The troubled Fiat brand from Fiat Chrysler Automoblies Inc. (NYSE: FCAU), plagued by slow sales and poor quality reviews, is also America’s slowest selling car by one measure.
Auto research firm Edmunds tracks days to turn, one measure of how long dealers have to keep a new car on their lot, from when it is delivered until when it is sold. Volkswagen’s number is 152 days — five months. The average across the industry is 69.
Among other brands with the same trouble are Dodge (110), smart (151) and Chrysler (112). Notably Dodge and Chrysler are Fiat Chrysler products. The manufacturer’s best-selling brand, Jeep, has only 75 days to turn.
At the other end of the spectrum, Subaru has a number of 24, Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) 54 and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (NYSE: HMC) 57.
Fiat has suffered from falling sales. Its sales for the first seven months were 19,346, down 16%. In July, the number was 2,754, down 14%.
Fiat has gotten bad grades on quality from several sources, most notably J.D. Power. In the J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Initial Quality Study, Fiat ranked second to last, ahead of only smart, among 33 brands. It had a score of 174 against an average of 105. At the top of the list, Kia had a grade of 83.
J.D. Power methodology: The study, now in its 30th year, examines problems experienced by vehicle owners during the first 90 days of ownership. Initial quality is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles, with a lower score reflecting higher quality.
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