1977 Jeep Wagoneer Base Sport Utility 4-door 5.9l on 2040-cars

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Fiat Chrysler recalls 650,000 Dodge, Jeep SUVs for brake issue

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said Tuesday it's voluntarily recalling nearly 650,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs to ensure that brake-booster shields were properly installed. The recall affects mostly vehicles sold in the U.S. but also roughly 60,000 combined in Canada and Mexico. The shields were installed in 2014 in conjunction with a recall involving the same set of vehicles, which cover the model years 2011 through 2014. A review of warranty data led to an FCA U.S. investigation that discovered the problem. FCA says it is aware of one potentially related accident, but no injuries. The shields are designed to keep water away from the boosters, lest it cause corrosion or freeze in cold temperatures and negatively affect brake performance. Brakes will still function even if boosters are compromised by water, FCA says, but drivers may experience brake-pedal firmness. In some cases, a potential booster issue may trigger a warning light or activation of the anti-lock brakes. Customers who've observed any of those conditions are urged to contact their dealers. The automaker says it plans to notify affected owners that free service to check and repair the issue if necessary will be available in early November. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Recalls Dodge Jeep Safety SUV FCA

Federal grand jury issues subpoenas to U.S. FCA dealers

Despite an attempt to clarify and backtrack, it seems the investigation into Fiat Chrysler Automobile's false sales reporting is picking up steam. According to Automotive News, FCA dealers and regional offices have received subpoenas ordering them to supply documents and testimony to a grand jury in Detroit. Of course, the dealers are objecting to the request. They claim the subpoenas are too broad and would require them to hand over too much personal information, like personal phone numbers of dealer employees going back years. The group wants to make it clear that FCA has clarified its sales reporting and that the issue is with the manufacturer, not dealers. The dealers say that FCA employee records and testimony should be enough. It's rumored that a dealer group is the one that sparked the investigation in the first place. FCA confirmed on July 18 that it indeed was under investigation by a number of federal agencies. Although they've clarified their position regarding sales reporting, the fraud investigation continues full steam. Related Video:

Jeep Grand Cherokee S is handsome dressed in all black

FCA loves to roll out limited- or special-edition variants of its vehicles. Just take a peek through all the different versions of the Ram 1500 and Jeep Wrangler that were available over the years. Generally, most of those models are tailored for the U.S. or completely U.S. exclusive, but that's not always the case. In Europe, there's an awesome looking new Grand Cherokee S. Too bad this murdered-out variant of Jeep' flagship isn't coming here. While many of us lament the popularity of black, silver and white paint colors, there's always something particularly charming about a completely blacked-out vehicle. Ditch all the chrome trim, paint the wheels and tint the lighting. The Grand Cherokee S (for Sport) has a new Low Gloss Granite Crystal color on its badging, grille surround, step pads, tail lamps and 20-inch wheels. The grille itself is painted a deep gloss black. Same goes for the trim around the windows and the exhaust tips. The interior follows the same general form. Most of the trim is done up in either anodized grey or black wood. The SRT seats are covered in black Nappa leather with black stitching. One rare bright spot is the shiny metal pedals. It's not all just looks with the Grand Cherokee S. The model comes standard with an 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with the latest iteration of UConnect. That means both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come at no additional running costs. Other features include a 7-inch configurable display in the instrument cluster, an Alpine audio system with a subwoofer and active noise cancellation, a panoramic sunroof, dual zone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats and heated rear seats. Additionally, the Grand Cherokee S gets a sport suspension and Jeep's Quadra-Drive II four-wheel-drive system. It adds a limited-slip differential, a five-mode (auto, snow, sand, mud and rock) selector for optimal traction on rough surfaces. Add on a number of active safety features, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee S gets just about everything available on Jeep's range-topper. Unfortunately the Grand Cherokee S doesn't have a direct equivalent in the U.S., but hey, we get the Trackhawk. We think the Europeans might draw the short straw on that one. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Jeep Design/Style Jeep Crossover SUV Off-Road Vehicles