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FCA recalls Fiat 500e to fix cruise control

Fiat is recalling almost 4,000 of its 500e electric vehicles because of a malfunction related to the model's cruise-control feature. The glitch causes the car's powertrain to be put into neutral under certain situations. It's the second recall on the 500e this year. Specifically, Chrysler-Fiat is recalling 3,975 cars. The issue is that the car's system can misread the motor's torque figures in cruise control, causing the sprightly EV to mistakenly shift into neutral in what was designed as a safety-precaution measure. The good news is that restarting the vehicle gets the car back to normal, but being dropped into neutral in highway mode is certainly no fun. Chrysler-Fiat said in a statement this week that it was "unaware" of injuries, accidents, or customer complaints caused by the issue. In April, the 500e was subject to a recall that impacted about 5,600 vehicles and stemmed from a March 2015 update. The update allowed the car to go into so-called "Limp Home Mode" to better extend range. The problem is that it inadvertently caused the car to stall. Range anxiety, indeed. Take a look at Chrysler-Fiat's press release on the most recent recall below. Related Video: Statement: Software Upgrade June 9, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 3,975 cars to upgrade cruise-control software. A review of warranty data led to an investigation by FCA US LLC engineers. The investigation discovered certain Fiat 500e hatchbacks were inadvertently equipped with software that may misread torque levels generated by their motors, causing them to shift into neutral – a prescribed failsafe mode. This condition may occur only while cruise-control is engaged and the driver attempts to override the feature with accelerator-pedal applications or rapid tapping of the accelerate/decelerate buttons. Restarting the vehicle restores normal function. The campaign is limited to certain model-year 2013-2015 vehicles. The Company is unaware of any related injuries, accidents or customer complaints. New software will be available when affected customers are advised of this action by FCA US. Service instructions are being sent to FCA US dealers today. Customers with questions may call the FCA US Customer Information Center at 1-800-853-1403.

The Aficianauto sets his lens on Black Beauty

In the short time we've known about the works of The Aficionauto, we've become fans of the video series highlighting some of the most famous and iconic movie/television cars ever. While past episodes featured cars from 1980s movies and tv shows, the latest video shows off the 1965 Chrysler Imperial affectionately known as Black Beauty We saw the Imperial for the first time at the 2009 Comic-Con; the car actually used in the 2011 action comedy The Green Hornet.
Of the 30 cars made for the movie, host Chris Rutkowski says that Sony only preserved two, and if you're a collector of movie cars, this one is currently being sold for $165,000. Scroll down to watch as Rutkowski takes Black Beauty for a spin through Beverly Hills, CA with its assortment of exposed weapons including the hood-mounted machine guns, numerous missiles and flame thrower.

Feds investigating FCA sales fraud focusing on strange code word

The US government is currently investigating Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) over the possibility of sales fraud, and according to The Wall Street Journal, the investigation has revealed a strange phrase about a nonexistent "unnatural acts department." People knowledgeable about the term told The Wall Street Journal that this phrase was a "rallying cry." Basically, if it looked like the company, region, or dealer wasn't going to hit sales targets, this was a sign that some outside-the-box sales solutions were needed. People told the news outlet those solutions could include selling cars at a loss or having the dealer buy a fleet of customer test-drive cars. However, this could also be evidence of some less savory ways to boost sales. In addition to the investigation, the company is already facing at least one lawsuit from a dealer group that alleges it would bribe dealers to pad monthly sales figures. FCA had an incentive to maintain sales numbers as well, considering that it was claiming a long streak of increasing sales. Under scrutiny recently, the company changed its sales reporting practices and numbers for previous years. Under the old reporting methods, it was possible for dealers to sell cars, report the sales, and then cancel or "unwind" the sales later. This wouldn't count as a lost sale, but the car also couldn't be recorded as another sale later. As a result, an unscrupulous dealer could have hypothetically used it to "sell" a car one month and "unwind" it the next. If FCA knew about this, it's also possible the company could have pushed dealers to use the system for false sales, something the Feds theorize may be related to the "unnatural acts department" phrase. It's still entirely possible this "unnatural acts department" was just a corporate term for thinking of creative ways to meet sales goals. And selling cars at a loss is definitely unnatural for businesses that are trying to make money. Whatever the phrase truly meant to dealers, it certainly is bizarre. Related Video: News Source: The Wall Street JournalImage Credit: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images Government/Legal Chrysler Fiat FCA fiat chrysler automobiles fca us investigation