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NHTSA still mulling crash tests for recalled Jeeps

Well, no one should ever accuse the government of not giving things plenty of thought. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is still debating whether it will retest any of the 1.56 million 1992 to 1998 Grand Cherokees and 2002 to 2007 Libertys that were part of a recall regarding fires after rear-end collisions. And yes, this debate has been going on for over a month. In other news...
The recall dustup started in early June, when Chrysler took the unusual position of refusing a recall request from NHTSA regarding placement of the fuel tank on the effected vehicles. NHTSA said a collision could cause a fire, a position Chrysler took issue with. Extensive negotiations ensued, with Chrysler agreeing to fit certain Jeeps with trailer hitches, which it said would provide some protection to fuel tanks mounted behind the rear axle in the event of a collision.
Part of the issue rests with the amount of data that needs to be processed, according to The Detroit News. NHTSA administrator David Strickland said during a Washington Auto Press Association meeting, "There's a lot of data and Chrysler is being very cooperative in giving us more data." Until that information has been sorted, it looks like re-testing will still be up for debate.

FCA will pay you to hack its systems

FCA is willing to pay you to hack its cars, as long as you tell the company how you did it. In an effort to enhance cybersecurity and prevent future incidents like the Jeep Cherokee hack last year, FCA announced it's working with Bugcrowd to find vulnerabilities in its vehicle software. Bugcrowd labels itself as a crowdsourced application security testing company. Users, or independent security researchers as Bugcrowd calls them, can find exploits or vulnerabilities in FCA systems. They then submit the information to Bugcrowd, who in turn supplies the info to FCA. The goal is to update systems and close any possible security breaches. FCA is offering bounties from $150 to $1,500 to any Mr. Robot types, with payment based on the size and severity of the flaw. FCA wants hackers to focus specifically on the UConnect website and the company's iOS and Android apps. No bounties will be given for anything outside the scope of those three things. Bugcrowd says it will not take any legal action against anyone who submits an exploit. While we think it's good that the company is taking steps to address these problems, it's not a groundbreaking maneuver. Other companies employ similar systems. Earlier this year, both Tesla and Uber announced that they're willing to offer up to $10,000 to hackers who find vulnerabilities in their system. For years, Microsoft has been paying hackers to find exploits. It also seems that FCA took its time to announce this plan, considering the Jeep hack happened nearly a year ago. If the partnership works, we can expect other automakers to make similar deals. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: FCA, Bugcrowd Jeep Safety Technology Infotainment Smartphone FCA

Chrysler recalls 350k vehicles over ignition switches

Chrysler has announced a recall covering 349,442 vehicles due to ignition switches that can either become stuck or move without warning. All of the affected vehicles are from the 2008 model year, and were built before May 12, 2008.
The automaker has learned that ignition keys on some vehicles "may not fully return to the 'ON' position after rotation to the 'START' position during engine-startup," the company said in a statement. Additionally, "an ignition key may not fully return to the 'ON' position after rotation to the 'START' position and may inadvertently move through the 'ON' position to 'ACCESSORY' or 'OFF.'"
Chrysler says it is unaware of any related injuries, and notes that while reduced braking, engine or steering power is possible in such instances, the airbags are not affected. The later stands in contrast to General Motors' recent rash of high-profile recalls, and it's an important distinction that Chrysler (understandably) felt necessary to call out in bold print in its press release.