| Fiat hopes to become the best-rated
manufacturer for quality in consumer surveys by 2010. The OEM has a lot
of work to do, however.
Chief engineer Harald Wester said: “Perceived quality is very difficult
to define with parameters measurable to engineers, but feedback from surveys
such as JD Power offers quantifiable parameters that you can compare with
your competitors.”
The 2010 goal will coincide with the end of Fiat’s four-year turnaround
plan. Its aim is to improve quality across all its plants by streamlining
processes, reducing waste and greater use of CAD.
JD Power said: “Fiat has been consistently close to the bottom of
the ratings for quality out of the 33 brands surveyed from 2001 to 2007.
Fiat was also well above the industry average for experienced faults.
Perceived quality and the number of faults reported correlate very closely
for Fiat.”
Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has previously said Japanese carmakers were
Fiat’s benchmark for quality standards. Wester said: “We want
to become the best for quality – that includes against Japanese-built
cars.”
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