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Certain Chrysler owners eligible for buyback program

Certain car owners whose Chrysler vehicles contain dangerous defects will soon have a way to get rid of their lemons without losing money. As part of an agreement with federal regulators, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has agreed to buy back more than 500,000 vehicles susceptible to veering out of control without warning at above market-value prices. The deal mainly covers certain models of RAM trucks, the Dodge Dakota pickup and Dodge Durango SUV. Further, owners of more than 1.5 million Jeep Liberty and Grand Cherokees at heightened risk for lethal fires are eligible to trade in their vehicles at above market value or, alternately, get a gift certificate if they prefer to have repairs made. Chrysler has "a heavy responsibility to make sure the products they make are safe for the traveling public," said Mark Rosekind, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "... Here, we are sending an unambiguous signal to industry that if you skirt the laws or violate the law, or don't live up to the responsibility that consumers expect, we are going to penalize you." The buy-back and trade-in options for motorists come as part of an unprecedented penalty NHTSA slapped against Chrysler for violating federal motor-vehicle safety laws. Chrysler will pay a $105 million fine, the highest ever levied by the regulatory agency. In addition to the buy-backs, Chrysler also agreed to an independent monitor for three years. Investigators had outlined problems in the company's conduct in 23 recalls that affected more than 11 million defect vehicles. As part of a consent-order agreement, Chrysler acknowledged it did not notify vehicle owners of recalls in an effective manner and did not notify NHTSA of safety problems. Though those recalls affected millions of drivers, the buy-back and trade-in options are only for a small portion of the vehicles involved. Because Chrysler struggled to fix the problem and no repair was apparent, Rosekind said the buy-backs are reserved "for customers who didn't have a remedy." Buy-backs are for trucks and SUVs affected by three recalls that occurred in 2013 (recalls 13V-038, 13V-527 and 13V-529), that addressed a rear-axle pinion nut that could come loose and cause a loss of vehicle control. Those recalls covered 579,228 vehicles, including 2009-2012 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500 and 5500 trucks, 2009-2012 Dodge Dakotas, 2009 Chrysler Aspen and the 2009 Dodge Durango.

2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport is here to brighten your day

The 2018 Ram 1500 is the Baskin Robbins of trucks. There's a look and flavor for just about everybody. Whether you want something clean and bright or done up in chrome and gold, there's a Ram for you. Today, Ram revealed another new variant, the 2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport. This bright blue bomber is based on the Sport model, and Ram said this is the final Sport edition model, following trucks like the Sublime Sport. While we haven't heard anything official, we do know a new Ram is coming sometime soon. Like the Sublime Sport, the Hydro Blue Sport takes a standard Ram 1500 Sport and paints nearly every exterior surface in a fantastic shade of blue. No one outside of maybe Lamborghini does paint colors quite like FCA. That's a trait that goes back decades, and we commend the automaker for not following the silver/white/black/beige trend of so many others. All the badging and small horizontal lines in the grille are painted black. The headlights and wheels, too, are dark rather than silver or chrome. The final exterior touch is two black stripes on the Sport's hood. The interior is the exact opposite of the exterior. The mostly black trim is accented with Hydro Blue touches on the vents, center console and doors. The seats have blue Ram badges and stitching. The Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport starts at $47,455 and comes in just one configuration, a crew-cab short-box model with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8. Two-wheel drive is standard, though four-wheel drive is optional. Optional features include 22-inch (4x2 only) and 20-inch gloss black aluminum wheels, black side steps, chrome side steps, air suspension, parking sensors and the RamBox bed storage areas. Production will be limited to just 2,000 units in the U.S. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport Design/Style RAM Truck

STLA Medium EV platform claims long range, up to 382 horsepower

We don’t get to see it paired with a car yet, but Stellantis just revealed a bunch of details about its upcoming STLA Medium electric vehicle platform. As a reminder, this is just one of four that will ultimately come out, including STLA Small, Medium, Large and Frame. The "Medium" is specifically designated for vehicles in the C and D segments, but Stellantis isnÂ’t explicitly saying which new models will sit on it. At the very least, Stellantis is providing a boatload of specs to chew on. Maximum range for vehicles on the STLA Medium platform is said to be 435 miles when paired with a "Performance" pack and tested on the WLTP cycle. The "Standard" pack brings that max range down to 310 miles. Of course, expect those numbers to nosedive when tested on the EPA cycle. All those miles come courtesy of a 98-kilowatt-hour battery pack, which is the highest-range Performance pack. Stellantis hasnÂ’t said what the standard pack capacity will be quite yet. As for charging, all STLA Medium vehicles will feature a 400-volt electric architecture that will be able to facilitate charging from 20-80% in 27 minutes. A maximum charge speed is not yet specified. Stellantis also claims an astoundingly efficient 4.43 miles per kWh, "depending on the application." Basically, donÂ’t expect all of the STLA Medium vehicles to touch that level of efficiency, but some might for WLTP testing. As for driving enjoyment, you can expect power output to range between 215-382 horsepower. STLA Medium cars will be available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and come in body styles including "passenger cars, crossovers and SUVs." The platform allows for some flexibility in size, so wheelbase can range from 106-114 inches. Overall length will vary from 169-193 inches, and ground clearance maxes out at 8.66 inches, for those curious about how Jeep models might fare on this platform. Stellantis says itÂ’s going to deliver "best-in-class battery packaging cost," explaining that despite various total energy options, the perimeter dimensions of the battery pack, common tray and cooling designs will remain constant.