There’s a tendency on here to assume that the reason why the 9-speed had customer problems was because FCA modified it - that’s not true, and it’s frequently used to build a narrative that FCA cost-cuts itself into problems. The 8HP was similarly modified, and I don’t hear complaints about that.Blaming ZF does no good. FCA chose them as a supplier. once you chose a supplier, their issues become your issues.
FCA also made certain decisions that amplified the 9 speed issues.
It’s true that a supplier’s issues are your issues, but to blame the final manufacturer for the failure of that supplier to resolve those problems, when only the supplier could have resolved them, is playing a bit too dumb on a forum populated by people who are enthusiasts and know a bit more than Average Joe about how the car industry works.
For the record, yes, it hurt FCA’s reputation, not ZF’s, but that doesn’t make the root cause FCA’s. ZF was a trusted supplier with a proven track record from the 8HP series, a transmission that FCA also modified under license to great success. Applying hindsight to what was a sound decision at the time based on the available evidence is just moaning.