Stellantis is killing the Chrysler brand and dealers know it

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Prediction: Stellantis manufacturing of Chryslers will not make it to the end of 2025, at least not as we know it, and not in the USA.
Chrysler will either have to be bought back or it will likely be spun off to some Chinese company.
But Chrysler as we knew it will not exist as a car company selling vehicles in the United States by the end of the next model year.
The CEO is now yelling at his own dealers for calling out the mistakes being made at their expense, instead of trying to fix the (self inflicted) problems.

You heard it here first.

'Disaster Has Arrived' At Stellantis As Dealers Call Out Damage Done To Brands - Jalopnik

Good morning! It’s Friday, September 13, 2024, and this is The Morning Shift, your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. Here are the important stories you need to know.

jalopnik.com

In a letter addressed to company boss Carlos Tavares, dealers across America lay their disdain clear for all to see, according to a report from Automotive News. Dealers say Stellantis brands are facing “rapid degradation” thanks to “short-term decision making” that has shrunk the company’s market share and hit the Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler brands. As Automotive News reports:

“For over two years now, the U.S. Stellantis National Dealer Council has been sounding this alarm to your US executive team, warning them that the course you had set for Stellantis was going to be a disaster in the long run,” the group said in the letter. “A disaster not just for us, but for everyone involved — and now that disaster has arrived.”
Stellantis said it took exception to the letter and that it doesn’t believe public personal attacks are the most effective way to solve problems.

This breaks my heart because I've been a Chrysler fanatic since age ten when my middle brother brought home a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S Notchback, which is the model that does NOT have the gigantic heavy sloped rear window.

He tweaked and modified it until the stock 290 HP 340 V8 was squeezing out well over 350, which at the time was a healthy figure only seen in big block engines.
By age seventeen I had a 396 Nova SS with a four speed after a year and a half with a decrepit VW Bug but the moment a 66 Coronet went up for sale by a friend's father I scooped it up and it was the first of many Chrysler vehicles I've had throughout my nearly sixty-eight years.
I have had Coronets, Valiants, a GTX, several versions of the famous Dodge vans, and even a beat up 1965 New Yorker GIVEN to me by my surf film boss Hal Jepsen, it was his mother's.
My mother had owned a 1975 Cordoba and later, a 1985 Fifth Avenue.
And my wife now owns a 2017 Pacifica handicap van, even though she no longer drives, and I am the (happy) chauffer.

And now we might as well say "we own a Studebaker van" because I am quite certain that two years from now at the latest, Chrysler will no longer be in the car manufacturing business.
I love Studebaker cars but as of 1966 Stude owners had orphan vehicles with an uncertain future.
And my guess is, so will we.

 

[Loulit01]

What was the last reliable car Chrysler made?

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

What was the last reliable car Chrysler made?

The Chargers and 300's of the mid to 2010's and the Dodge trucks of that time period.
It all began to go downhill starting in the teens, like around 2015 or so.
One of my nephews owns a 2012 Charger and his is reliable but his best friend bought a 2018 Charger and it has the dreaded ticking noise and regularly leaves him stranded with other issues.


The really reliable ones, as in bulletproof, that would be in the 80's and 90's and of course the REALLY REALLY reliable ones were of course in the Sixties.
That is why I am prepared to spend as much as thirty thousand on a 1965 New Yorker or 300 when I finally find an ideal one.
I'm sure it will outlast me and I'll be getting one that is either originally mint or restored enough that it might as well BE original mint so of course it will hold and maybe increase value.
At that point it will be up to my daughter if she wants to own the old gas guzzler or sell it off for the money.

But I have plenty of faith in old New Yorkers or 300's from that time period because I already owned a decrepit one that was still reliable even with bad head gaskets, and I can't even count the number of friends who have owned similar MoPars. I know those 1960's models like I know my own body. I know their quirks, I know how they should feel and how they should sound and I know how to work on them.

 

[dseag2]

Stellantis' issue is that they don't have any products that people want to buy. The Dodge Charger and Challenger are way overdue for a refresh. Also, few are buying sedans or coupes these days. The Dodge Hornet may be a decent little SUV but it is way overpriced for the brand. I could buy a Mazda CX-30 (and did) with great power and a premium fit for the same amount. The hornet is one of the slowest selling vehicles on the market. As I understand it, the next Challenger will be an EV, which nobody that is loyal to the Dodge brand will buy. The Charger and Challenger are historic muscle cars and EVs don't suit the demographic. Ford is still putting out a Mustang that is a muscle car.

Ram has become its' own brand and its' trucks are overpriced and are sitting on lots.

The beloved Chrysler 300 was discontinued. They should have designed a successor, regardless of how slowly sedans are selling. It was iconic and I think it still would have a following. I think Chrysler still has a decent mini-van, but no one is buying those either. Sad to see what is happening to the brand. It is on the verge of becoming Oldsmobile.

The bottom line is that any carmaker that is in it to win it is pushing out SUVs. A sedan is my primary driver and probably always will be, but SUVs are the moneymakers these days. The SUVs being introduced by Chevy these days are numerous. The Koreans are producing them like rabbits. And who would have ever thought they would see Aston Martin, Porsche and Alfa Romeo SUVs?

I agree with you. Stellantis is killing Chrysler by not developing any new product and it's sad. And we thought the Daimler-Benz and Chrysler days were bad.

 

[Loulit01]

Never cared for Chrysler or Mopar.

I'll say good things about the old slant-6 but that's about it.

 

[The Mark]

Prediction: Stellantis manufacturing of Chryslers will not make it to the end of 2025, at least not as we know it, and not in the USA.
Chrysler will either have to be bought back or it will likely be spun off to some Chinese company.
But Chrysler as we knew it will not exist as a car company selling vehicles in the United States by the end of the next model year.
The CEO is now yelling at his own dealers for calling out the mistakes being made at their expense, instead of trying to fix the (self inflicted) problems.

You heard it here first.

'Disaster Has Arrived' At Stellantis As Dealers Call Out Damage Done To Brands - Jalopnik

Good morning! It’s Friday, September 13, 2024, and this is The Morning Shift, your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. Here are the important stories you need to know.

jalopnik.com

This breaks my heart because I've been a Chrysler fanatic since age ten when my middle brother brought home a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S Notchback, which is the model that does NOT have the gigantic heavy sloped rear window.
View attachment 67532529
He tweaked and modified it until the stock 290 HP 340 V8 was squeezing out well over 350, which at the time was a healthy figure only seen in big block engines.
By age seventeen I had a 396 Nova SS with a four speed after a year and a half with a decrepit VW Bug but the moment a 66 Coronet went up for sale by a friend's father I scooped it up and it was the first of many Chrysler vehicles I've had throughout my nearly sixty-eight years.
I have had Coronets, Valiants, a GTX, several versions of the famous Dodge vans, and even a beat up 1965 New Yorker GIVEN to me by my surf film boss Hal Jepsen, it was his mother's.
My mother had owned a 1975 Cordoba and later, a 1985 Fifth Avenue.
And my wife now owns a 2017 Pacifica handicap van, even though she no longer drives, and I am the (happy) chauffer.

And now we might as well say "we own a Studebaker van" because I am quite certain that two years from now at the latest, Chrysler will no longer be in the car manufacturing business.
I love Studebaker cars but as of 1966 Stude owners had orphan vehicles with an uncertain future.
And my guess is, so will we.

Is this one of those scenarios where outside investors buy the company, intentionally make decisions that hurt the company but help them, and then sell it off after they kill it?

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Stellantis' issue is that they don't have any products that people want to buy. The Dodge Charger and Challenger are way overdue for a refresh. Also, few are buying sedans or coupes these days. The Dodge Hornet may be a decent little SUV but it is way overpriced for the brand. I could buy a Mazda CX-30 (and did) with great power and a premium fit for the same amount. The hornet is one of the slowest selling vehicles on the market. As I understand it, the next Challenger will be an EV, which nobody that is loyal to the Dodge brand will buy. The Charger and Challenger are historic muscle cars and EVs don't suit the demographic. Ford is still putting out a Mustang that is a muscle car.

Ram has become its' own brand and its' trucks are overpriced and are sitting on lots.

The beloved Chrysler 300 was discontinued. They should have designed a successor, regardless of how slowly sedans are selling. It was iconic and I think it still would have a following. I think Chrysler still has a decent mini-van, but no one is buying those either. Sad to see what is happening to the brand. It is on the verge of becoming Oldsmobile.

The bottom line is that any carmaker that is in it to win it is pushing out SUVs. A sedan is my primary driver and probably always will be, but SUVs are the moneymakers these days. The SUVs being introduced by Chevy these days are numerous. The Koreans are producing them like rabbits. And who would have ever thought they would see Aston Martin, Porsche and Alfa Romeo SUVs?

I agree with you. Stellantis is killing Chrysler by not developing any new product and it's sad. And we thought the Daimler-Benz and Chrysler days were bad.

The Pacificas WERE selling, selling like crazy, because it was and is a revolutionary design. but then the problem reports started cropping up.
And there is only ONE major design flaw on the gas models, something Stellantis refuses to revisit or fix, outside of that most of the problems are due to poor manufacturing, sloppy assembly and shoddy workmanship.
The major design flaw is the OIL cooler that sits right in the valley between the cylinder heads.
It's a major heat island and they made the dumb thing out of plastic, which cracks.
Pictured is the factory OEM plastic unit and the ALUMINUM replacement by Dorman, which we installed preemptively rather than wait for the OEM to break.



Everything else is due to the parent company not caring if they do a good job putting the cars together.
One of the worst issues is the main CANBUS connector that sits behind the glove box.
It can masquerade as a hundred different issues but the fact is, it's a crappy connector that falls apart for no apparent reason.

The other major flaws are the transmissions used in the hybrid models, the CVT transmission is a huge PoS and they know it.
Chrysler is making their vehicles out of shit, papier mache, scotch tape and baling wire.

Stellantis is at fault for cutting corners in obedience to their vulture bean counters who relentlessly jam their blood funnels into anything
that smells like it could be squeezed for extra money.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Is this one of those scenarios where outside investors buy the company, intentionally make decisions that hurt the company but help them, and then sell it off after they kill it?

Yes, Stellantis is to Chrysler what Golden Capital is to Red Lobster, or AMF was to Harley-Davidson, or to put it bluntly, what Paulie Vario and his crew were to The Bamboo Lounge in Goodfellas.
It's a total gangland bust out to squeeze the company dry.

 

[Helix]

I still want a 1967 era Chrysler Imperial land yacht, but I can't convince my wife. It's probably for the best. Cars and trucks are so much quicker now than they used to be, and I'd be worried about taking an older car on vacation on the interstates. Shit, even four cylinder SUVs are competitive with Mustang GTs from when I was in high school.

Edit to add :

I can pick out a classic car from a mile away, especially since you don't see them in traffic nearly as often as when I was a kid. The other day, I saw someone driving a '57 Bel Air in heavy traffic, and it was keeping up quite nicely. Gorgeous car; it was kind of a deep pink color. I'm not sure if it was the factory color, but it looked very stock for the period..

 

[Gaius46]

Stellantis' issue is that they don't have any products that people want to buy. The Dodge Charger and Challenger are way overdue for a refresh. Also, few are buying sedans or coupes these days. The Dodge Hornet may be a decent little SUV but it is way overpriced for the brand. I could buy a Mazda CX-30 (and did) with great power and a premium fit for the same amount. The hornet is one of the slowest selling vehicles on the market. As I understand it, the next Challenger will be an EV, which nobody that is loyal to the Dodge brand will buy. The Charger and Challenger are historic muscle cars and EVs don't suit the demographic. Ford is still putting out a Mustang that is a muscle car.

Ram has become its' own brand and its' trucks are overpriced and are sitting on lots.

The beloved Chrysler 300 was discontinued. They should have designed a successor, regardless of how slowly sedans are selling. It was iconic and I think it still would have a following. I think Chrysler still has a decent mini-van, but no one is buying those either. Sad to see what is happening to the brand. It is on the verge of becoming Oldsmobile.

The bottom line is that any carmaker that is in it to win it is pushing out SUVs. A sedan is my primary driver and probably always will be, but SUVs are the moneymakers these days. The SUVs being introduced by Chevy these days are numerous. The Koreans are producing them like rabbits. And who would have ever thought they would see Aston Martin, Porsche and Alfa Romeo SUVs?

I agree with you. Stellantis is killing Chrysler by not developing any new product and it's sad. And we thought the Daimler-Benz and Chrysler days were bad.

I have a 2018 Challenger and love the asthetics. And judging from the compliments I get on it every week a lot of people seem to agree.

I'd consider an EV Challenger if the performance is there. But that's a big if. And largely theoretical
since I have no intention of ever parting with the one I have now.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

I still want a 1967 era Chrysler Imperial land yacht, but I can't convince my wife. It's probably for the best. Cars and trucks are so much quicker now than they used to be, and I'd be worried about taking an older car on vacation on the interstates. Shit, even four cylinder SUVs are competitive with Mustang GTs from when I was in high school.

Edit to add :

I can pick out a classic car from a mile away, especially since you don't see them in traffic nearly as often as when I was a kid. The other day, I saw someone driving a '57 Bel Air in heavy traffic, and it was keeping up quite nicely. Gorgeous car; it was kind of a deep pink color. I'm not sure if it was the factory color, but it looked very stock for the period..

I guarantee you a 67 Imperial would not have the least bit of trouble, here or even on the Autobahn.
As a youngster I recall an hour and a half streaking through the Nevada desert at a time when there were no speed limits on that highway and we were cruising at 110 like it was nothing, the engine was loafing and everyone knew there was plenty more if the driver (my oldest brother) wanted it.
In fact, many of those old land yachts lacked the acceleration of their more pony car relatives because the differential ratios were geared for top speed instead of blistering acceleration.
I would wager that old Imperial probably had a 2.76:1 ratio, which is considered a "tall gear" but helpful for fuel economy on the freeway.

 

[Fledermaus]

Never cared for Chrysler or Mopar.

I'll say good things about the old slant-6 but that's about it.

Dodge B-150 van, Slant-6, Manual transmission.

Didn't go fast but it went everywhere.

160,000 miles when we sold it.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Dodge B-150 van, Slant-6, Manual transmission.

Didn't go fast but it went everywhere.

160,000 miles when we sold it.

160 thousand? Just broken in.
Those Buzzin' Half Dozens could go for as much as 250 thousand miles before needing much of anything major, or even more.
There were Slant Six taxicabs racking up 350 or even four hundred thousand miles even back in the old days.
Same with the Chevy Stove Bolt sixes in the Checker Marathons, also durable engines.

 

[Fledermaus]

160 thousand? Just broken in.
Those Buzzin' Half Dozens could go for as much as 250 thousand miles before needing much of anything major, or even more.
There were Slant Six taxicabs racking up 350 or even four hundred thousand miles even back in the old days.
Same with the Chevy Stove Bolt sixes in the Checker Marathons, also durable engines.

It was sold because we had multiple automobiles at the time and had no more use for it.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

It was sold because we had multiple automobiles at the time and had no more use for it.

Well you probably are familiar with my nonstop and possibly irritating posts about my desire to get another 1965 Chrysler 300 or New Yorker.
I wish I'd kept Hal's mom's one that he gave me. It had bad head gaskets and I was too much in debt to afford getting it fixed, and now I wish I'd made better choices and gone ahead with repairs instead of selling it for next to nothing, that was back in 1996. If that car is still on the road and repaired but still in the overall cosmetic condition it was in (Fair to Good) I'm still quite sure it could fetch five or six thousand right now.
I let it go for 750 bucks back then! It still ran and drove as long as you left the radiator cap loose and kept the rad filled on a regular basis.

 

[Allan]

I still want a 1967 era Chrysler Imperial land yacht, but I can't convince my wife.

My Dad had one of those. Before that a Windsor and a 300.

The Imperial had a very smooth ride, especially on the highway.

I think the fuel efficiency was measured in gallons per mile.

 

[Helix]

My Dad had one of those. Before that a Windsor and a 300.

The Imperial had a very smooth ride, especially on the highway.

I think the fuel efficiency was measured in gallons per mile.

We had a massive Lincoln. Dad started teaching me to drive it when I was ten. It had a 460. It could tow a boat, but Dad said that it was "doggy."

 

[dseag2]

I have a 2018 Challenger and love the asthetics. And judging from the compliments I get on it every week a lot of people seem to agree.

I'd consider an EV Challenger if the performance is there. But that's a big if. And largely theoretical
since I have no intention of ever parting with the one I have now.

Didn't mean to insult you. I think the Challenger is a pretty timeless design but it is long in the tooth so I doubt there are too many new buyers. I still notice them on the road.

I have a '17 Audi A4 that is long in the tooth and isn't selling well any more but I still love it.

 

[dseag2]

We had a massive Lincoln. Dad started teaching me to drive it when I was ten. It had a 460. It could tow a boat, but Dad said that it was "doggy."

My dad had a '73 Lincoln Continental Mark IV that he bought in '75 from a business associate. It was silver with a silver leather interior. The hood was the longest thing I'd ever seen and it drove like a boat but I felt like a million bucks riding in it and looking out the "opera windows".

 

[Helix]

My dad had a '73 Lincoln Continental Mark IV that he bought in '75 from a business associate. It was silver with a silver leather interior. The hood was the longest thing I'd ever seen and it drove like a boat but I felt like a million bucks riding in it and looking out the "opera windows".

Oh, yes. They were awesome cars.

I remember riding in the Lincoln and falling asleep in the back seat as my dad drove overnight. Back then, strapping the kids into safety seats wasn't like it is now. My parents had supplies in the back seat for the trip, and I could still stretch all of the way out like it was a bed. That was traveling in style.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Hey how'd we get from Stellantis destroying the Chrysler brand to Lincolns?
Ford's doing just fine!

 

[Gaius46]

Didn't mean to insult you. I think the Challenger is a pretty timeless design but it is long in the tooth so I doubt there are too many new buyers. I still notice them on the road.

I have a '17 Audi A4 that is long in the tooth and isn't selling well any more but I still love it.

Nah. Not insulted at all.

You're probably right - and just generally I think muscle cars days are numbered. But I do love that car.

 

[watsup]

Stellantis' issue is that they don't have any products that people want to buy. The Dodge Charger and Challenger are way overdue for a refresh. Also, few are buying sedans or coupes these days. The Dodge Hornet may be a decent little SUV but it is way overpriced for the brand. I could buy a Mazda CX-30 (and did) with great power and a premium fit for the same amount. The hornet is one of the slowest selling vehicles on the market. As I understand it, the next Challenger will be an EV, which nobody that is loyal to the Dodge brand will buy. The Charger and Challenger are historic muscle cars and EVs don't suit the demographic. Ford is still putting out a Mustang that is a muscle car.

Ram has become its' own brand and its' trucks are overpriced and are sitting on lots.

The beloved Chrysler 300 was discontinued. They should have designed a successor, regardless of how slowly sedans are selling. It was iconic and I think it still would have a following. I think Chrysler still has a decent mini-van, but no one is buying those either. Sad to see what is happening to the brand. It is on the verge of becoming Oldsmobile.

The bottom line is that any carmaker that is in it to win it is pushing out SUVs. A sedan is my primary driver and probably always will be, but SUVs are the moneymakers these days. The SUVs being introduced by Chevy these days are numerous. The Koreans are producing them like rabbits. And who would have ever thought they would see Aston Martin, Porsche and Alfa Romeo SUVs?

I agree with you. Stellantis is killing Chrysler by not developing any new product and it's sad. And we thought the Daimler-Benz and Chrysler days were bad.

What about Jeeps? Everybody wants a Jeep across many different age brackets. I see old guys driving Jeeps all the time.

 

[dseag2]

What about Jeeps? Everybody wants a Jeep across many different age brackets. I see old guys driving Jeeps all the time.

Sorry, I forgot about Jeeps. That is one segment of Stellantis that continues to grow, but then again they are all SUVs. That's where the money is. Grand Cherokees, Compasses and Renegades are ubiquitous on our roads.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

What about Jeeps? Everybody wants a Jeep across many different age brackets. I see old guys driving Jeeps all the time.

The Jeeps they are cranking out today are not reliable. Same problems across the board. Stellantis is intentionally destroying brand quality on ALL Chrysler vehicles.