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Chrysler to replace transmissions on 159 2014 Ram 1500s

Some recalls we report on are bigger than others. This one involves a big vehicle, but only 159 of them. No, not 159,000. Just 159.
The vehicle in question is the Ram 1500 - specifically the 2014 model, and more specifically than that, those made over the course of 12 days in late January and early February of this year. According to the statement below, Chrysler was notified by one of its transmission suppliers that a small shipment of gearboxes might have difficulty shifting into Park.
Although the Auburn Hills, MI-based automaker says it is unaware of any accidents or injuries having resulted from the issue, and has not received any specific complaints, it is notifying the owners of the 159 trucks in question to bring their pickups in for service and, if necessary, to have the entire transmission replaced.

Nissan Altima plows under Ram pulling trailer in bizarre accident

If you've ever wondered whether it's possible to wedge a Nissan Altima underneath both a Ram pickup and a camper trailer it was towing, well, here's your confirmation. The improbable accident happened earlier this month in Virginia Beach, Va., on westbound Interstate 264. Virginia State Police tell WAVY-TV the 2011 Ram and its four occupants was pulling a travel trailer when the trailer's brakes locked up, stranding them in the second lane of traffic. That reportedly caused traffic to back up on the freeway, with troopers called to the scene for help. But the call was soon updated to a crash situation, and when police arrived on the scene, they found the white 2013 Altima wedged underneath the truck and trailer, right underneath the hitch. Police say the woman driving the Altima was trying to slow down and merge right to avoid the traffic logjam caused by the trailer when she instead rear-ended it and drove underneath it like a wedge. Which is pretty impressive when you think about it — especially since no one was hurt in the crash. The woman was reportedly using a hands-free device on a cellphone call at the time of the crash, WVEC-TV reports. No charges were filed, and she was reportedly able to free herself from the pinned Altima. Roof strength FTW! Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Stellantis lays off salaried workers, cites uncertainty in EV transition

DETROIT — Jeep maker Stellantis is laying off about 400 white-collar workers in the U.S. as it deals with the transition from combustion engines to electric vehicles. The company formed in the 2021 merger between PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler said the workers are mainly in engineering, technology and software at the headquarters and technical center in Auburn Hills, Michigan, north of Detroit. Affected workers were notified starting Friday morning. “As the auto industry continues to face unprecedented uncertainties and heightened competitive pressures around the world, Stellantis continues to make the appropriate structural decisions across the enterprise to improve efficiency and optimize our cost structure,” the company said in a prepared statement Friday. The cuts, effective March 31, amount to about 2% of Stellantis' U.S. workforce in engineering, technology and software, the statement said. Workers will get a separation package and transition help, the company said. “While we understand this is difficult news, these actions will better align resources while preserving the critical skills needed to protect our competitive advantage as we remain laser focused on implementing our EV product offensive,” the statement said. CEO Carlos Tavares repeatedly has said that electric vehicles cost 40% more to make than those that run on gasoline, and that the company will have to cut costs to make EVs affordable for the middle class. He has said the company is continually looking for ways to be more efficient. U.S. electric vehicle sales grew 47% last year to a record 1.19 million as EV market share rose from 5.8% in 2022 to 7.6%. But sales growth slowed toward the end of the year. In December, they rose 34%. Stellantis plans to launch 18 new electric vehicles this year, eight of those in North America, increasing its global EV offerings by 60%. But Tavares told reporters during earnings calls last month that “the job is not done” until prices on electric vehicles come down to the level of combustion engines — something that Chinese manufacturers are already able to achieve through lower labor costs. “The Chinese offensive is possibly the biggest risk that companies like Tesla and ourselves are facing right now,Â’Â’ Tavares told reporters. “We have to work very, very hard to make sure that we bring out consumers better offerings than the Chinese.