2001 Dodge Ram 1500 Larime 5.2l 5-speed on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Continental Automotive recalls 5 million airbag control units

Takata isn't the only supplier having airbag problems. Rival manufacturer Continental Automotive Systems announced a recall of 5 million airbag control units fitted to vehicles from Honda, Fiat Chrysler Automotive, Mercedes-Benz, and even a certain Chrysler-based Volkswagen. This sweeping recall has actually been in progress for some time, although the exact scope is only now becoming evident. In October of 2015, Mercedes-Benz recalled 2008 and 2009 model year C- and GLK-Class vehicles because their Continental-made airbag control units could corrode. Such a condition could cause the airbags to deploy without cause or warning, or in the event of a crash, not deploy at all. You can read all about it in our post from last year. Now, Continental's recall is going wide. Alongside the already recalled C and GLK, you've already heard about the 2008 and 2009 Honda Accord airbag recall, which we reported on yesterday. Now, Fiat Chrysler is announcing the recall of the 2009 Dodge Journey, as well as the 2008 and 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country, and their rebadged counterpart, the Volkswagen Routan. Yes, one manufacturer is recalling another manufacturer's vehicle. The models listed above only amount to about 580,000 vehicles out of 5 million bad airbag control units. And since Continental will notify manufacturers who will then issue their own recalls, it's extremely likely that more brands and vehicles will be ensnared. Stay tuned. Related Video: News Source: NHTSA via Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Fabian Bimmer / Reuters Recalls Chrysler Dodge Fiat Honda Mercedes-Benz Safety Crossover Minivan/Van Sedan FCA

Tempted by the Demon, dealers find way to thwart Dodge, jack up prices

It's the eternal story of short supply, big demand - and car dealers eager to exploit that dynamic, especially when it involves a hot car. A few weeks ago, when Dodge announced that it devised a way to attempt to prevent price-gouging on those 840-horsepower 2018 Dodge Demons, you just knew the dealers would dream up some devilish end-run. And sure enough, despite the manufacturer's best intentions, Demon order slots are being offered with five-figure markups. Here's how things were supposed to work: With a run of just 3,000 cars, Dodge knew it had to do something to address dealer greed, so it announced an allocation system: Cars purchased at or below the $86,090 MSRP would be the first orders filled and delivered. If a dealer sells an allocated Demon for more than sticker, that car goes to the end of the line for production and delivery. Dodge also ensured dealers wouldn't stockpile or hoard Demons by limiting the number of orders a dealer can submit and allocating cars to dealers based on how many Challenger and Charger Hellcats the dealer has sold. But Automotive News reports that some dealers are using intermediaries to auction off their Demon allocations on eBay. Three sellers last week said they were representing dealers in South Carolina, Tennessee and Louisiana, and auctioning off the right to buy a car in one of the priority spots at MSRP. The minimum bid for the right to buy the car at sticker? From $10,000-25,000. And previous transactions on eBay might have run as high as $75,000. So early buyers are definitely paying an upcharge - but it's a thing apart from the bottom line on the order form, where it appears they are paying MSRP. In other words, a scheme that violates the spirit of what FCA tried to do. A source at FCA told Automotive News the automaker was monitoring the practice but could do little to stop it. And the report quoted a Hellcat owner who said his dealership was ignoring Dodge's strictures altogether and offered him a Demon at MSRP plus $60K. But take heart. Not all car dealers are cynically opportunistic - or rather, some see an opportunity for doing good, not making buck. Automotive News says Bill Marsh Chrysler in Traverse City, Mich., plans to sell its single allocated Demon for $1 under MSRP - and is auctioning off the right to buy it, with the dealership's existing customers eligible to bid. The auction's proceeds will benefit four Traverse City charities.

Camaro SS, Hellcat Widebody, and an Airstream camper | Autoblog Podcast #545

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Green Editor John Beltz Snyder and Senior Editor Alex Kierstein. We talk about a lot of American stuff, including the Chevy Camaro SS 1LE and the new Blazer, Dodge Challenger Hellcat Widebody, Ford's new train station and a diesel F-150 towing an Airstream trailer, as well as some Tesla pickup news. Somehow the Kia Stinger also made its way into this red, white and blue episode (because it's great, and it's our new long-termer). This week, we try something a little different in the "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #545 Your browser does not support the audio element. Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we've been driving: Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE, Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody, Kia Stinger AWD Visiting Ford's new train station in Detroit Camping with a Ford F-150 Diesel and an Airstream Basecamp Chevy unveiled the new Blazer New Tesla pickup truck details Spend my money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Green Podcasts Chevrolet Dodge Ford Kia Truck Coupe Crossover Electric Future Vehicles Performance Sedan RVs/Campers chevy blazer michigan central station