13 Ram 1500 Crew 4x4 Short Box 5.7l Hemi Cloth Seats Auto Keyless Entry Tow on 2040-cars

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Chrysler recalls AWD 300, Charger, Ram 1500 over ZF transmission

What do the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Ram 1500 all have in common? Yes, they're all Chrysler products, and two of them are based on the same platform. And we're sure you could find more similarities between them all, but the common trait we're looking at here is that, while they all come standard in rear-drive form, they're also available with all-wheel drive. And it's the transmission in those models that's the subject of the latest recall notice issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The output shaft on the eight-speed automatic transmission supplied by ZF to Chrysler for the AWD versions of the 300, Charger and Ram 1500 is apparently prone to fracture. That in the end could leave the vehicle without power and could, according to the NHTSA investigation, increase the chance of a crash. The vehicle could also roll away if even if left in Park without the handbrake applied.
That's why Chrysler is calling in 4,194 examples of those three models from the 2013 model year. Dealers will be responsible for inspecting the transmissions and, where necessary, replace the entire unit. See the full recall notice below for all the details.

Ram/Jeep Ecodiesel engine has Maserati roots

The 3.0L turbodiesel V6 in the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel earned a slot on Ward's Automotive 2014 10 Best Engines for its power, fuel economy and refinement. In a piece looking at how Fiat subsidiary VM Motor developed the engine, Ward's also makes note of the fact that the same lump goes in diesel versions of the Maserati Quattroporte and Ghibli. They're tuned a bit differently, naturally, with the QP putting out 275 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, the smaller, lighter Ghibli making do with the same number of horses but a lower torque output of 420 lb-ft.
The 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet put out by the oil-burning six-cylinder in the Ram was tamed with a host of advances, but it appears that Ram hasn't tamed demand: the initial allocation of 8,000 engines was spoken for within three days of the truck going on sale. Head over to Ward's to read the story of how Ram worked out the equation light-duty-pickup + diesel = success.

2018 Ram 3500 takes the truck torque crown

In the neverending war for bragging rights between pickup manufacturers, Ram just picked up a big one. The new 3500 heavy duty has an updated 6.7-liter Cummins straight-six diesel that produces 930 pound-feet of torque. Not only is that a gain of 30 pound-feet of torque over the outgoing model, but it's more than the heavy-duty trucks from Ford and GM. Specifically it makes five more pound-feet than the 925 pound-feet of torque in the most potent Ford Super Duty, and 20 more than the Silverado and Sierra heavy-duty trucks that make a maximum of 910 pound-feet. Ram didn't provide horsepower specs for the new Cummins engine, though. The outgoing engine made 385 horsepower. If Ram and Cummins were able to get such a large boost in torque, odds are that horsepower has also increased. There's also a good chance that even with more power, the updated Cummins may not exceed the horsepower ratings of the Ford and GM trucks. The Ford is currently second place in power with 440 horsepower, and the GM trucks have the most with 445. Final specs on horsepower, as well as pricing will probably appear soon, since the trucks will be arriving at dealerships at the end of August. Related Video: RAM Truck