2006 Jeep Commander Limited Sport Utility 4-door 5.7l on 2040-cars

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Dodge and Jeep recalling 895k SUVs for possibility of headliner fires

Dodge and Jeep are announcing recalls of a total of 895,000 Durango and Grand Cherokee models worldwide from the 2011 through 2014 model years. There's a possibility that the wiring in the sun visor can short circuit and cause a fire. It specifically affects vehicles built between January 5, 2010, and December 11, 2013, and there are approximately 651,000 of them in the US, 45,700 in Canada, 23,000 in Mexico and 175,000 outside of North America.
Screws that fasten the sunvisor to the headliner may pierce wires in the visor, if the part has been removed or serviced, potentially causing a fire risk. If the wires short circuit, they could overheat and potentially combust. The automakers report three injuries caused by this defect, and according to the investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "there may be a total of 52 unique fire incidents."
To fix the problem, Dodge and Jeep will inspect the vehicles for suspect wiring, and all of the models, whether damaged or not, will get a new sun visor spacer with a wire guide to stop the possibility of short circuits. According to the automakers' announcement, "this condition is not present in vehicles which have not had the headliner or vanity mirror serviced." They will notify affected owners, and repairs will begin in August.

Jeep bringing two special-edition Renegades to the LA Auto Show

Few manufacturers do limited edition runs like Jeep, which has released everything from a 75th Anniversary Edition Wrangler to a Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Renegade. The automaker is revealing two new versions of the Renegade next week at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show: a 2017 Jeep Renegade Deserthawk and a 2017 Jeep Renegade Altitude. The off-road ready Deserthawk starts at $28,140 and builds on the bones of the already capable Renegade Trailhawk. The extra $1,495 nets you an exclusive Mojave Sand paint option, hood, and rear panel decals. It also comes equipped with rock rails and the towing package. Inside, the Deserthawk comes with black leather seats, Light Frost stitching and accents, all-weather floor mats, and a cargo tray mat. As it's based on the Trailhawk, the Deserthawk comes with four-wheel drive, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, and a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Renegade Altitude, like the other Jeep Altitude models, essentially means black on black on black. It comes with 18-inch gloss black wheels with gloss black accents on the front and rear badges, grille rings and tail lamp rings. The black theme continues inside with black cloth seats and black gloss trim. The Altitude also features what Jeep calls Metal Diamond door handles and shift knob. Standard features include a backup camera and a keyless ignition. All that black gloss will set you back at least $22,390. Look for the Renegade pair to arrive in dealers soon. The Altitude will be available later in November while the Deserthawk hits showrooms in January. Related Video: LA Auto Show Jeep Crossover Off-Road Vehicles jeep renegade

NHTSA closes probes on Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey

The Detroit News reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has officially closed its investigations into 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2004-2005 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey models. The separate probes found no issues that pose safety concerns. NHTSA began investigating certain Grand Cherokee SUVs over complaints that power steering hoses could detach during operation, thereby increasing the risk of a vehicle fire. Of the 24 reports of failure, none alleged smoke or fire in the engine bay, and Chrysler has since modified the power steering cooler assembly to reduce the likelihood of the failure.
Meanwhile, certain Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey vehicles garnered a government probe after receiving complaints that the models were equipped with faulty scissor jacks. The agency had received six reports of the jacks failing or causing injuries, including one incident that resulted in a fatality. But NHTSA says the jack failure rate is similar to those found in other vehicles. In those six cases, the government agency found the jacks were being used for something other than changing a tire, and investigators could not determine whether the emergency brake was set or the rear tires were properly chocked.