2005 Jeep Wrangler on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Chrysler defies NHTSA, says it won't recall 2.7M Jeep Grand Cherokee, Liberty models

Facing a possible recall totaling around 2.7 million of its most popular SUVs, Chrysler remains insistent that the 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty are safe vehicles. This comes on the heels of a recall request from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for these two models due to fuel tanks mounted behind the rear axle, which could possibly be ruptured during severe rear-end collisions, leading to an increased risk of fire. In response to the allegations, Chrysler says that it does not agree with NHTSA nor does it plan on recalling either vehicle.
Chrysler said both SUVs "met and exceeded" the requirements for fuel-system integrity, and cooperated fully with NHTSA since the investigation was opened in 2010. While 15 deaths and 46 injuries have been reported from fires caused by rear-end collisions on these models, Chrysler is claiming that the vast majority of incidents cited by NHTSA were "high-energy crashes," including one where a stopped Grand Cherokee was rear-ended by a tractor trailer going 65 miles per hour.
The automaker wraps up by saying "NHTSA seems to be holding Chrysler Group to a new standard for fuel tank integrity that does not exist now and did not exist when the Jeep vehicles were manufactured." Scroll down for Chrysler's official response to NHTSA, but we're pretty sure this isn't the last we've heard on this issue.

Jeep Compass, Patriot will stick around for 2017 model year

The Jeep Compass and Patriot may be getting a little long in the tooth, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles isn't ready to put them to pasture. At least not yet. According to Automotive News, FCA plans to continue producing both models until the end of this calendar year. That will also take them both into the 2017 model year as the manufacturer prepares to introduce their shared successor. Jeep will likely build a stockpile of Patriots and Compasses to bridge the gap until the new compact Jeep arrives. The move is just one of many FCA is making to trim unprofitable car models and increase crossover production. The Jeep Cherokee is set to move from its current home in Toledo, OH, to the plant in Belvidere, IL, where the Compass and Patriot are built; the same plant was also home to the recently discontinued Dodge Dart. With Cherokee production gone, the Toledo plant in turn is being retooled to increase Wrangler output by 50 percent, including temporary parallel production of both the new model and the existing one. Meanwhile the replacement for the Compatriots, as they're colloquially known together, is expected to debut this summer in Brazil. Production is slated to take place, both in Brazil and in Mexico, starting January 30, 2017, with production of the Compass and Patriot reportedly to continue in Belvidere until December 23 of this year. By that point, the Compass and Patriot will be a full decade old, having been introduced in 2006 as 2007 models. Along with the Dodge Journey, they're the last FCA products still based on the PM/MK platform shared with Mitsubishi. The Japanese automaker still produces several models on the version it calls GS, including the Outlander, Outlander Sport, and Lancer. Related Video:

2018 Jeep Wrangler spy shot mega gallery

We've already seen the 2018 Jeep Wrangler in official shots from the automaker. But there were only three, and they showed off only two of the many trim levels we're sure will be offered. So, feast your eyes on this spy shot mega gallery, which puts on display both two- and four-door Wrangler models in Sport, Sahara, Rubicon, and Overland guises. There are more than 40 images here, so take your time before coming back to finish reading. Done? OK, good. There are a few interesting bits worth obsessing over, starting with the two-door Rubicon in black. Obviously, there's no front bumper on this prototype. We can't say for sure whether that's because it's been out testing in its natural habitat, but we can clearly see the potential for top-shelf approach angles. We also get a good look at the removable soft top, which has nice, big, open side windows without the diagonal strip of opaque vinyl cutting through. There are five different four-door Wrangler Unlimited models in this gallery (not including the Wranglers of the last slide that are shot from further away), in Sport, Sahara, and Rubicon trim levels. We see soft tops (with what we hope are preproduction rear windows that don't line up very well) and hard tops in both matte black and body color. Clearly, the hardtops have removable sections for an open-air experience without the hassle of completely pulling off the entire outer shell. Also note that the black Unlimited Overland (with silver highlights and mirrors) is an export-only trim. Finally, take a look at the interior shots at the end of the gallery. We're not sure which model we're looking at, but it's a bit incongruous to see a contrast-stitched and leather-covered dash with a small UConnect touchscreen surrounded by a bunch of hard plastic. Thankfully, we're sure that a larger LCD will be optional, along with a cool body-color dash panel and an additional screen between the two main gauges. The interior we see in this spy gallery shows the eight-speed automatic shifter sitting next to a console-mounted four-wheel-drive shift lever. We've heard that multiple 4x4 systems will be available, including one safe to engage for full-time four-wheel-drive. Related Video: