2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie on 2040-cars

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Chrysler recalling 278,222 trucks and SUVs over bad rear axles

Chrysler has issued a recall of 278,222 light trucks and sport utility vehicles here in the United States. The reason: bad rear axles. Specifically, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the rear axle pinion nut may lack a necessary adhesive patch, which could cause the nut to loosen. If this happens, the axle can lock up, which could cause all sorts of havoc on the road.
This is an expansion of the rear axle recall announced in October of last year, where 44,300 Ram 1500 and Dodge Dakota models were being called in. At that time, 12 accidents had been reported due to the faulty axle pinion nut.
Affected vehicles include Ram 1500 trucks from the 2009 to 2012 model years, Dodge Dakota models from the 2009 to 2011 model years, and both the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango SUV twins, both from the 2009 model year only.

Dodge pulls New Girl and The Office stars for new Dart spots

Dodge is hoping that a heavy dash of humor helps it move some more units of the Dart with a hilarious ad campaign called Don't Touch My Dart. The spots star actors Craig Robinson, best known for his role as Darryl on The Office, and Jake Johnson from New Girl as neighbors and friends playing a game of one-upmanship over Robinson's new car. Johnson is envious of the ride and just wants to touch it.
The ads are pretty funny if you're a fan of somewhat absurdist humor, and Robinson has just the right amount of over-the-top seriousness to really make the commercials work. They have kind of a Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote vibe with Johnson constantly in inept pursuit of what he wants, but he clearly isn't getting it.
The first four spots in the campaign are already online, but according to Dodge this is just the beginning. The company says that it's planning about 24 different versions of these ads in various lengths to play on TV and online. You can check out the ads titled First Scratch, Birdhouse Police Garage Door and Voice Touching below, along with the brand's release about the new ads. There's also a pretty good gag on its YouTube page with Robinson protecting his Dart.

2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody Drivers' Notes | Widebody for everybody

The 2019 and soon to be 2020 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody is another Challenger dart thrown against the wall by Dodge. It takes the desirable Widebody package we’ve seen on Hellcats and applies it to the naturally aspirated Scat Pack with the 6.4-liter V8. This kit includes stiffer adaptive shocks, stiffer springs, larger stabilizer bars, big Brembo brakes, a 3.09 rear axle ratio, 20-inch forged wheels and massive 305 section-width tires on all four corners. Most important of all, you get the special Widebody fender flares that give the car its signature look. The package is $6,000 on top of a regular Scat Pack. That means the cheapest youÂ’ll step into a Scat Pack Widebody is $46,740. The Widebody that rolled through our offices came in at a much-higher $57,295 after a number of options were tacked on. Many of these, you can skip. The 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque that comes standard is the most important aspect of this big coupe. Several packages costing more than $1,000 each add convenience and driver assistance tech, and the Harman/Kardon system is a hefty $1,595. With such a loud engine and exhaust, itÂ’s hardly worthwhile. Our tester also had the $1,595 eight-speed automatic transmission. ThisÂ’ll let you scare unsuspecting bystanders with the remote start system, but opting for a manual is an easy way to save some cash and increase driver involvement. With all the modern technology like adaptive cruise control, auto high-beams, heated and cooled seats, and blind-spot detection, the Challenger tries its best to keep up with the times. ItÂ’s no technological marvel, but itÂ’s neat to see some of these options available for folks who might want them. Still, tech gizmos are not what the Widebody is about. This Challenger keeps the same personality as all of those before it, but adds a dash of handling and hostility to its outward appearance. Here are our varied experiences with it during a week of testing. Editor-in-Chief, Greg Migliore: Yes, you can put a rear-facing convertible car seat in a Dodge Challenger. I did. It actually wasnÂ’t that hard. Remember, the Challenger is genetically a Mercedes sedan and shares underpinnings with the Dodge Charger. The biggest hurdles are ingress and egress, which is to be expected in any coupe. The roofline is low, but really not that bad. I simply lifted my toddler and maneuvered him into the backseat.  I was able to get him secured and fastened, and then I just stepped out of the car.