1992 Jeep Wrangler Base Sport Utility 2-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Chrysler investigating complaints of vehicles with faulty power modules

Chrysler owners are hopping mad after experiencing a series of electrical gremlins in some of the company's vehicles. Issues range from mere annoyances - windows rolling down and radios turning off of their own accord - to serious safety issues, with headlights that randomly shut off at night and cars that stall and refuse to start.
The issues are being blamed on the total integrated power module, which can cost up to $1,000 for customers to replace. This, of course, has led to a hefty batch of complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with 240 owners expressing their displeasure so far. Another site, CarComplaints.com, has registered over 300 complaints relating to the 2010 to 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango, alone, according to The New York Times.
Chrysler has acknowledged that it's investigating the complaints and is analyzing the faulty TIPMs, but that isn't quite enough for customers of the affected vehicles. The newspaper has snagged a few of the more harrowing tales with the electrically challenged Chrysler products, culled from the NHTSA complaints.

Jeep delivers basketful of concepts for the Moab Easter Jeep Safari

It's Easter time, and that means it's time for the 52nd Annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari, held March 24 through April 1, where thousands of off-roaders crawl, scrape and scramble over the rugged trails of Moab, Utah. And that brings us to this year's colorful collection of Jeep concepts, custom-built by FCA for the occasion. Jeep Wagoneer Roadtrip View 7 Photos This year there are seven Easter treats — including one called Wagoneer and one called Jeepster. All are decked out in Mopar parts. (Mopar already has 200-plus parts and counting for the all-new 2018 Jeep Wrangler.) Here then, is this year's Easter pageant of Jeeps: Jeep 4SPEED This year's lightweight concept is meant to bolster off-road performance through extensive weight savings. It's powered by the all-new 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 engine with an eight-speed automatic. Carbon fiber abounds — the stuff is used for the hood, fender flares and the rear tub, which also features aluminum perforated panels. It gets an "aggressively swept back" look via raked windshield, longer door openings and a custom cage. It's also 22 inches shorter with improved approach and departure angles, though the wheelbase remains unchanged. And it gets Dana 44 front and rear axles with a 4.10 gear ratio and 18-inch lightweight monoblock wheels with 35-inch tires. Inside, there's a custom instrument panel, custom seats and deleted back seats. Footwells are perforated aluminum. The 4SPEED is so much lighter than stock, it rides two inches higher. Jeep Sandstorm This one's inspired by Baja desert racers but can still be used as a daily driver. It gets an extreme-duty suspension system capable of both tasks. The front axle has been moved forward four inches and takes a heavy-duty longarm four-link suspension and track bar. The rear axle has been moved back two inches and gets a triangulated trailing arm four-link suspension. The longer wheelbase provides better high-speed stability. The front wheels — 39.5-inch tires on 17-inch beadlock wheels — get custom coilovers and bypass shocks that allow 14 inches of travel in front and 18 in back. It gets Baja styling cues such as a vented carbon fiber hood, vented high-clearance fender flares and a cage with lay-down spare tire carrier. There are no exterior door handles, and the rear doors have been chopped.

Toledo mayor, Jeep champion Michael Collins dies from heart attack

The city of Toledo is mourning the loss of its mayor and the campaign to keep production of the Jeep Wrangler in the Ohio city has lost a champion after Michael Collins suffered a heart attack behind the wheel recently. Born, raised and educated in Toledo, Collins was a Marine Corps veteran and a city councilor. He was elected mayor in 2013 and assumed office on January 2, 2014, a little over a year ago. He was driving an SUV provided by the city in a snow storm on February 1 of this year when he suffered a heart attack and crashed into a utility pole. He remained in critical condition for days until he was taken off artificial life-support. During his relatively short term in office, Collins became an outspoken and energetic advocate of keeping the Jeep plant in Toledo, where it has been assembled for decades. The next-generation Wrangler is set to switch to aluminum construction, which could lead to moving its production to another location, but Collins (alongside Governor John Kasich and others) had worked hard to convince FCA US to keep it in town. Whether his efforts will prove successful remains to be seen, but our hearts go out to his friends, family and constituents. Michael is survived by his wife Sandy, three daughters and eight grandchildren. He was 70 years old.