2004 Chrysler Pt Cruiser Touring Edition Turbo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

FCA recalling 323,000 cars for wiring, software issues

The Basics: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is conducting a voluntary recall for an estimated 323,361 cars in the US. The affected vehicles were built after September 23, 2014 and include: the 2015 Chrysler 200, Ram ProMaster City, Jeep Renegade, and 2014 and 2015 Jeep Cherokees. The Problem: An insufficient crimp in the vehicles' wiring harness may result in a solenoid fault code, which could cause the engine to stop. The loss of power could lead to an accident. Injuries/Deaths: None reported. The Fix: FCA will update the affected vehicles' software and replace wire harnesses, as needed. According to FCA, owners that experience the problem can temporarily resolve the issue by restarting the vehicle. If you own one: FCA is reaching out to owners to schedule a service. Related Video: Statement: Wire Harness Crimp July 22, 2016 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 323,361 vehicles in the U.S. to update certain software and replace wire harnesses, as needed. An examination of warranty data led to an FCA US investigation that discovered an insufficient crimp in a wire harness. Such a crimp may lead to a solenoid fault code that can cause propulsion loss. The Company is unaware of any related injuries or accidents. Most vehicles in the recall population will not experience this fault code over their lifetimes. However, should the condition occur, it can typically be temporarily resolved by stopping the vehicle and re-starting its engine. Accordingly, FCA US urges customers to heed the instructions on their recall notices. Affected are certain model-year 2015 Chrysler 200 midsize sedans, Ram ProMaster City small vans, Jeep Renegade and Cherokee SUVs. Certain model-year 2014 Cherokees are also affected. A change made in the harness-manufacturing process eliminates the need to recall any vehicle built after Sept. 23, 2014. An estimated 35,511 additional vehicles in Canada are included in the campaign; as are 7,067 in Mexico; and 43,927 outside the NAFTA region. Customers will be advised when they may schedule service. Those with questions may call the FCA US Customer Care Center at 1-800-853-1403. News Source: FCAImage Credit: AOL Recalls Chrysler Jeep RAM FCA jeep renegade ram promaster city

Pontiac Aztek enjoys rebirth thanks to Millennials

Apparently, Millennials – those between 18 and 34 – aren't afraid to look different on the road, and they like performance, too. A new study by Edmunds is discovering some surprising vehicle choices by this group. Among them, the long-derided Pontiac Aztek is getting a new day in the sun with 25.5 percent its buyers coming from this generation in the first half of 2015. For comparison, Millennials represent an average of 16.8 percent of used car purchases. The Aztek is slowly shaking its reputation as a styling abomination, which seems tied to its appearance on Breaking Bad. The show premiered in 2008, and the Pontiac has been on this list for four of the past five years, according to Edmunds. It even led the pack in 2010. A recent Retro Review from MotorWeek also showed that the crossover wasn't always so hated. While it's still a shock to see the Aztek on any popularity list, the awkward-looking crossover only ranks sixth among Millennials. The vehicle with the biggest portion of buyers from the generation is the Dodge Magnum with 27.6 percent. According to Edmunds, the bluntly styled wagon is especially popular in Detroit and Chicago. The Chrysler Pacifica comes in a close second at 27.3 percent. When it comes to used cars, value and utility appear to trump just about anything else for many Millennial buyers," Edmunds analyst Jeremy Acevedo said in the report. Young buyers aren't afraid of sporty rides, either. The Subaru WRX has 26.4 percent Millennial buyers to rank third place on the list, and the Volkswagen R32 takes fifth at 25.7 percent. Just a few points lower in seventh place is the Nissan GT-R at 25.4 percent, and the final performance machine in 10th place is the Lexus IS-F with 24.7 percent. Related Video:

Ford, Chrysler and Mazda expand scope of Takata airbag recalls

The scope of the Takata airbag inflator recall is ballooning once again across the United States. Where Honda has elected to take its driver-side airbag campaign nationwide, Chrysler Group and Ford have now announced expanded regional actions to cover some passenger-side airbag inflators. Mazda is adding more regions, as well. For Chrysler Group, the campaign covers the inflators on 149,150 examples of the 2003-model-year Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups. The recall is limited to vehicles sold or ever registered in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the Virgin Islands. The company will begin notifying affected customers on January 19. According to Chrysler's announcement of the action, the passenger side inflators in these trucks "are of a type that is not used in any of the other vehicles affected by Chrysler Group's regional field action." The automaker says that it's not aware of any actual failures or accidents in these pickups and even claims there are no "observed failures in laboratory testing of its airbag modules." The company is continuing to study the problem, though. Ford is taking a similar step by issuing a recall of inflators for 38,500 examples of the 2004-2005 Ranger and 2005-2006 Ford GT. The campaign only affects vehicles originally sold or ever registered in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Certain zip codes of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa are also covered. There's already precedent for passenger-side airbags to be covered under the Takata inflator recall. When many automakers announced campaigns in June, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota all included that side in some of their repairs. Subaru subsequently did, as well. In addition, Mazda is expanding the scope of its recall to add Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Saipan, Guam, American Samoa, US Virgin Islands, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas to the affected areas. The company estimates that it has a total of 86,773 vehicles in need of repair. Mazda is also teaming with Toyota to begin independent testing of the Takata inflators. Scroll down to read all of the automakers' announcements of these newly expanded recalls. Statement: Air-Bag Inflators December 3, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich.