2004 Jeep Wrangler Right Hand Drive on 2040-cars

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Jeep Comanche Moab Concept: Hell yeah!

The moment I saw the Jeep Renegade I knew it was a winner, at least in terms of styling. The Renegade's "face" is exactly what small 21st-century Jeeps should look like. It has loads of Jeep's visual heritage DNA – important! – that has been brought up-to-date in the best possible way. (Now if only they could graft that face on to the new-ish Cherokee...). Where the Renegade falls short is what's under the skin. Thanks to misguided marketing, it is saddled with a rather unremarkable USA-spec 2.4L four, undersized tires, so-so ground clearance, an iffy 9-speed automatic, and a questionable (available) low range. I don't mind the independent suspension; in fact I embrace it, as IFS/IRS is the future in terms of off-road suspension design. So, for me, the Renegade is a close-but-no-cigar vehicle, at least as it currently stands. This new Comanche, however, shows how the Renegade can evolve; both as a 4-door SUV, and in terms of how spin-off models can be developed. Big beefy tires, flared out fenders, and great ground clearance are the main ingredients that make this work visually. Still wish for a 3.6L V6 under the hood, but the 2.0L diesel isn't a bad alternative. Anyway, I think a Comanche pickup makes more sense than the predicted Wrangler-based pickup. Why? I'm not big on retro-vehicles in general. Rarely do they survive long term. Besides, the Comanche would be far more civilized and livable. I could see this Comanche pickup as a daily driver much more so than a Wrangler-based pickup. Yeah, I like and value creature comforts over ultimate off-road ability. I think most pickup buyers would agree. Finally, while there is a large devoted Wrangler following who would love a Wrangler-based pickup, I bet this Renegade-based Comanche would bring more new customers into the Jeep tent – especially over a much wider age demographic. Related Video: Image Credit: FCA Jeep jeep comanche open road

NHTSA investigating power modules on Chrysler Group SUVs and minivans

The Center for Auto Safety is officially petitioning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to begin scrutinizing alleged problems with the totally integrated power module (TIPM) on about 24 Chrysler Group SUVs and minivans. The advocacy group claims that the part's failure can cause affected vehicles to stall or not start at all. NHTSA is still looking into the accusations and deciding whether a full investigation is actually warranted.
The CAS petition claims at least 70 TIPM failures, but according to NHTSA, six of the complaints are for models that don't have the modules. In 34 of the reported cases, the vehicles refused to start, and in 17 of them the engine stalled. There were also two allegations of smoke and one of a fire. However, none of these affected airbag deployment or resulted in a crash.
This petition isn't the first TIPM-related problem for Chrysler Group. A recent report in the New York Times alleged that it found 240 complaints potentially related to the issue on NHTSA's website alone. In September, the automaker also recalled 230,760 examples worldwide (188,723 in the US) of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango replace the fuel pump relay circuit inside of the TIPM-7 with one external to the unit. The original part could allegedly cause the models to stall without warning. Even earlier, the company also recalled about 80,000 examples of the Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Nitro in 2007 to have the module reprogrammed.

Fiat Chrysler wins top Total Quality Award for first time

The Strategic Vision Total Quality Awards are 20 years old in 2015, and Chrysler has never topped the awards before. Until now, that is. Fiat Chrysler takes the overall award on the corporate level with six segment leaders from Fiat, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram. The Fiat 500 won Small Multi-Function Car, the 500e won Small Alternative Powertrain, the Dodge Challenger tied at the top in the Specialty Coupe category alongside the very un-coupe Mini Cooper Countryman, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited took the Entry SUV category, the Dodge Durango won in Mid-Size SUV, and Ram took the overall in Best Non-Luxury Brand. The accolade means FCA has gone from one segment winner in 2010 to overall victory in five years. Cars have gotten so good, says Strategic Vision, that it is harder than ever to win. In fact, says the group, 18 years ago 85 percent of all vehicle brands had more than half a problem per vehicle. This year, no brand has more than half a problem per vehicle. The organization measures "over 155 specific aspects of the customer's experience," and scores are based on input from more than 46,000 customers. Other notables in and near the winner's circle include Volkswagen and General Motors, who tied for second place on the corporate scale, one point behind FCA. The Mini Cooper Roadster scored the highest of any model, the Corvette Stingray Convertible and Coupe scored the second- and third-highest. The Chevrolet Colorado is the first domestic Standard Pickup winner in more than ten years, and the Nissan Titan carried the Full-Size Pickup category. The press release below has all the details on how winners and losers are selected, and the full list of automakers and how they finished. "The Customer's 'Total' Experience Defines Quality, Fiat Chrysler Scores Highest in Total Quality," says Strategic Vision The 2015 Total Quality Awards® SAN DIEGO, Friday, July 17, 2015 — Unknown to many, when some consumer research firms rank a car company's quality performance they often do so by simply "counting problems." In the past, this may have been acceptable, but in today's modern and efficient manufacturing world the difference between the worst brand and best brand is LESS than half-a-problem per vehicle. Thus, any "quality ranking" based on this method is severely lacking in the complete picture of the "Total" Quality experience that customers actually use to judge their product ownership.