2011 Ram 1500 Big Horn on 2040-cars

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Chrysler's internal documents question Ram quality as workers protest

Chrysler is reportedly having a hard time ramping up production of its 2013 Ram 1500. According to The Detroit News, only 16 of the 58 trucks built at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant during the model's first hour passed final inspection. While quality eventually improved over the course of the day, just over half of the units built on Thursday were approved for shipment. Even with workers ordered to stay late to fix their mistakes, some 1,078 units remained outside the facility with defects. The problem, according to workers at the plant, is morale.
According to the report, Chrysler recently changed the shift schedule at the plant and workers are unhappy with the new situation. The new plan has workers split into three shifts, each covering four 10-hour days. With the shifts staggered, some workers now have to work nights and on Saturdays. Some employees are so upset that they've taken to protesting, though the move isn't sanctioned by the United Auto Workers.
Meanwhile, Chrysler admits there were internal issues with the launch, but that the company was able to contain them. A spokesperson has said "plant quality indicators are getting progressively better."

Ram 1500 TRX Hellcat-powered prototype spied testing in Arizona

For the past few years, FCA has been on a Hellcat craze. Ever since the first Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger Hellcat debuted, we've seen that supercharged 6.2-liter V8 stuffed under the hood of the bonkers Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and turned up to 11 in the Demon and new Hellcat Redeye. There was also the Hellcat-powered Ram 1500 TRX concept vehicle, which FCA announced back in May would finally go into production as the Ram TRX. Today, we have our first look at an early prototype. Unlike the Ram 2500 Power Wagon — a personal favorite of mine — the TRX is aimed squarely at the Ford F-150 Raptor. While we don't have any under-hood shots, the photographer said there was no mistaking the whine emanating from the truck for anything but a supercharger. While we don't know how much power the truck will make, expect a minimum of 707 horsepower. For reference, that's 257 more horsepower than the F-150 Raptor. Power is likely to be sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Aside from that, there's not much to say about this prototype. While it mostly looks like a Ram 1500 Big Horn, it is fitted with with a set of one-piece Fuel D579 wheels and BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires. It also looks like it has a slightly wider front and rear track than the standard Ram 1500. The longer exhaust tips look temporary and are certainly going to look far more polished on the production model. We don't know when we might see the finished product as FCA's plans were a little more nebulous at this past five year plan. Our fingers are crossed for something this next auto show season. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

How to update and secure a vulnerable Chrysler Uconnect system

If you own one of the 1.4 million vehicles affected by the recent Chrysler software recall, you may want to watch this video. In it, we explain how to get the latest infotainment software loaded onto the 8.4-inch Uconnect system. The recall was a response to the findings of researchers who were able to hack into and remotely control a 2014 Jeep Cherokee through its cellular connection. Although Fiat Chrysler has worked with Sprint to plug most of the holes on the carrier side, there are still some vulnerabilities that only this latest software version can patch. Owners have three options to get the update: download it now, wait for a USB stick in the mail, or take the vehicle to an FCA dealer. Chrysler will be sending USB sticks loaded with the software update to customers. Anyone with an internet connection and a USB stick of their own with at least 4 GB capacity can speed things up by downloading the patch from the Uconnect website. We cover that process from start to finish in the video, with the final portion still applicable to those using the FCA-supplied USB stick. If after watching this you still don't want to tackle the patch yourself, you can take your vehicle to the dealer to have it done. Also note that this process is the same for all Uconnect updates, not just the one patching the exploits. Our demonstrator vehicle is a 2015 Ram 1500 pickup. The procedure should be very similar on other products with the 8.4-inch Uconnect system, with only the location of the USB port varying. Once you have the USB stick with the software on it – either after having downloaded it yourself or receiving it in the mail from Chrysler – the installation process is relatively simple. It takes about 15 minutes to perform the update; we edited out the wait in the video. To check whether or not your car's 8.4-inch Uconnect system is running the latest software, go to System Information on the touch screen's Settings page and look at Software Version. The update related to the recall is version 15.17.5. Related Video: Recalls Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Safety Technology Infotainment Videos Original Video hacking