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Chrysler recalls 350k vehicles over ignition switches

Chrysler has announced a recall covering 349,442 vehicles due to ignition switches that can either become stuck or move without warning. All of the affected vehicles are from the 2008 model year, and were built before May 12, 2008.
The automaker has learned that ignition keys on some vehicles "may not fully return to the 'ON' position after rotation to the 'START' position during engine-startup," the company said in a statement. Additionally, "an ignition key may not fully return to the 'ON' position after rotation to the 'START' position and may inadvertently move through the 'ON' position to 'ACCESSORY' or 'OFF.'"
Chrysler says it is unaware of any related injuries, and notes that while reduced braking, engine or steering power is possible in such instances, the airbags are not affected. The later stands in contrast to General Motors' recent rash of high-profile recalls, and it's an important distinction that Chrysler (understandably) felt necessary to call out in bold print in its press release.

GM, Chrysler bailouts saved 2.6 million jobs

The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) has been studying the effects of the General Motors and Chrysler bailouts in 2009. Now that the US Treasury has officially sold off the rest of its stake in GM (and Chrysler has already paid back its loan), CAR has released its study on the effects of the bailout with this concluding note: "CAR is confident that in the years ahead, this peacetime intervention in the private sector by the US government will be seen as one of the most successful in US economic history."
Big words, for sure, but there's plenty of evidence to back up the claim. Bailing out GM alone saved 1.2-million jobs. If both GM and Chrysler hadn't been bailed out, US employment would have been reduced by 2.631-million jobs in 2009 and another 1.519-million jobs in 2010, according to the study. If both automakers were allowed to fail, personal income in the US would have decreased by $173.5 billion in 2009 and $110.9 billion in 2010. Instead, the study found that $284.4 billion of personal income was saved by the bailouts.

Fiat Chrysler quietly sends Pentastar logo out to pasture

Logos come and go, and in the case of the famed Chrysler Pentastar, it's on its way back out. The well-known five-sided emblem, which sits prominently atop the massive Chrysler Technical Center complex in Auburn Hills, MI, is officially going to be phased out now that the company has united with Fiat and formed the new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
As a nearly 50-year-old icon, though, the fate of the Pentastar has been deeply intertwined with Chrysler's history. Hemmings has an excellent recap of that history, from its development in 1962 by a Chrysler ad agency through to its temporary discontinuation during the disastrous marriage between the American company and Daimler-Benz, and then on to its revival during the time the automaker regained its independence.
If you've been a fan of Chrysler and its brands over the years, you're going to want to give this piece a read. Head over and take a look.