2008 Chrysler Town & Country White Touring Dvd 3.8l Traction Control on 2040-cars

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Italian government to lean on Fiat's Marchionne to commit to country

With the recent chatter that Fiat is looking to move its global headquarters to the US following a complete merger with Chrysler, the Italian government is voicing its opinion on the matter. Facing the potential job loss from the automaker leaving the country, Italy's industry minister is meeting with Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne in what will likely be a plea to keep the company based in Turin rather than moving to Auburn Hills, MI - if indeed it is able to acquire the additional 41.5 percent of Chrysler currently owned by the United Auto Workers.
According to Bloomberg, Fiat is Italy's biggest private employer and unemployment is already nearing a 20-year high. The non-car side of Fiat, Fiat Industrial, is already planning a move to the UK, so it goes without saying that Fiat moving would be a pretty big blow for the Italian economy. In the article, Fiat says that the headquarters issue is "not on its agenda now," but that statement is far from a denial.

Google-FCA deal is a coup for both sides

FCA made a savvy play this week to team with internet giant Google. It's not as sexy as partnering with Apple, but it's almost as good. This move positions FCA to expand its capabilities in the autonomous driving field, and connecting with Google could boost the automaker's image. FCA will provide Google with about 100 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans specially developed for autonomous testing. Google will integrate its sensors and computers into the vehicles. They'll work together at a site in Southeast Michigan and test the prototypes on Google's private test track in California. It's looks like an equitable deal and a win for both sides. "This marks a watershed event for the auto industry on two major levels: contract manufacturing for high tech firms and allowing such firms a clear pathway into the brain of the car," Morgan Stanley researchers said in a note. Don't underestimate how big this is for Google. The deal more than doubles the size of the tech firm's fleet, and does so with the Pacifica, a potentially segment-defining entry. Currently, it's using Lexus vehicles and other modified prototypes as testers. Though FCA is the smallest of Detroit's carmakers, it's also viewed as nimble and willing to embrace change. The Jeep and Ram divisions are as strong as any brand in the industry, and the Hellcats and Viper reinforce FCA's enthusiast cred. Google doesn't need those things, but they're pretty cool associations, nonetheless. If Ferrari can try to position itself as a leather goods maker, Google can have a little octane in its system. While experts expect Google to eventually partner with other automakers or to license its technology (FCA chief Sergio Marchionne reportedly said the deal isn't exclusive), FCA is positioned to get a head start. IHS Automotive predicts there will be 10.5 million self-driving or driverless cars used around the world by 2030. General Motors, Mercedes, Tesla, Volvo, Ford, and others have launched or are planning to roll out their own versions of autonomous driving technology. For now, FCA goes from having no apparent autonomous plans to potentially being among the leaders, and Google secures a legitimate automotive partner. Like we said, it looks like a win-win. NEWS & ANALYSIS News: Sergio Marchionne is taking over the CEO job at Ferrari. Analysis: This is a consolidation of Marchionne's power over the famous Italian sports-car maker and racing team.

Takata airbag recall claims 209k Chrysler, Dodge vehicles

Chrysler is expanding the scope of its front passenger side Takata airbag inflator recall yet again to include 139,115 additional vehicles for a total of 208,783 units now needing these parts replaced. The latest campaign affects the passenger side inflators of the 2003-2005 Dodge Ram 1500, 2003-2005 Dodge Ram 2500, 2003-2005 Dodge Ram 3500, 2004-2005 Durango; 2005 Dakota pickup; 2005 Dodge Magnum and 2005 Chrysler 300 (pictured above), 300C and SRT8. It's limited to vehicles purchased or ever registered in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan and the US Virgin Islands. The company expects owners to be notified by February 8. The automaker just expanded the replacement campaign last week to include passenger side inflators in 149,150 pickups from the 2003 model year. However, the parts are not the same. Chrysler says this recall is for the PSPI family of components versus SPI for the last one. The company is also not aware of any injuries or accidents in its vehicles from these potentially faulty inflators, and lab testing of 600 of them finds no issues. Despite this, Chrysler is repairing these models at the request of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Scroll down to read the company's full announcement of the initiative. Statement: Air-bag Inflator (Regional Field Action Expansion) December 12, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group is expanding an ongoing regional field action with a recall to replace front passenger-side air-bag inflators in an estimated 208,783 older-model vehicles originally purchased or ever registered in seven U.S. states and five territories. The vehicles are equipped with front passenger-side air-bag inflators from a product family code-named "PSPI." Chrysler Group is unaware of any injuries or accidents involving PSPI inflators of the type covered by this campaign, nor has a Chrysler Group investigation identified a defect in these components. Further, laboratory tests on nearly 600 such inflators did not result in any failures. The inflators affected by this campaign differ in design and construction from PSPI inflators used by other auto makers. They also benefited from a more robust manufacturing process. However, at the request of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Chrysler Group is expanding its replacement action beyond its original scope of Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S.