2014 Ram 5500 Mechanics/service Crane Truck on 2040-cars

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Will airbags sandbag the 2017 Dodge Viper?

The Dodge Viper is speeding down the road to cancellation for the 2017 model year, and at least part of the reason for the V10 monster's death is a problem fitting it with federally mandated side curtain airbags. An anonymous source close to FCA US told Motor Trend the automaker can't install the parts because they would further limit the coupe's already tight headroom. The government believes the side curtain airbags can reduce occupant ejections during accidents, and all vehicles must have them for the 2017 model year. The Viper's slow sales also don't provide FCA US much motivation to work out a solution to this problem. The automaker moved just 676 of the handmade sports coupes in the US in 2015, which was down 11 percent from 760 deliveries in 2014. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne hinted at the Detroit Auto Show that the Viper could return eventually. He doesn't like that the current model has a dedicated platform but indicated a new one could share the underpinnings with another of the company's products. Marchionne's current business plan for FCA stresses building the automaker's value, so it might be a while before we see the sweater-clad CEO focusing on a niche vehicle like the Viper. Related Video:

2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack

We all knew That Kid. As a freshman, he was a big kid, overweight but surprisingly strong. Still, he was often picked on for his size. Then, he chatted with the football coach, who convinced him that his true calling was on the team's offensive line. After a season on the freshman squad and a summer of two-a-days, this mild-mannered, husky high schooler returned for his sophomore year as a big, imposing, solid piece of muscle. Needless to say, the same bullies that picked on him were praying he'd forgotten about them as a 10th grader.
That's the V8-powered 2015 Dodge Challenger. It arrived on the scene with a max of 425 horsepower and a bit of a weight problem. It completed its proverbial freshman year with a nice 2011 refresh, where the SRT8 was bumped up to 470 hp, but it still had some work to do.
Enter 2015, and fresh off three months of constant burpees and wind sprints, the newest Challenger is as big and powerful as it's ever been, but it's now got poise and potential, and my goodness, it's fun in a way that Dodge's muscle car has never been.

2016 Jeep Wrangler recalled over impact sensor wiring

Fiat Chrysler just announced a pair of recalls totaling nearly 311,000 units. The bigger recall affects certain 2016 and 2017 model year Jeep Wranglers. Although, since FCA claims all of the affected 2017s are in the company's hands, really, only 2016 owners should pay attention here. The affected Wranglers suffer from an issue where wiring disconnects from impact sensors in certain types of crashes, potentially preventing the airbags and pretensioners from activating. FCA uncovered the problem in what its press release calls "a routine, in-house crash test" and claims "service availability is imminent." The affected Jeeps require a simple rewiring. The other recall, announced Tuesday, is more of a fleet issue, affecting 2007 to 2013 model-year Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups and 3500, 4500, and 5500 chassis cabs and 2011 to 2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit police vehicles. There's a problem with "premature diode wear" in alternators that are subject to "frequent load cycling, at or near maximum amperage, [or] in hot ambient temperatures." Affected alternators could short out, causing a vehicle to stall or potentially catch fire. FCA lists 182,743 affected Wranglers in the US, 18,011 in Canada, 3,087 in Mexico, and 20,948 in global markets. The Ram/ Charger Pursuit recall lists 74,833 vehicles in the US, 10,077 in Canada, 1,088 in Mexico, and 134 outside the NAFTA region. Of all those vehicles, the Jeep recall hasn't caused any injuries or fatalities, while FCA says it's aware of one "potentially related injury" and no accidents due to its fleet vehicle recall. FCA says it will notify owners/operators of affected vehicles when service appointments are available. As per usual, all the work is free of charge. Related Video: