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Dodge Dart Registry helps you crowdsource money for your next ride [w/video]

To be honest, we're surprised something like this didn't pop up sooner. Chrysler is riffing on gift registries for couples getting married or expecting babies and cross-pollinating it with a social media funding website like Kickstarter to help customers buy its 2013 Dodge Dart. The Dodge Dart Registry allows people to build and customize a new Dart exactly how they want it, then let other people purchase some or all of the components as gifts.
The registry lets you add features like dark headlights, dual exhaust, various wheels and even interior options without choosing a specific trim level. This sounds a lot like the system Scion uses to let its customers configure cars, and this could be a great idea for Dodge. Of course, this system has the added benefit of being a social media affair for you to share with your friends... you know, so they can help pay for some of the parts, too.
The best thing about the registry is that you can configure your dream Dart from the comfort of your home computer, which strikes us as much better than walking around Bed, Bath and Beyond for the better part of an afternoon with an electronic scanner. The one thing that Dodge doesn't offer? "Thank You" cards. Those are on you.

Total auto recalls already on record pace in 2014

If you've noticed that there have been more recalls than usual this year, you may be on to something. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the US market is on pace to break a record for recalls. In 2013, 22 million cars were recalled. We're only a third of the way through 2014, though, and we've already halved that figure, with 11 million units recalled. That's wild.
Considering the past few months, it shouldn't be a surprise that General Motors is leading the charge, with six million of the 11 million units recalled coming from one of the General's four brands. Between truck recalls, CUV recalls and the ignition switch recall, 2014 hasn't been a great year for GM.
Other recall leaders include Nissan (one million Sentra and Altima sedans), Honda (900,000 Odyssey minivans), Toyota (over one million units in a few recalls), Volkswagen (150,000 Passat sedans), Chrysler (644,000 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs) and most recently, Ford (434,000 units, the bulk of which were early Ford Escape CUVs). So while it's been a bad year for GM so far, its competitors aren't doing too well, either.

2019 Dodge Durango raids the SRT parts bin for updates

Fiat Chrysler will squeeze some extra excitement from the upcoming 2019 Dodge Durango, by providing some modest updates. They include giving the three-row SUV new colors and broadening the use of elements of the Durango R/T and SRT performance models, among other upgrades when it goes on sale in the fall. It'll still be offered in five models — SXT, GT, Citadel, R/T and the SRT — with the same 295-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 as the standard engine. For 2019, the GT model will get the SRT and R/T's performance front fascia and LED fog lamps. It also has the option of an SRT-inspired hood with center air inlet duct and two heat extractors. On the Citadel models, second-row captain's chairs will be standard. There's also a new integrated trailer brake on models equipped with the Trailer Tow Package. New 20-inch wheel designs are available on various trims, and an available 825-watt, 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system for the Citadel, R/T and SRT. Three new exterior color options appear, too: F8 Green, Destroyer Gray and Reactor Blue. SRT buyers can now opt for red seat belts and lightweight Brembo brakes with two-piece rotors. Its Hemi V8 still makes 475 horsepower as it did last year. The R/T model, meanwhile, continues with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8, also available on the Citadel, making 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. Sepia leather seats are a new option. Order books are now open, but there's no word yet on price. Related Video: