2006 Chrysler Crossfire Limited Convertible 2-door 3.2l 34k Miles Clean Carfax on 2040-cars

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Auto Mergers and Acquisitions: Suicide or salvation?

We love the Moses figure. A savior riding in from stage right with the ideas, the smarts, and the scrappiness to put things right. Alan Mullaly. Carroll Shelby. Lee Iacocca. Andrew Carnegie. Steve Jobs. Elon Musk. Bart Simpson. Sergio Marchionne does not likely view himself with Moses-like optics, but the CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently gave a remarkable, perhaps prophetic interview with Automotive News about his interest and the inevitability of merging with a potential automotive partner like General Motors. Marchionne has been overtly public about his notion that GM must merge with FCA. For a bit of context, GM sold 9.9 million vehicles in 2014, posting $2.8 billion in net income, while FCA sold 4.75 million units and earned $2.4 billion in net income, painting a very rosy FCA earnings-to-sales picture. But that's not the entire picture. Most people in the auto industry still remember the trainwreck that was the DaimlerChrysler "merger" written in what turned out to be sand in 1998. It proved to be a master class in how not to fuse two companies, two cultures, two continents, and two management teams. Oh, it worked for the two individuals at both helms pre-merger. They got silly rich. And the industry itself was in a misty romance at the time with mergers and acquisitions. BMW bought Rolls-Royce. Volkswagen Group bought Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini, putting all three brands into their rightful place in both products and positioning. No marriages there, so no false pretense. Finally, Nissan and Renault got married in 1999. A successful marriage requires several rare elements in this atmosphere of gas fumes and power lust. But a successful marriage requires several rare elements in this atmosphere of gas fumes and power lust, the principle part being honesty. Daimler and Chrysler lied to each other. The heads of each unit, the product planners, and finance all presented their then-current and long-range forecasts to each other with less-than-forthright accuracy. Daimler was the far greater equal and no one from the Chrysler side enjoyed that. The cultures were entirely different, too, and little was done to bridge that gap. Which brings me back to the present overtures by Marchionne to GM. "There are varying degrees of hugs," Marchionne stated in the Automotive News piece. "I can hug you nicely, I can hug you tightly, I can hug you like a bear, I can really hug you." Seriously?

Chrysler recalls 112k family-haulers over airbag controllers

The Basics: Chrysler has issued a recall for an array of minivans and crossovers manufactured in 2007 and 2008. The models affected include the 2009 Dodge Journey, 2008-09 Dodge Grand Caravan, and 2008-09 Chrysler Town and Country. The 2009 Volkswagen Routan, which was manufactured by Chrysler, is also being recalled by FCA. The automaker estimates that 112,001 units in the United States are affected, all told. The Problem: Corrosion in the air bag control unit could prevent the air bags from deploying in the event of a crash, or alternatively deploy prematurely. Chrysler points out that "none of the affected vehicles are equipped with ammonium-nitrate inflators" like those fitted by Takata. Injuries/Deaths: The manufacturer reports seven minor injuries (but no accidents) potentially related to this issue. The fix: Chrysler will replace the air bag control unit, though it has not yet outlined a timeframe for doing so. If you own one: Look for a recall notice in the mail and then schedule service with your local dealership. If you don't receive one, you can contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 and reference recall number S07. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Air Bag Control Unit Power Supply Corrosion Report Receipt Date: JAN 29, 2016 NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V047000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 112,001 Manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) SUMMARY: FCA US LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2009 Dodge Journey vehicles manufactured December 31, 2007, to August 31, 2008, 2008-2009 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles manufactured June 18, 2007, to August 31, 2008, and 2009 Volkswagen Routan vehicles manufactured August 11, 2008, to August 31, 2008. In the affected vehicles, the air bag control units may corrode and fail. CONSEQUENCE: If the air bag control unit fails, the air bags may not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury. Additionally, the air bags may inadvertently deploy, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control unit, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S07. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Detroit 3 to implement delayed unified towing standards for 2015

Car buyers have a responsibility to be well-informed consumers. That's not always a very simple task, but some guidelines are self-evident. If you live in a very snowy climate, you generally know a Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro might not be as viable a vehicle choice as an all-wheel drive Explorer or Traverse, for example. If you want a fuel-efficient car, it's generally a good idea to know the difference between a diesel and a hybrid. But what if it's kind of tough to be an informed consumer? What if the information you need is more difficult to come by, or worse, based on different standards for each vehicle? Well, in that case, you might be a truck shopper. For years, customers of light-duty pickups have had to suffer through different ratings of towing capacities for each brand. For 2015 model year trucks, though, that will no longer be a problem. According to Automotive News, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler Group have announced that starting with next year's models, a common standard will be used to measure towing capacity. The Detroit Three will join Toyota, which adopted the Society of Automotive Engineers' so-called SAE J2807 standards way back in 2011. The standard was originally supposed to be in place for MY2013, but concerns that it would lower the overall stated capacity for trucks led Detroit automakers to pass. Ford originally passed, claiming it'd wait until its new F-150 was launched to adopt the new standards, leading GM and Ram to follow suit. Nissan, meanwhile, has said it will adopt the new standards as its vehicles are updated, meaning the company's next-generation Titan should adhere to the same tow ratings as its competitors. While the adoption of SAE J2807 will be helpful for light-duty customers, those interested in bigger trucks will still be left with differing standards. There is no sign of the new tow standards being adopted for the heavy-duty market.