statement that a Jeep "is not a german luxury car"...we're not expecting that. We're expecting it to be as reliable as a Hyundai. I don't think thats a lot to ask.

I knew that was going to be the CR result...and quite frankly based on what I see here and in the real world...they deserve last place. Improve!
 
#60 ·
Consumer Reports actually really bashes Jeep hard in their annual Auto issue. 2014 GC not recommended due to poor reliability. Same with the new Cherokee. Models to avoid: Patriot, Cherokee, Compass. They also specifically mention transmission problems on the Cherokee and GC. Also, Jeep rated dead last as a brand in their "who makes the best cars" category. Wow, just wow. I never realized just how poorly Jeep ranks overall.
 
#68 ·
I'm not worried about recalls. As someone who just had his Jeep in for 4 recalls at once, with two more coming one of which will take 6-12 months to get parts the argument that Toyota has more recalls than Jeep isn't going to hold water with me.

As someone who has owned both several Toyota products and now two Jeep products, there is no question that on the whole Toyota is a more reliable brand, and their dealer experience is superior. Now, I think the JGC is a more compelling product (obviously) than similar offerings from Toyota, but I would never make the statement that the Toyota is not on the while more reliable.

macfan said:
My grandfather on my dad's side worked for Great Lakes Steel and died at an early age due to that work. I don't remember him at all. My grandfather on my mom's side took care of the mansions in Detroit of the auto executives. He lost a leg getting it caught in one of the elevators in one of the mansions while working on it. He also died at an early age.
My paternal grandfather was made a paraplegic in a coal mine cave in and died before I was born. My maternal grandfather was also a coal miner and later a construction worker who died of skin cancer from being out in the sun...I never met him.

My question is...what is your point? What does your long diatribe about your family and whatever have to do with the quality of products being made by US Auto manufacturers? (I admit I made it maybe 3 sentences into your incredible run-on paragraph) I don't doubt you are very proud. But, there is no argument that for MANY years the quality of what was made by Chrysler, GM and Ford was FAR behind that made by foreign automakers. There is no argument that labor costs driven up by the UAW, while they no doubt worked to you and your family's benefit, made costs of production so high that coupled with dropping sales due to abysmal quality of their products nearly put at least GM out of business...and basically did put Chrysler out of business. These are facts whether you want to admit them or not.

The good news is, these companies are doing quite well now, albeit under different organization for GM and foreign ownership for Chrysler, and they are all building MUCH better products that in many ways are the equal or superior to those made by companies like Toyota and Honda.

BUT...there are still issues, and reliability at Chrysler and specifically Jeep is one of those issues...issues that need to be addressed...and issues that us as fans of the brand need to hold them accountable for. Unfortunately their new parent company Fiat is not known for even mediocre reliability...thats going to make it hard.

jp467 said:
They call the section owner satisfaction and I even put the exact question that was asked and I gave you the number
I don't doubt that this is correct. Like I said, despite my issues I liked the vehicle enough to try another. Its a great vehicle in a lot of ways and a great value.
 
#75 ·
MSCA: I am confused as to what is your purpose of being on a Jeep website trading barbs with Jeep enthusiasts? Are you just trolling? I would say that 95%+ of the people here are Jeep enthusiasts and not going to sell their Jeeps, not buy one, or change there opinion based on your Toyota opinion. If you like Toyotas so be it. So sell the Jeep you are unhappy with and buy a Toyota. Life is too short to be unhappy. It is highly unlikely you are going to get many of us here to change our minds and agree with you. So as nicely as I can put it, it is time to end this trading of barbs. You are unhappy with your Jeep and I love my Jeep. That is not going to change. If I were to total my Jeep today I would go out and buy another one without even looking at other vehicles. Since this is a website for Jeep enthusiasts why don't you hop on over to a Toyota website where your views would better fit in, instead of continuing to trade barbs with the rest of us? I think you would be more comfortable on a Toyota website. Obviously most people here have already made up their minds as to what they want and enjoy. As I have always said I wish you the best in your vehicle endeavors and hope you find the one that gives you as much happiness and satisfaction as I get from my Jeep. Peace.
 
#78 · (Edited)
Hello my friends I don't want to be against any one.. but my 2014 laredo has several problems with less than 700 miles of use .. The transmission jump from 1 to 3 .. The ac smells like rotten animal when is on.... Satellite radio lost signal for more that 1 minutes anywhere I go.... No mentioned that engine shuts off it self at 35 mph and no check engine light comes on ..that's dengereus .. ..the dealer said that my car is too new that I need to use it more often .. That's funny .. & 32,000 suv common .. .. I really love my jeep but this time Chrysler company is loosing costumers ..like me ...please check this out z.




http://www.thecarconnection.com/new...ain---this-time-for-loss-of-stability-control



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#79 ·
Hello my friends I don't want to be against any one.. but my 2014 laredo has several problems with less than 700 miles of use .. The transmission jump from 1 to 3 .. The ac smells like rotten animal when is on.... Satellite radio lost signal for more that 1 minutes anywhere I go.... No mentioned that engine shuts off it self at 35 mph and no check engine light comes on ..that's dengereus .. ..the dealer said that my car is too new that I need to use it more often .. That's funny .. & 32,000 suv common .. .. I really love my jeep but this time Chrysler company is loosing costumers ..like me ...please check this out z.




2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango Recalled Again -- This Time, For Loss Of Stability Control



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Chrysler does have some quality issues. But it is not causing them to lose many customers.

Todays news;

By
Christina Rogers
"Chrysler Group LLC’s third-quarter profit climbed 32% to $611 million, lifted by double-digit sales gains in the U.S. amid strong demand for its Jeep sport-utility vehicles and Ram pickup trucks."


---
 
#89 · (Edited)
I'm not going to say much and you can bash me all you want. I have owned jeeps my whole life I would trade it in with every new model, I did pass up on the first gen WK. I still have my WJ with over 240000 miles and still going strong I was looking into getting a WK2 when my son graduates college but all of my friends with W2 have had the same problem with the TIPM and other things and I know some of them are little things but they should not be happening with modern cars, come on a bad relay! Now for the second time in my life I'm thinking about not buying a Jeep again so I may keep mine even longer till the day it dies then buy the perfected WK2 or the ML350. I'm think problem is that Benz did not finish designing the WK2. Its going to be sad when I don't have a Jeep in my garage but I need to get to work and I need something to take me and its to far to walk.

One last thing why do people buy a WK2 even with all the problems? it's very simple it is a very beautiful vehicle inside and out and most people don't read up on the problems and most don't think that will happen to me until it does.
 
#96 ·
One last thing why do people buy a WK2 even with all the problems? it's very simple it is a very beautiful vehicle inside and out and most people don't read up on the problems and most don't think that will happen to me until it does.
I did it because there was no other vehicle that I liked that fit the bill for me. I came from a 4Runner and love them and how reliable they are, but the current 4Runner design is just horrible, inside and out. They couuldn't have made it any uglier if they tried. So I decided to gamble on Jeep and hope that I get a good one. Obviously, I didn't make out very well on that gamble. Would I buy a Jeep again in the future? Odds are severely against it, but who knows what will happen in the future...
 
#95 ·
All cars has issues .. But My second car is my baby a 2006 Bmw M5 and let me tell you that in 8 years I have visit the dealer 10 times... And my jeep is 3 month old and I allready visit my friends on starchysler&jeep of queens ny 7 times....why you don't see a jeep laredo as a taxi in NYC... And you see that most of then are toyota highlander .. And is not because the third row seat.,. ..the car is stronger and the engine is more reliable ..why the police don't use jeep instead of others american SUVs ..


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