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Australian consumer activists destroy a Dodge Journey with a tank

An Australian couple held an event where they crushed their unreliable and frustrating Dodge Journey with a retired army tank. According to Drive, Kate and Joe Masters owned an infuriating 2010 Dodge Journey that they claim was plagued by mechanical and electrical issues. After numerous failed attempts on their part to get the issues fixed by Fiat Chrysler and Dodge Australia, the couple decided that they'd had enough. Working with Queensland consumer advocate Ashton Wood, the Masters held an event where they smashed the Dodge with a sledgehammer and fired arrows at it. Finally, they rolled out a retired Centurion Mk.V tank and proceeded to crush the doomed Dodge monster truck-style. Fiat Chrysler issued a statement refuting many of the Masters' claims about both its vehicle and the steps taken to remedy the situation. The company claims that the vehicle was serviced outside of its dealer network and that the Masters did not work through established consumer complaint channels established by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. "We had attempted to work proactively with this customer, offering free service work and free genuine parts after their warranty had expired," FCA said in a statement. "While Dodge Australia was keen to resolve this issue, we weren't in the position to issue the demanded refund of $43,000 for a vehicle purchased in 2011, that was driven for more than 100,000 kilometers (62,137 miles) and that has no known manufacturing defects, nor had any evidence provided by the owners to substantiate these claims. Queensland senator Glenn Lazarus, who was involved with the tank event, stated that Australian motorists need better consumer protections against automotive dealerships and manufacturers. "Countries around the world have successfully implemented lemon laws to provide consumers with protection and I believe it's about time we did the same in Australia," he said. Destroying cars in a public act of frustration is nothing new. In China, a Lamborghini Gallardo owner smashed his luxury ride with a sledgehammer after he felt he wasn't given a premium experience at the dealership. Related Video: News Source: Drive.com Auto News Government/Legal Weird Car News Dodge SUV Military Videos viral video dodge journey tank queensland crushed publicity stunt

Stellantis reports record margins, $7B profits despite chip shortage

MILAN — Automaker Stellantis on Tuesday said it achieved faster-than-expected progress on synergies and record margins in its first six months as a combined company, despite suffering 700,000 units in lower production due to interruptions in the semiconductor supply chain. The company — formed from French carmaker Peugeot PSAÂ’s takeover of the Italian-American company Fiat Chrysler — reported net profit of 5.9 billion euros ($7 billion) in the first half of 2021, compared with a loss 813 million euros during the same period a year earlier, which was impacted by the coronavirus restrictions around the globe. Shipments rose 44% to 3.2 million units, while revenues rose 46% to 75 billion euros. “We are very pleased with the speed with which the new team has begun to execute as one company, as Stellantis,Â’Â’ Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer told reporters. Semiconductor shortages accounted for 200,000 units of production losses in the first quarter and 500,000 in the second quarter. Semiconductors are used more than ever before in new vehicles with electronic features such as Bluetooth connectivity and driver assist, navigation and hybrid electric systems. Stellantis achieved 1.3 billion euros in cost savings in the first half, mostly by sharing investments in new technologies and platforms, which Palmer said was a faster rate than initially forecast. It aims to achieve 80% of the targeted 5 billion in cost savings by 2024. “These synergies allow us to continue to invest in the electrification strategy, which we talk about every day,” Palmer said. Stellantis, which lags competitors in rolling out electric vehicles, plans to launch 21 fully electric or plug-in gas electric hybrid vehicles over the next two years. North American posted record profitability on global sales of Ram trucks and the strong launch of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, which was the best-selling plug-in gas electric vehicle in the United States in the second quarter. Stellantis was the market leader in South America and second in Europe. The results were presented on a pro-forma basis, taking into account the performance of each of the carmakers as separate entities during 2020. Related video: 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Inside and Out

Ford Police Interceptors dominate Michigan State Police testing

Once again, Ford Motor Company builds the fastest police vehicles. The Blue Oval touted the news in an official release following Michigan State Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department testing. Ford did very well. Except for one acceleration metric – zero to 10 miles per hour – the Blue Oval's Taurus and Explorer-based cop cars were the quickest, with particular praise coming for the EcoBoost-powered models, which bested Chevrolet and Dodge's V8-powered variants. Dearborn's products also posted the fastest average times around MSP's vehicle dynamics course. But it wasn't all positive for Ford. The only four-cylinder in the contest, the 2.0-liter, EcoBoost Ford SSP Sedan, had both the lowest top speed, 120 mph, and the slowest acceleration figures. It was also the slowest in track testing. Ford's products also failed to match the braking and top speeds of its rivals from Detroit and Auburn Hills – the rear-drive Charger Pursuit posted the best braking stats of the entire test, while the V8-powered Chevrolet Caprice hit the highest top speed, at 155 mph. Ford did score a top speed award, among SUVs, but at 132 mph, the naturally aspirated Police Interceptor Utility had to share its award with the equally fast, rear-drive Chevrolet Tahoe. The LA County Sheriff's timing isn't publicly available, but according to Ford, the EcoBoost-powered police cars put on a similarly impressive show for cops on the West Coast. We've assembled a spreadsheet on Google Docs that offers an easy to browse comparison of the different stats assembled by the Michigan State Police, and divided the vehicles between standard V6-powered sedans, high-performance sedans (EcoBoost and V8 models), and SUVs. You can check it out here. Related Video: