Stung by the recurring below-average quality rankings of its vehicles, Japanese automaker Nissan will invest heavily in quality initiatives as part of a push to cut in half by 2012 the number of quality complaints it receives, according to a recent article in Motor Trend magazine.
The automaker will increase the amount of quality-focused training its manufacturing workers receive and also look outward for assistance, using an increased number of staffers to help supplier companies address quality issues before parts and subassemblies reach Nissan's production lines.
Nissan now maintains a staff of 250 engineers who are certified as quality inspectors. Under the new plan, their ranks will expand markedly to 4,300.