Cars and Drivers

Fiat Chrysler Brands Get Poor Quality Grades

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: October 25, 2016 9:10 am

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 1:58 am

It is not unusual for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (NYSE: FCAU) brands to rank poorly in quality surveys. They took several of the bottom spots in the widely followed Consumer Reports Annual Car Reliability Survey.

Among 29 major brands, ranked on a 0 to 100 scale, Ram and Fiat had the bottom two spots with grades of 16 and 17 respectively. Chrysler ranked third from the bottom with a grade of 26. Dodge ranked next lowest with a grade of 28. Jeep posted a grade of 30, putting it in the 23rd spot. As a measure of how poor these grades are, Lexus topped the list with a grade of 86.

Among individual models, Fiat Chrysler also had problems. The Fiat 500L was listed among the 10 least reliable models:

Trouble spots Slipping or lock-up transmission, power equipment, drive system, in-car electronics

The Ram 2500, part of the company’s full-sized pickup brand, also was among the least reliable models:

Trouble spots Steering vibrations, emissions controls and sensors, 4WD components, power equipment

Chrysler’s U.S. flagship brand also had a car on the list, the 200:

Trouble spots Slipping or lock-up transmission, rough shifting, drive system

And from Fiat Chrysler’s most successful division, Jeep, the Renegade:

Trouble spots Drive system, transmission, power equipment, radio

Through September, Jeep sales were up 12% to 797,106, which means the brand carries the parent on its back. Chrysler sales fell 22% to 186,497. Dodge sales were up 2% to 394,940. Ram sales rose 11% to 400,300. Fiat sales fell 18% to 25,009, which means it undersells the Dodge Dart model.