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NHTSA boss Strickland weighs in on Jeep recall fracas

Adding yet another chapter to the ongoing Jeep recall story, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) head David Strickland has gone on record to defend the government's request that Chrysler recall 2.7 million out-of-production Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty vehicles after the agency investigated fiery rear-end collisions that have reportedly killed at least 51 people over the years. In statements made to The Detroit News, Strickland said, "We felt very strongly that the process that we undertook and the findings that we made and ... we made the decision to issue a recall request. We do not take that very lightly." The top US auto safety regulator stopped short of telling owners to park their cars until the automaker takes action. "They can make their own risk assessment and their own choices," he said.
Chrysler does not intend to recall the models, insisting the "vehicles met and exceeded all applicable requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, including FMVSS 301, pertaining to fuel-system integrity" when they were manufactured and sold. "The company does not agree with NHTSA's conclusions and does not intend to recall the vehicles cited in the investigation. The subject vehicles are safe and are not defective," Chrysler announced last week in a statement. "We believe NHTSA's initial conclusions are based on an incomplete analysis of the underlying data, and we are committed to continue working with the agency to resolve this disagreement."
Legally, Chrysler has until June 18 to formally respond to NHTSA's request. If the automaker does not take action, NHTSA is expected to issue a formal finding and seek a recall.

1914 Ford Model T at Historic Greenfield Village | AutoblogVR

We drive all of the newest and most sophisticated cars, but a 102-year-old Ford is one of our recent favorites. Senior Editor Alex Kierstein headed to historic Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI, to learn to drive a Model T in the latest AutoblogVR segment. Kierstein picks up the Model T fairly quickly, despite its controls. Though they were designed more than a century ago to be simple and easy to use, driving a Model T is complicated and counter-intuitive to the modern motorist. But by the end of his lesson, Kierstein has it all figured out and is enjoying himself. In our other new segment, Detroit Manufacturing, Senior Editor Greg Migliore showcases the city''s industrial might. He tours a modern Fiat Chrysler factory that churns out Dodge Durangos and Jeep Grand Cherokees and then wanders the ruins of the mythical Packard Plant. There's also some tasty and unexpected twists in this VR episode. Each week, new episodes will launch on the AutoblogVR App. We'll preview them here on Autoblog, but for the full immersive experience, head over to the app, which you can download for free from the App store and Google Play. Be sure to try it with a cardboard viewer, too! Ford Jeep Automotive History Driving Classics Videos VR Original Video Detroit ford model t tour 360video

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is the all-wheel-drive Hellcat you've been waiting for

If the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT was the venerable SUV cranked to 10, the new Trackhawk goes to 11. Actually, make that 707, because the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is a Hellcat by another name. Under the hood is the same 707-horsepower supercharged V8 from the sinister corporate cousins Charger and Challenger. The torque rating drops just a bit to 645 pound feet, versus the 650 of the Hellcats, but we don't think many people will be too upset. Especially since Jeep claims the Trackhawk is capable of a 3.5-second 0-60 mph run and a quarter-mile time of 11.6 seconds. The former is right in line with the Challenger Hellcat. View 24 Photos The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk also offers a unique difference to the Hellcats, and its not the SUV body style. The Trackhawk is all-wheel-drive. Power goes from the supercharged V8 to an 8-speed automatic and a single-speed transfer case. There's also an electronic limited slip differential at the back. Jeep beefed up the transfer case with a wider chain that features forged sprockets. The rear drive shaft and half shafts have been strengthened to handle the extra power. Power is split 40/60 front and rear in the default automatic setting, and becomes more rear biased in more aggressive driving modes. In the sportiest "Track" mode, power is split 30/70. In the least aggressive "Snow" mode, power is split 50/50. The sportier drive modes also firm up suspension and decreases shift times. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Helping manage all the power is a high-performance suspension with adaptive Bilstein shocks. The suspension lowers the SUV a full inch compared with normal Grand Cherokees. Wheels are 20 inches in diameter and 10 inches wide wrapped in 295-millimeter wide tires, either all-seasons or optional three-seasons. An optional forged set of wheels is available, too, which Jeep says will save 12 pounds of weight. The wheels are stopped by Brembo six-piston calipers and 15.75-inch rotors up front, and four-piston calipers and 13.73-inch rotors out back. Jeep says the front brakes are the largest ever fitted to one of its vehicles. Visually, you'll be hard-pressed to tell a Grand Cherokee Trackhawk from the current SRT variant. The bumpers and fender flares are roughly the same. But a tell-tale sign is the lack of fog lights.