1977 Dodge W200 Power Wagon Snow Comander on 2040-cars

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Star Wars Episode VII ad is a force for Dodge

Happy Star Wars day! Some of you might be bleary eyed and begging for coffee after attending midnight screenings of Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens last night (*raises hand*) but the show must go on. And for Dodge, that show has been all about Star Wars. While the entirety of FCA joined the tie-in marketing campaign for the long-awaited JJ Abrams blockbuster, Dodge made out the best. According to Wards Auto, the brand's The Force Gathers spot took the top spot in this week's most engaging automotive ads, capturing nearly a quarter of share-of-voice ratings and garnering over a quarter-of-a-million earned online views. Since the ad began airing earlier this month, it's scored over 430,000 views on YouTube alone. The relatively simple ad evokes Darth Vader and his legions of storm troopers. In the 30-second spot, a black Viper leads six long columns of white Chargers, Challengers, and Durangos while John Williams' iconic Imperial March blares in the background. It ends at the stand of an overwhelmed pair of valets outside a screening for Episode VII. We've embedded the spot at the top of the page if you haven't seen it. Check it out, and may the Force be with you. Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens is in theaters today. Related Video:

FCA updates 700k-vehicle recall to replace ignition switches

FCA US is revising a previously announced recall of 702,578 minivans and SUVs; now specifying that owners replace their ignition switches, rather than just a component. The campaign affects the 2008-2010 Chrysler Town & Country, 2008-2010 Dodge Grand Caravan and 2009-2010 Dodge Journey. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration initially opened an investigation last summer following complaints about the ignition switches in these models. FCA US (then Chrysler Group) responded with a recall of 695,957 examples of these vehicles because the key could appear to be in the "Run" position but not be fully engaged. If it slipped out, and there was an accident, then the airbags might not deploy. The company had initially planned to install a new detent ring to fix the problem. According to the timeline in a NHTSA document (available here as a PDF), the government agency and FCA US continued their research into the problem. The automaker found that the time needed to create a new ring design and updated software would be longer than replacing the whole ignition switch. The company worked with the supplier Marquardt to negotiate an accelerated schedule to manufacture the extra replacement parts. According to NHTSA, the investigation has now been closed because of FCA's recall. Company spokesperson Eric Mayne confirms to Autoblog via email, "No additional vehicles are affected and all affected customers have already been made aware their vehicles are subject to recall." FCA US sent out an initial notification advising owners of the problem in September 2014. The company will now send out a second letter in April and will replace the parts in two phases. Repairs for affected models from the 2008 and 2009 model years will begin in April, and 2010 examples will start being fixed in August. RECALL Subject : Ignition Switch may Turn Off , 1 INVESTIGATION(S) Report Receipt Date: JUN 26, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V373000 Component(s): AIR BAGS , ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Potential Number of Units Affected: 702,578 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY 2008-2010 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 2008-2010 DODGE JOURNEY 2009-2010 Details Manufacturer: Chrysler Group LLC SUMMARY: This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key.

Fiat Chrysler recalls 320,000 Dodge Darts that could roll away

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said Friday it is recalling more than 320,000 Dodge Dart compact cars in North America that could roll away because of a defective part that could allow the shift cable to detach from the transmission. The Italian-American automaker said the recall covers 2013 through 2016 model year automatic transmission Dart cars and that the defect could prevent drivers from shifting vehicles into park. The company said it is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the issue but has several thousand reports of related repairs to vehicles. The company said a cable bushing may degrade after prolonged exposure to high ambient heat and humidity. The company said owners should make sure they shut off the vehicle and engage the parking brake. Fiat Chrysler will replace the transmission side shifter cable bushing, the company said. The company did not said when repairs will be ready. The recall covers about 298,000 U.S. vehicles, 20,117 in Canada, 3,400 in Mexico and about 900 outside of North America. Fiat Chrysler ended production of the Dart in 2016. FCA has had a number of recalls over shifter problems in recent years. Some 1.5 million Ram trucks were recalled in 2017 for a shifter problem, and another 228,000 were recalled in 2018. And 1.1 million Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models were recalled in 2016 over what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration called an "unintuitive" shifter design that caused drivers to exit their vehicles thinking they were in Park when in reality they were still in Drive or Reverse. The shifter in Dodge Chargers, Chrysler 300s and Jeep Grand Cherokees was implicated in more than 120 accidents, more than 40 injuries, and in the death of "Star Trek" actor Anton Yelchin.