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Chrysler Boosts Quality Control at Belvidere Plant

Chrysler Group LLC has spent $20 million to upgrade quality at its assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill., which is ramping up production of the new Dodge Dart compact car.

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Chrysler Group LLC has spent $20 million to upgrade quality at its assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill., which is ramping up production of the new Dodge Dart compact car. The factory also makes the Jeep Compass and Patriot compact crossover vehicles.

The plant's new quality center examines about 20 cars per day for potential problems in such areas as fit and finish, heating, air conditioning and emissions. A materials laboratory and dimensional technology are used to troubleshoot problems quickly on-site.

Chrysler can't afford quality problems with the Dart, its re-entry to the increasingly important American small-car segment. The Dart also is the company's first vehicle to ride on a platform developed by parent Fiat SpA.

Such facilities aren't new to the auto industry. But Chrysler quality chief Doug Betts tells The Wall Street Journal that under Fiat ownership Chrysler now has the funds to pay for such projects something it lacked under previous owners fund Cerberus Capital Management (2007-2009) and Daimler AG (1998-2007).

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