2004 Jeep Wrangler Se Sport Utility 2-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Jeep bringing two special-edition Renegades to the LA Auto Show

Few manufacturers do limited edition runs like Jeep, which has released everything from a 75th Anniversary Edition Wrangler to a Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Renegade. The automaker is revealing two new versions of the Renegade next week at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show: a 2017 Jeep Renegade Deserthawk and a 2017 Jeep Renegade Altitude. The off-road ready Deserthawk starts at $28,140 and builds on the bones of the already capable Renegade Trailhawk. The extra $1,495 nets you an exclusive Mojave Sand paint option, hood, and rear panel decals. It also comes equipped with rock rails and the towing package. Inside, the Deserthawk comes with black leather seats, Light Frost stitching and accents, all-weather floor mats, and a cargo tray mat. As it's based on the Trailhawk, the Deserthawk comes with four-wheel drive, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, and a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Renegade Altitude, like the other Jeep Altitude models, essentially means black on black on black. It comes with 18-inch gloss black wheels with gloss black accents on the front and rear badges, grille rings and tail lamp rings. The black theme continues inside with black cloth seats and black gloss trim. The Altitude also features what Jeep calls Metal Diamond door handles and shift knob. Standard features include a backup camera and a keyless ignition. All that black gloss will set you back at least $22,390. Look for the Renegade pair to arrive in dealers soon. The Altitude will be available later in November while the Deserthawk hits showrooms in January. Related Video: LA Auto Show Jeep Crossover Off-Road Vehicles jeep renegade

Massachusetts man charged $48,000 for a tow [w/video]

Tow truck operators are right up there with landlords and IRS auditors on the list of professionals you don't want to deal with. A man in Massachusetts has all the more reason to avoid a tow after he was hit with a $48,000 bill, Fox 25 reports. Joel Ramer and his girlfriend were off-roading in Walpole, MA last week when they wandered were they shouldn't have. They landed in a mud pit on private property. Ramer said it took Assured Collision towing company 12 hours to free his vehicle from the muck. But when he got the bill for the tow, he thought the accounting department must have been off by a decimal. "When I went to pick up the vehicle from Assured Collision, he'd informed me there was some damage done to the vehicle, but didn't get into details. He also informed me the bill was $48,000," Ramer told Fox. "I thought they made a mistake." The phrase 'some damage' was putting it lightly. Ramer says Assured Collision totaled his Jeep. "Frame is broken, leaf spring is broken, drive shaft is broken," Ramer said. The itemized bill showed Ramer exactly what he was paying for. Assured Collision charged him $16,000 for an on-scene supervisor. That's $1,250 an hour. The Statewide Towing Association told Fox 25 that the actual industry standard is $175-$325 an hour. The company also claimed that power lines put them at risk, calling it a "hazmat situation." That allowed them to tack on another $5,000 fee for dangerous condition liability insurance. Finally, there was an extra $10,000 fee for an off-road recovery incident response unit. Insurance won't help with the cost of the tow, so Ramer's broke Jeep is in Assured Collision's hands. On top of the enormous bill and busted Jeep, Ramer was arrested and cited for trespassing on land owned by a utility company and disturbing the peace. Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

FCA believes thieves aren't getting into Jeeps with laptops

Last week, we reported on an incident where thieves stole a 2010 Jeep Wrangler from an owner's driveway in Houston, TX with nothing but a laptop. While the security footage made it seem like the perpetrator hacked into the vehicle, we had a conversation with FCA's senior manager of security architecture Titus Melnyk who set the record straight. According to Melnyk, the thief in the video isn't using the laptop to get into the vehicle, but rather as a means of coding a blank key fob and then using that fob to get into the Jeep. According to Melnyk, the suspects have gained access to a key programming tool, which allows them to pair blank key fobs to FCA vehicles. With the key fob now coded, the suspects can get into the vehicle and drive away. The thieves, believes Melnyk, have acquired the programming tool through a dishonest dealership or locksmith. Since the suspects are using a process designed to be used (honestly) by dealers, FCA doesn't consider this to be hacking and believes that there are no security flaws in the vehicles. How are the thieves getting key fobs? While Melnyk believes it is possible to recode an existing key fob, he points out that it's much easier to purchase a blank key fob on Ebay for less than $25. FCA is working closely with the Houston Police Department to apprehend the suspects. Related Video: Jeep Technology SUV Videos viral video hacking thieves