2024 Jeep Wrangler on 2040-cars

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2014 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year finalists announced [w/poll]

The 2014 North American International Auto Show is right around the corner, which means it's high time we found out which cars and trucks would be finalists for the prestigious North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards.
The finalists - three in cars and three in three trucks/utilities - are dominated by American brands, with two-thirds of the finalists hailing from either General Motors or Chrysler (don't worry Ford, there's always next year), while outliers from Mazda and Acura can be found in each contest. Here now is the list of finalists for the big prizes:
2014 North American Car of the Year:

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:

From Maseratis to rental cars | Autoblog Podcast #511

On this week's podcast, Mike Austin and David Gluckman are in a huddle room (again), because the studio was already taken (again). We talk about the all-wheel-drive Dodge Challenger GT (again), as well as the Jeep Wrangler, Maserati Levante, Miata RF (again), and then David waxes poetic on mediocre rental cars (or similar). The episode wraps up with the traditional doling out of Spend My Money buying advice, with some input from an S2000 owner on advice discussed last time. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #511 Topics and stories we mention Dodge Challenger GT Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Maserati Levante Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Used cars! Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 06:11 Spend My Money - 32:45 Total Duration: 55:30 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Podcasts Dodge Jeep Maserati Mazda Nissan mazda mx-5 rf dodge challenger gt