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Chrysler recalling nearly half a million Durangos and Grand Cherokees

Rule number one of public relations – save the bad news for Friday. Fiat Chrysler has adhered to that, announcing today that it'd be voluntarily recalling 467,480 SUVs. This latest recall could actually be thought of as a continuation of a September 2014 recall, relating to the fuel-cell relay. In that case, some 188,723 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee CUVs from model year 2011 were recalled. And this time, it's the Durango and GC in trouble again. FCA is adding crossovers from model years 2012 and 2013 to the fuel-pump recall, although only diesel-powered Jeeps with the 3.0-liter V6 that were sold outside of North America are affected this time around. As with the previous recall, deformities in the fuel-pump relay, which could affect its functioning. In most cases, FCA reports that the affected vehicles simply won't start, although they also could be prone to stalling. A new relay circuit will be installed that promises increase durability. Of the 467,480 vehicles being recalled, 338,216 were sold in the US market, 18,991 went to Canada and 10,829 were shipped south of the border, to Mexico. Outside of the NAFTA region, FCA is recalling 99,444 vehicles. No injuries or accidents have been associated with this recall. Statement: Fuel-Pump Relay February 27, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 467,480 SUVs worldwide to install new a relay circuit that improves fuel-pump relay durability. FCA US engineers have determined a condition identified in a previous investigation may extend to additional vehicles. The previous investigation, which led to a recall, traced a pattern of repairs to fuel-pump relays that are susceptible to deformation. This may affect fuel-pump function, preventing a vehicle from starting, or leading to engine stall. Of the two scenarios, the no-start condition is the more common. FCA US is unaware of any related injuries or accidents. The fuel-pump relay is located inside the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM), which also helps manage other vehicle functions. None of these other functions, including air-bag deployment, is affected by the fuel-pump relay. The new campaign affects an estimated 338,216 vehicles in the U.S.; 18,991 in Canada; 10,829 in Mexico and 99,444 outside the NAFTA region. Covered are model-year 2012 and 2013 Dodge Durango full-size SUVs and non-NAFTA 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee mid-size SUVs equipped with 3.0-liter diesel engines.

Top horsepower-per-dollar cars in 2017

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively. But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, albeit hilariously flawed. There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moment's notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom negotiation. For this list we're running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as we can get it. All the vehicles on this list are 2017 models, and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference and some for sanity, avoiding things like all 48 trim levels of the Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower). If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in. Less Than 100 Horsepower Okay, okay, this is hardly a category we'll grant you. But we've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave us an excuse. It also illustrates that none of these smallish vehicles bring cheap horsepower to the table - for that you'll need a motorcycle. The segment-leading Chevy Spark (above) asks just over $139 for each hp, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... we know you want to).

FCA profits surge in second quarter

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles gave the cash register a beating in the second quarter, improving its net profit to 333 million euros ($364M US), which is a 263-percent jump over its reported Q1 profit of 92 million euros ($108M US). At the same time, FCA improved its global profit margin to 7.7 percent. Compared year-over-year, in Q2 2014 FCA reported net profit of 197 million euros making this year's Q2 a 69-percent increase, and profit margins a year ago were 4.9 percent. The two big factors for this increase are strong NAFTA sales and Jeep. In the US alone, Jeep sold 222,940 units in Q2 this year, a jump of almost 20 percent over the same period last year. Revenue in the NAFTA region totaled $18.8 billion, adjusted earnings before interest and taxes were $1.45 billion, both of those numbers more than doubling compared to 2014. The vastly better numbers come on marginally more global sales, 1,181,000 units sold in Q2 2014, 1,193,000 units sold in the same span this year. In the US, FCA began charging dealers one-percent more for vehicles to up the margins, a move that helped boost its US margin from 4.1 percent a year ago to 5.8 percent the first half of this year. The company is holding steady on its guidance of global deliveries at 4.8 million and its net profit guidance at $1.1 to $1.3 billion. It has increased its adjusted outlook for the year to $120.5 billion in revenue, and EBIT to "over $4.93 billion." News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Jeep FCA