Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Challenger Earn Segment Awards for Initial Quality From J.D. Power and Associates

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Jun 23, 2011, 01:10 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

2011 Chrysler Town & Country ranks highest in initial quality for minivan segment
2011 Dodge Challenger earns top spot in mid-size sporty car segment
Five Chrysler Group vehicles rank third or better in their segments for initial quality

The 2011 Chrysler Town & Country and the 2011 Dodge Challenger ranked highest in their segments in the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS).

The Chrysler Town & Country ranked highest in initial quality in the minivan segment and the Dodge Challenger ranked highest in the mid-size sporty car segment.

Three other Chrysler Group vehicles were highlighted by J.D. Power and Associates for ranking among the top three vehicles of their competitive class: Dodge Durango in the mid-size crossover/SUV category, Dodge Grand Caravan in the minivan category and Ram Dakota in the mid-size pickup segment.

"Having five vehicles rank at or near the top of their segments is the result of a lot of hard work and long hours dedicated to updating our product line," said Doug Betts, Senior Vice President – Quality, Chrysler Group. "Most automakers, including Chrysler Group, find it challenging to maintain quality levels when launching vehicles with a significant amount of new content. It's a big accomplishment for our employees and supplier partners to achieve these initial quality results when so many of our 2011 model year launches coincided with the IQS survey period."

J.D. Power and Associates surveyed owners of new 2011 model year vehicles that were registered between the months of November 2010 through February 2011. IQS measures new vehicle quality at 90 days of ownership.

In the past year, Chrysler Group has launched 16 new or significantly improved vehicles.

"We've made steady gains, improving reliability by 58 percent in the past four years, according to our internal warranty data," Betts said. "We still have more work to do as we continue to improve the quality of all our products."

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calf., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on cell phone ratings, car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 from a global strategic alliance with Fiat, S.p.A., produces Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram, Mopar®, 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 – from a company whose heritage dates back to 1899.

Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group's product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300, Jeep Wrangler and Ram Truck. 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.

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SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC