2022 Ram 1500 Big Horn/lone Star on 2040-cars

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Ram trucks lead 2021 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

For the first time ever, Ram leads in J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study with a score of 128 PP100, or problems experienced per 100 vehicles in the first 90 days of ownership. Ram was in third place in last year's rankings. Coming in second place is Dodge (139 PP100), a sister division to Ram under the Stellantis umbrella, followed by Lexus (144 PP100), this year's highest-ranked premium automaker, in third. These findings reinforce an overall trend over the last few decades where mass-market brands have outperformed premium brands that tend to introduce bleeding-edge technologies that can confuse owners or fail to work entirely. Genesis (148 PP100) is the only other premium automaker to perform better than average. At the bottom of the official rankings is Chrysler (251 PP100), which seems to make little sense considering most of its technologies are shared with Dodge and many with Ram until you consider that Chrysler only offers two platforms and one of them is the Pacifica/Voyager minivan twins that are unique to the brand. The next worst are Audi (240 PP100) and Volkswagen (213 PP100). Tesla would fall in between VW and Audi with its score of 231PP100, but because the electric car manufacturer doesn't provide access to J.D. Power in every state, it's not officially included. Interestingly, J.D. Power said on a followup call that the problems that Tesla owners report most often are more traditional issues, such as panel fitment, interior noises or paint problems instead of problems with the car's electronics. According to J.D. Power, the industry averaged a score of 162 PP100. That is four points higher than the overall score in 2020, and 20 of 32 brands improved their quality scores over the last year. That's a two percent increase in quality in 2021, which is good but slightly lower than the average rate of improvement over the last decade. On a car-by-car basis, the Nissan Maxima leads the overall field with a score of 85 PP100. Issues with infotainment systems — and in particular problems pairing smartphones with in-car technologies — continue to be the top-reported problems. Headaches connecting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto dominate the complaints. "Owners want wireless connectivity, and the industry has responded," according to Dave Sargent, vice president of automotive quality at J.D. Power. "However, this has created a bigger technical challenge for both automakers and tech companies.

Chrysler recalling nearly 141k vehicles over electrical woes

Software glitches that randomly illuminate warning lights and cause instrument cluster blackouts are forcing Chrysler to recall 140,800 vehicles, The Detroit News reports. The automaker is recalling 132,000 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokees, 91,559 of which are in the US. In addition to the Jeep recalls, Chrysler is adding 10,800 2014 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 trucks to the list for similar problems.
Chrysler reportedly says, "Both events occurred infrequently and appeared to resolve themselves by tuning the vehicle's ignition off and then on."
Engineers discovered a problem with the anti-lock-braking system software that causes the instrument cluster display of the Grand Cherokee to illuminate warning lights and black out - even its ABS and electronic stability control systems are affected. To fix the Jeeps, Chrysler will update the vehicle's software.

Fiat Chrysler to recall 100,000 Ram ProMaster vans over engine fire risk

Fiat Chrysler is recalling nearly 100,000 Ram ProMaster vans sold in the U.S. to address an overheating issue in fan motors. The recall is limited to vans from the 2015 through 2018 model years equipped with air conditioning. The recall affects ProMaster vans equipped with 3.0-liter diesel or 3.6-liter gasoline engines. FCA says the engine cooling fans may seize up and the circuit breaker may not protect them from overheating, presenting a heightened risk of fire. That’s despite a warning-light illumination in the vans. FCA first opened an investigation in July after the U.S. Postal Service reported incidents where the engine compartment caught fire. It says it is not aware of any injuries related to the issue despite 21 complaints of smoke or fire and 13 reports from dealers. A remedy is still under development. The recall is estimated to launch in the first quarter of 2020. Separately, FCA says itÂ’s recalling an estimated 51,788 Fiat 500 compact cars from 2012 and 2013 in the U.S. to replace faulty shift-cable bushings that may degrade over time from exposure to heat and humidity. That could cause the shift cable to separate from the transmission linkage, making the shifter inoperable. The company says itÂ’s aware of three minor accidents that could be related to the issue, but no potentially related injuries. Affected customers may notice looser shifter movement, although the instrument cluster will always indicate the correct gear selected. Service will be provided free of charge, and customers will be notified. Owners with questions can also call 800-853-1403. The Fiat 500 recall also affects an estimated 10,627 models in Canada, 3,520 in Mexico and 6,826 outside North America.