Chrysler Group Most Improved, Ties for Second in Strategic Vision's Total Quality Index™

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Chrysler Group's revamped product lineup and extensive quality investments make it the most improved automaker as it ties for second place in Strategic Vision's 2012 Total Quality Index™ (TQI) study.

The company's results were boosted by the Dodge brand's 26 point year-over-year improvement. This is one of the most substantial increases in Total Quality since the inception of the study in 1995, according to Strategic Vision, and reflects the fact that Dodge has one of the youngest showrooms in the country with seven all-new or significantly redesigned vehicles in the past two years.

Three Chrysler Group models won TQI Awards. The Fiat 500 led the Small Car segment, Dodge Charger ranked highest in the Larger Car segment and Jeep® Grand Cherokee took the top spot in the Medium SUV segment.

According to Strategic Vision, TQI reflects all aspects of buying, owning and driving a vehicle as a holistic measure. TQI encompasses positive and negative experiences including reliability, driving excitement, emotional attachment and overall sales and service satisfaction.

"TQI recognizes that quality and satisfaction can mean different things to different customers," said Doug Betts, Senior Vice President – Quality, Chrysler Group. "The ultimate measure of quality is whether customers want to recommend their vehicle to friends and family and these results emphasize the progress we've made to build exciting, high quality vehicles that our customers are proud to recommend.

"We've improved our vehicle reliability by more than 60 percent in the past three years," Betts notes. "Today, the entire industry is very competitive on reliability and the real competition is in delivering innovative, exciting vehicles and ensuring customer satisfaction during and after the sale."

About Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Mopar, SRT and Fiat vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group's culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat's complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899.

Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group's product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300 and Town & Country, Jeep Wrangler, all-new Dodge Dart, Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Fiat 500. Fiat contributes world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-size cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.

SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC