Stellantis has created nearly 50 dedicated quality teams and assigned more than 2,000 engineers to the effort, according to CEO Antonio Filosa. Speaking at the Automotive News Congress in Detroit, Filosa said the groups are designed to address problems faster across the automaker’s brands and vehicle lines. Stellantis has set a goal of reaching top-quartile quality performance in every market and vehicle segment by 2028.

The company calls the teams “quality war rooms”. That phrase describes focused working groups rather than separate factories or new facilities. Stellantis has not published a complete list of the rooms, the models assigned to them or the individual defects being investigated. The available information establishes the size of the response and the target, but not the result of each project.

A shorter route from complaint to fix

A vehicle problem can involve engineering, manufacturing, suppliers, software teams, dealers and warranty operations. When responsibility moves from one department to another, diagnosis and corrective action can take time. Filosa’s approach is to put the relevant specialists into dedicated groups around a specific issue, with the expectation that the cause and the remedy can be handled more directly.

That method does not mean every problem can be fixed immediately. A component issue may require supplier changes, testing and a production adjustment. A software fault may be corrected through an over-the-air update, while a physical defect can require a new part, an assembly change or a dealer repair procedure. The practical value of a war room depends on whether it produces a tested fix and moves it into the vehicles that need it.

In an official transcript covering Stellantis’ preliminary second-half 2025 results, Filosa said the group had recruited more than 2,000 engineers during 2025. He connected the hiring to quality improvements, regional war rooms and technical work with suppliers. The figure refers to engineering recruitment at group level; Stellantis has not said that every one of those engineers works exclusively on quality.

What “top quartile” means here

Stellantis is not promising that every model will be the most reliable in its class. Its corporate strategy uses a top-quartile objective for quality performance in every region and vehicle segment by 2028. In general terms, top quartile means a position within the best 25 percent of the comparison used. The company has not published a single document that defines every metric, sample or external ranking behind the target.

The official strategy page lists top-quartile quality performance alongside other 2028 goals, including portfolio renewal and cost improvements. These are corporate objectives, not proof that the target has already been reached. Independent studies, warranty data, recall rates and customer complaints may measure different aspects of quality, so comparisons need to identify the method and the market.

The deadline also gives Stellantis a limited period to turn emergency teams into repeatable processes. For customers, progress should eventually show up in measurable outcomes: fewer vehicles needing repairs before delivery, fewer repeat visits for the same fault, faster technical campaigns and shorter waits for parts or software remedies. A new internal structure alone cannot prove that those outcomes have occurred.

Why the issue spans many brands

Stellantis manages brands including Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Common platforms, modules and suppliers can spread a solution across several nameplates, but the markets and specifications are not identical. A shared component may require a group-wide correction, while a model-specific manufacturing problem may need a local fix.

Quality has also become partly digital. Infotainment systems, cameras, driver-assistance modules and other control units can be affected by software. An over-the-air update can be convenient when the cause is code, but it cannot repair a damaged connector, an incorrectly assembled part or a mechanical failure. Owners need to know whether a warning requires a download, a dealer appointment or an immediate safety check.

The official Dodge media material illustrates the variety inside the group. The next-generation Charger is offered with all-electric Daytona versions and gasoline-powered SIXPACK versions on the STLA Large platform. Different propulsion systems add different validation tasks, even when design and some architecture are shared. The quality programme therefore covers more than one type of vehicle problem.

What owners should do now

The announcement does not automatically create a recall or change an owner’s warranty. Drivers should continue to follow official notices from the relevant brand, notifications in the vehicle or app and instructions from their dealer. If a safety-related warning appears or a key function stops working, the vehicle should be checked using the manufacturer’s recommended procedure.

Customers in Europe should also separate a global quality objective from local after-sales conditions. Parts availability, service capacity, software rollout timing and campaign communication can vary between countries. Stellantis has not published a separate list of Romanian vehicles or defects as part of the war-room announcement.

The programme will be assessable only when Stellantis reports comparable results or when independent quality data show a sustained change. For now, the confirmed facts are the creation of nearly 50 focused teams, the recruitment of more than 2,000 engineers in 2025 and the top-quartile objective for 2028. The size of any improvement remains to be measured.

Frequently asked questions

How many engineers did Stellantis recruit?

Antonio Filosa said Stellantis recruited more than 2,000 engineers in 2025. The company has linked the recruitment to quality work and supplier engineering, but has not said that every engineer is assigned exclusively to quality.

What are Stellantis’ quality war rooms?

They are nearly 50 focused teams working on specific quality problems. Stellantis has not released a full list of the projects or models involved.

What is Stellantis targeting by 2028?

The official strategy target is top-quartile quality performance in every region and vehicle segment where Stellantis competes.

Sources

Image: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. The image shows a Dodge model from the Stellantis portfolio and is not the Motor1 article image.