2001 Chrysler Sebring Lxi Convertible 2-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

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Fiat Chrysler to get $105M fine from NHTSA for recall woes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is about to send a powerful message to automakers doing business in the United States, assuming reports of an upcoming $105 million fine against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles comes to fruition. In addition to the record-setting monetary fine, according to The Wall Street Journal, FCA will have to accept an independent auditor that will monitor the company's recall and safety processes and will be forced to buy back certain recalled vehicles. In other cases, such as with Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty models with gas tanks that could potentially catch fire in certain types of accidents, FCA will offer financial encouragement for owners to get their recall work done or to trade those older vehicles in on new cars, according to the report. FCA could reportedly reduce its fines if it meets certain conditions, though those remain unclear at this time. These actions against FCA are being taken after NHTSA began a probe into the automaker over almost two dozen separate instances where the government claims FCA failed to follow proper procedures for recalls and safety defects. Included in those safety lapses are more than 11 million vehicles currently in customer hands. These penalties and fines are separate from the investigation over security problems with Chrysler's Uconnect system that allowed hackers to obtain remote access into key vehicle systems in 1.4 million vehicles. Related Video: Image Credit: Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Earnings/Financials Government/Legal Recalls Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Safety fiat chrysler automobiles fine

Jeep Wrangler diesel likely after 2015 model refresh

We automotive journalists aren't always the right people to ask about whether a US-spec vehicle should or should not be offered with a diesel powertrain (hint: the answer is usually "YES"). But when it comes to the iconic, off-road-ready Jeep Wrangler, we aren't the only ones who have been clamoring for an oil-burning engine behind that famous seven-slat grille. To that end, it appears there's good news on the horizon, as Jeep CEO Mike Manley recently told Ward's Auto that the "Wrangler is on the radar to get (a) diesel."
"I'm confident that the Grand Cherokee will show just how large a demand there is for diesel, and I think what that will do is reinforce the need for us to target Wrangler as a vehicle that can take a diesel," Manley told Ward's. The most rugged of Jeeps is scheduled to get an overhaul around 2015-16, and the diesel powertrain will likely be introduced around that time.
This year alone, Chrysler will be adding a diesel engine to the Grand Cherokee SUV, as well as the Ram 1500 pickup and Promaster utility van.

Fiat board makes Chrysler merger official, approves $5.4B bond sale

Fiat's board of directors has officially approved the merger plan that will see the conglomerate's automotive operations merged with Chrysler into the new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
The plan essentially provides a road map for the structure of the new company. It includes provisions for Fiat shareholders - one Fiat share will translate to one share of FCA common stock. The new company will also include a loyalty voting structure, which will provide for shareholders of Fiat stock or those that have held FCA stock for at least three years. According to the plan, these shareholders would see their voting power double, with two votes for every share of FCA's common stock. The overall merger plan still needs to be approved by the company's shareholders.
In other Fiat-related news, the company's board has announced a bond issuance of four billion euro ($5.4 billion). The new bonds should provide the company with a degree of flexibility in refinancing debts associated with the merger plan.