Stellantis Recall: $13 Billion Engine Fix | Reliability & Safety

And it’s not to launch another electric SUV. It is to renovate what constitutes the heart of any car, its engines and transmissions. It must be said that Stellantis has a disastrous reputation in terms of reliability. We no longer need to introduce the PureTech engine, infamous for its oil-bath timing belt which fails prematurely.

Stellantis tries to repair its engines and its reputation

BYD also openly mocked it in January 2026 with its advertising campaign “Operation Purification” in Italy. The regulator ordered the ad to be removed, but the damage was done. Everyone was now talking about what Stellantis would rather see buried. When a Chinese competitor uses your reliability issues as a selling point, it’s time to act.

The investment covers five new vehicles, a new four-cylinder engine and the redesign of transmissions across the entire catalog. In total, 19 refreshed models will leave Stellantis factories by 2029. The manufacturer also plans to create more than 5,000 jobs in factories in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Vehicle production will increase by 50% from current levels.

The most scrutinized project is the GMET4 EVO, a new four-cylinder engine to revive Jeep and Dodge. These two brands have suffered from an image damaged by excessively high maintenance costs and repeated breakdowns. The objective is simple, but very complex to achieve. We must combine power, robustness and cost control.

Pick-up and SUV buyers no longer want to choose between performance and peace of mind. Production of the GMET4 EVO will begin in 2026 at the Kokomo, Indiana factories, with more than $100 million invested and around a hundred jobs created.

In short, it is a strong signal. The return of the HEMI block to the Ram range is also part of the plan. This iconic V8 engine was abandoned in favor of electrification, but Stellantis is backtracking. The manufacturer will also introduce a 1.6-liter hybrid engine that develops 210 horsepower.

As a reminder, Stellantis has systematically lowered its electricity ambitions over the past year. The company is now betting that the transition to all-electric will take much longer than expected. And the sales figures prove him right.

In Europe, the situation is more complicated and there will be no new engines in 2026. European factories will be “embedded” in the transformation, but the first benefits will not be felt until 2027 at best. Bad news for French production sites who are desperate to secure their future. Recall that Stellantis closed the Ellesmere Port factory in the United Kingdom and reduced production in Poissy and Hordain in France.

Except that, the shadow of PureTech still looms. This engine, whose timing belt immersed in oil failed prematurely, cost millions in recalls and repairs. In France, the group was the subject of complaints and a preliminary investigation by the Nanterre public prosecutor’s office. Thousands of Peugeot 208, 308, 2008, 3008 and Citroën C3 owners were affected.

Reliability, Stellantis’ objective to come back strong

Antonio Filosa insists on the complete overhaul of the transmissions, perceived as an additional point of fragility. Here too, the priority is reliability and the driving experience rather than the announcement effect. Also in the works is the reopening of the Belvidere, Illinois, plant with more than $600 million invested to produce the Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Compass. More than 3,300 jobs will be created.

The Toledo, Ohio, plant will receive a new mid-size pickup that will join the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator on the production line, costing $400 million and 900 jobs. The new generation Dodge Durango will be produced in Detroit from 2029, with 130 million invested.

“This investment in the United States, the largest in our history, will accelerate our growth, strengthen our industrial footprint and create jobs”said Antonio Filosa. “Succeeding in America is what makes us strong around the world.”

Clearly, Stellantis is betting its future on its ability to produce reliable engines and transmissions. The manufacturer has understood that the billions invested in electricity are of no use if customers no longer have confidence. It remains to be seen whether the promises will be kept, because PureTech owners are tired of waiting.

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