For a reminder that you can sometimes have too much corporate “efficiency,” just look at the troubles of carmaker Stellantis NV. The Franco-Italian-US giant is facing a multi-billion dollar warranty hit that stems in part from poorer vehicle quality. It turns out its previous mania for cost cuts carries a longer-term price.

Several of the company’s European brands — Peugeot, Citroën and Opel — have been bedeviled by camshaft-chain and timing-belt issues in their popular diesel and “PureTech” petrol models. And in North America the rugged reputation of its prized Jeep unit has been dented by the recall of more than 300,00 Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid SUVs because the batteries might catch fire. Some of these vehicles are subject to a separate recall because their engines may be contaminated by sand.

© Bloomberg