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Fiat Chrysler recalls 320,000 Dodge Darts that could roll away

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said Friday it is recalling more than 320,000 Dodge Dart compact cars in North America that could roll away because of a defective part that could allow the shift cable to detach from the transmission. The Italian-American automaker said the recall covers 2013 through 2016 model year automatic transmission Dart cars and that the defect could prevent drivers from shifting vehicles into park. The company said it is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the issue but has several thousand reports of related repairs to vehicles. The company said a cable bushing may degrade after prolonged exposure to high ambient heat and humidity. The company said owners should make sure they shut off the vehicle and engage the parking brake. Fiat Chrysler will replace the transmission side shifter cable bushing, the company said. The company did not said when repairs will be ready. The recall covers about 298,000 U.S. vehicles, 20,117 in Canada, 3,400 in Mexico and about 900 outside of North America. Fiat Chrysler ended production of the Dart in 2016. FCA has had a number of recalls over shifter problems in recent years. Some 1.5 million Ram trucks were recalled in 2017 for a shifter problem, and another 228,000 were recalled in 2018. And 1.1 million Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models were recalled in 2016 over what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration called an "unintuitive" shifter design that caused drivers to exit their vehicles thinking they were in Park when in reality they were still in Drive or Reverse. The shifter in Dodge Chargers, Chrysler 300s and Jeep Grand Cherokees was implicated in more than 120 accidents, more than 40 injuries, and in the death of "Star Trek" actor Anton Yelchin.

Corvette Z06 and Viper TA square off at the strip

There are many long-standing grudge matches among automobiles: 911 vs GT-R, Mustang vs Camaro, Ferrari vs Lamborghini... but as far as high-end American metal goes, it doesn't get much more legendary than Viper vs 'Vette. So after Chevy released the new Corvette Z06, we knew it was only a matter of time before it would have to square off against the Viper TA. And what better place to pit these two parallel pillars of American performance than on the drag strip? Fortunately that's just what we have here. In one corner, the 2014 Dodge Viper TA, with its 8.4-liter V10 pumping out 640 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. In the other, the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, the supercharger on its 6.2-liter V8 more than making up for the discrepancy in displacement and cylinder count to produce 650 hp and just as much torque. But numbers don't tell the whole story, so watch the video clip to see which reaches the end of the quarter-mile first. News Source: To the Floor via YouTubeTip: James Chevrolet Dodge Videos drag race chevy corvette z06 quarter mile drag strip srt viper ta

2016 Jeep Wrangler recalled over impact sensor wiring

Fiat Chrysler just announced a pair of recalls totaling nearly 311,000 units. The bigger recall affects certain 2016 and 2017 model year Jeep Wranglers. Although, since FCA claims all of the affected 2017s are in the company's hands, really, only 2016 owners should pay attention here. The affected Wranglers suffer from an issue where wiring disconnects from impact sensors in certain types of crashes, potentially preventing the airbags and pretensioners from activating. FCA uncovered the problem in what its press release calls "a routine, in-house crash test" and claims "service availability is imminent." The affected Jeeps require a simple rewiring. The other recall, announced Tuesday, is more of a fleet issue, affecting 2007 to 2013 model-year Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups and 3500, 4500, and 5500 chassis cabs and 2011 to 2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit police vehicles. There's a problem with "premature diode wear" in alternators that are subject to "frequent load cycling, at or near maximum amperage, [or] in hot ambient temperatures." Affected alternators could short out, causing a vehicle to stall or potentially catch fire. FCA lists 182,743 affected Wranglers in the US, 18,011 in Canada, 3,087 in Mexico, and 20,948 in global markets. The Ram/ Charger Pursuit recall lists 74,833 vehicles in the US, 10,077 in Canada, 1,088 in Mexico, and 134 outside the NAFTA region. Of all those vehicles, the Jeep recall hasn't caused any injuries or fatalities, while FCA says it's aware of one "potentially related injury" and no accidents due to its fleet vehicle recall. FCA says it will notify owners/operators of affected vehicles when service appointments are available. As per usual, all the work is free of charge. Related Video: