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Nearly 700,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs recalled

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said on Thursday it will recall nearly 700,000 sport utility vehicles worldwide because a faulty electrical connection could prevent engine starts or contribute to a stall. The recall, covering 2011 through 2013 model year Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs, will address silicon deposits on the contact points of fuel pump relays that may interrupt electrical current, Fiat Chrysler said in a statement. It said it is unaware of any injuries or accidents related to the faulty vehicles. The Italian-American automaker had previously recalled most of the same SUVs in 2014 and 2015 for issues with their fuel pump relays. The company, which last month announced it planned to merge with Peugeot owner PSA, said it would notify owners at a later date when they will be able to schedule repairs at dealerships. The recall includes around 528,500 vehicles in the United States, 34,700 in Canada, 18,100 in Mexico and 116,500 outside North America, it said.

Rumor has it the new Grand Wagoneer has been cancelled, but we're not so sure

This just doesn't seem to add up. Autoline Daily is reporting that plans for a new top Jeep, a reimagined Grand Wagoneer to sit above the Grand Cherokee, have been scrapped. The info comes from Auto Forecast Solutions, an industry analyst company. The Grand Wagoneer was expected to use a stretched version of the next Grand Cherokee's platform, but it reportedly won't accept the larger vehicle. The report implies that the next Grand Cherokee will use a version of the current Grand Cherokee's unibody platform, which is about what we expected. The thing is, the current Grand Cherokee shares its platform with the (longer) Dodge Durango, as well as Mercedes-Benz's GLE and GLS SUVs (remember the DaimlerChrysler days?). It's possible the Wagoneer was supposed to be wider as well as longer, and that the Durango's stretch just wasn't enough, but it seems odd that this is just now coming to light. We have already seen sketches of the new Grand Wagoneer, purported to have leaked out of an FCA dealer meeting. Jeep's CEO has discussed the (high) price the new utility would command. It just seems like a lot of thought went into the vehicle already, thought that wouldn't be put forward if someone hadn't looked into the feasibility of actually building it. The report (the one that says the thing has been cancelled) also says FCA might regroup and build the GW as a body-on-frame SUV on the Ram 1500 platform. That also seems unlikely, since this is supposed to be a luxurious, refined vehicle that's nicer than the Grand Cherokee. It would be tough to accomplish all of that with a ladder frame underneath, and it's just not the way the industry is going, let alone the Jeep brand. We'll keep an eye on this one. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Dealer Leak Spy Shots News Source: Autoline Daily Rumormill Jeep Crossover Luxury

The Jeep Wrangler is finally getting modern headlights for 2017

Some of Jeep's headlights leave a lot to be desired – namely light output. In particular, the halogen lamps on the Wrangler and Cherokee have been called out by the IIHS as among the worst on the market. Things should improve for 2017, as Jeep is addressing the sorry illumination by adding LED or HID headlight options for the Wrangler, Cherokee, and Renegade. Thank heavens (or, you know, the IIHS for upping its lighting requirements). In the Wrangler's case, the decision to develop an LED for a single model year of the JK before its replacement arrives – or two if you count the extended run of the current model alongside the new one – might seem strange, but we aren't complaining. The current headlights are one retro cue that sorely needed eradicating, plus this almost guarantees LEDs for the next-gen model. Any 2017 Wrangler can be equipped with the new LED headlights and fog lights – the LED lighting group will be optional on the Sport and Sport S, and standard on Sahara and Rubicon. The Cherokee is a slightly different story – HID headlights are currently optional on that model's Limited and High Altitude trims and standard on the range-topping Overland. Next year, the brighter, more focused lamps will be standard on everything but the base Sport model, where they'll be optional. For the wee Renegade, meanwhile, HIDs are a "late availability" option as part of the safety and security group on Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk trim levels. If you want a 2017 Renegade Sport with the better lights, though, you're out of luck. Jeep hasn't announced pricing for its 2017 offerings, so we don't know what sort of premium the LED and HID headlamps will add. We just know that whatever the price, it will be worth it. And you can bet each unit will have some sort of Easter egg Jeep design detail on it. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited View 14 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Jeep Cherokee View 54 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Jeep Renegade View 49 Photos News Source: JeepImage Credit: Jeep Jeep Crossover SUV Off-Road Vehicles headlights jeep renegade