Betts leaves Chrysler after another poor quality showing

DETROIT -- Fiat Chrysler’s quality chief has left the company, a day after the automaker ranked last in a closely watched U.S. scorecard on vehicle reliability.Doug Betts, 51, who joined Chrysler from Nissan in 2007, will “pursue other interests,” Chrysler said in a statement today. His North American duties will be handled by Matthew Liddane, 52, who has been vice president of systems and components.Mark Chernoby, 53, will assume Betts’ quality role on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Global Executive Council. The duties are in addition to Chernoby’s role running global product development.Chrysler’s Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Fiat brands were the bottom-four finishers in an annual reliability study released Monday by Consumers Reports. The Chrysler brand fell four places to rank 22nd out of 28 brands listed.In June, Jeep and Fiat were at the bottom of another measure, the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study. In that report, the Chrysler brand ranked above average at No. 12, while Dodge (21st) was below average. Fiat owners reported 206 problems per 100 vehicles in the first 90 days of ownership, nearly three times as many as industry leader Porsche.The Consumer Reports reliability study was led by Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus and Toyota brands. Betts worked at Toyota before joining Nissan. The company declined to comment on why Betts had parted ways with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Betts leaves Chrysler after another poor quality showing

Featured Stories