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2015 Jeep Renegade to start at $17,995, Trailhawk rings up at $25,995

Prices for the 2015 Jeep Renegade have leaked onto a enthusiast forum ahead of the official embargo on pricing and driving impressions, which breaks at 12:01 AM Friday. They come from a video interview with Jeep CEO Mike Manley, that was allegedly set live accidentally. It's since been pulled down. At this point, it's unclear if the listed prices include any destination charges, so they could climb slightly higher or lower. In its most basic form, the two-wheel-drive Renegade Sport will go on sale for just $17,995. For that price, you get, um, not a lot. Really. The entry level Renegade doesn't even offer standard air conditioning – it's part of a package that includes heated power mirrors and cruise control. The $21,295 Latitude adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel, standard 16-inch wheels, air conditioning, five-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, a six-speaker stereo and USB connectivity. The top-end Renegade Limited, meanwhile, starts at $24,795 and makes standard items of the heated, powered leather seats, dual-zone climate control, seven-inch TFT display in the instrument cluster, auto-dimming mirror and 18-inch wheels. The Limited also adds a number of aesthetic tweaks that spruce up the Renegade's exterior, including brightwork around the grille, mirror caps, taillights and roof rails. The above prices, of course, are only for the front-drive Renegade. Add $2,000 to the above prices for all-wheel drive. You won't need to add that to the all-wheel-drive-only Trailhawk, which starts at $25,995 and comes with a slew of off-road features, including a bespoke front and rear fascia, with the former sporting the world's most adorable pair of red tow hooks. Mechanically, there's an exclusive version of the brand's Active Drive all-wheel-drive system that includes a 20-to-one crawl ratio and a dedicated Rock mode for the Selec-Terrain system and 17-inch wheels. The cabin, meanwhile, is home to Ruby Red accents. While we have basic trim prices, we're still without more specific details, including the cost of marquee options like the My Sky roof, as well as the plethora of options packages that will be available when the CUV arrives in dealers. We'll have our full review of the all-new Renegade available when the embargo on driving impressions breaks Friday. In the meantime, let us know what you think of these prices. Are they where you expected them to be? Higher? Lower? Have your say in Comments. Related Video:

JL Jeep Wrangler experiencing death wobble, NHTSA checking into it

The redesigned 2018 JL Jeep Wrangler is selling remarkably well, but it looks like it's still susceptible to age-old Jeep solid front axle vehicle issues. Recently, the NHTSA has received 11 JL Wrangler-specific complaints for a problem referred to as "death wobble" in the Jeep community. It's currently looking into the complaints to see if further action is necessary. Death wobble is a term used predominantly by Jeep and specifically Wrangler owners to describe a violent steering wheel oscillation, typically caused by hitting some form of bump or pothole at higher speeds. For it to occur, there has to be something loose or damaged within the front steering or suspension system. The death wobble gets its name, because the vibrations through the steering wheel are far more frightening than any kind of a wheel imbalance problem. However, using the word "death" would be a misnomer as well, because there are no reported deaths due to the issue over decades of Jeeps experiencing the issue. A little over a month ago, FCA decided it needed to recall 18,000 JL Wranglers because of a faulty weld around where the track bar is welded to the frame. As of now, there's no evidence linking this faulty weld with death wobble (an FCA spokesperson told us as much), but one of the most common causes of death wobble is a track bar issue. If a bad track bar weld is your problem, you're in far worse shape than any death wobble, because you'll end up with a complete loss of steering. We asked Jeep about death wobble and a company spokesperson said that it "is not a widespread condition, nor is it a safety issue." FCA also said most of the incidents are linked to poorly installed suspension modifications, such as a lift-kit. However, the most current complaints for JL Wranglers describe unmodified and recently purchased vehicles. This means some vehicles still experience the issue despite being stock Wranglers. For now, if you experience the death wobble in your new Jeep, it's best to slow down immediately in a safe place. Most are taken by surprise by the sudden oscillations from the wheel, but you should still be able to control the car. FCA says that even if you do experience the issue, it is routinely corrected on its own. We'll keep tabs on this, and update if there are any developments. Related video:

NHTSA boss Strickland weighs in on Jeep recall fracas

Adding yet another chapter to the ongoing Jeep recall story, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) head David Strickland has gone on record to defend the government's request that Chrysler recall 2.7 million out-of-production Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty vehicles after the agency investigated fiery rear-end collisions that have reportedly killed at least 51 people over the years. In statements made to The Detroit News, Strickland said, "We felt very strongly that the process that we undertook and the findings that we made and ... we made the decision to issue a recall request. We do not take that very lightly." The top US auto safety regulator stopped short of telling owners to park their cars until the automaker takes action. "They can make their own risk assessment and their own choices," he said.
Chrysler does not intend to recall the models, insisting the "vehicles met and exceeded all applicable requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, including FMVSS 301, pertaining to fuel-system integrity" when they were manufactured and sold. "The company does not agree with NHTSA's conclusions and does not intend to recall the vehicles cited in the investigation. The subject vehicles are safe and are not defective," Chrysler announced last week in a statement. "We believe NHTSA's initial conclusions are based on an incomplete analysis of the underlying data, and we are committed to continue working with the agency to resolve this disagreement."
Legally, Chrysler has until June 18 to formally respond to NHTSA's request. If the automaker does not take action, NHTSA is expected to issue a formal finding and seek a recall.