2007 Jeep Wrangler X on 2040-cars

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This incredibly detailed toy Jeep will set you back $2,300 [w/video]

When I was a kid, I desperately wanted one of those Power Wheels Ford-badged Big Foot impersonators. They were far cooler than my lousy, plastic Big Wheel trike. This 1/8-scale electric Jeep takes the Power Wheels idea to a fanatical level. For one, the Capo Racing Jeep is as true to the real Wrangler as is possible in a 1/8-scale vehicle. Everything works, from the three-speed automatic transmission to the transfer case to the locking differentials. It uses a body-on-frame design with a real, metal multi-link suspension. In the cabin, the seats recline and the instruments light up. It has to be one of the most remarkable miniatures we've ever laid eyes on. Of course, that all comes at a price. As our chums at Jalopnik point out, for $2,300 you could pick up a full-size Wrangler. It'd be battered, sure, but it'd be something you could take on actual roads. Check out the fully gallery of images and official details over on the Capo Racing website. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Jeep driver nearly gets washed away by fast moving river

Just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should. For example, you should never attempt to cross a fast-moving river in a bone stock Grand Cherokee no matter how shallow the river looks. Especially if you don't know what you're doing. A video posted recently to the Facebook group Jeep EXPERIENCE, shows an inexperienced jeep driver learning that lesson the hard way. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The video starts innocently enough, with a group of off-roaders watching one of their friends attempt to ford a shallow looking river. Things quickly go sideways however, when the driver of the silver Grand Cherokee just plunges right in and quickly gets in over his head. The river is moving faster than the driver thinks it is, the driver panics, makes some bad decisions, then the jeep is turned over and swept downstream. Eventually, the jeep is hauled out by a Land Rover after a long comedy of errors that involves one guy losing his trousers to the current and the Cherokee ingesting untold gallons of water. What went wrong here? Well, It's pretty obvious from the video that the Cherokee driver didn't have a clear idea of where he was going or about the condition of the riverbed. He chickened out halfway across the river, and in what appears to be a misguided attempt at turning back, he reverses, digs himself deeper in the riverbed, then turned broadside on into the current. When he changes his mind again and decides to just gun it for the opposite shore, he drives directly into a deep water hazard that would have been obvious to an experienced off-roader. At that point the jeep and the driver were doomed. Hopefully the driver learned a lesson here, and hopefully he didn't pollute that river too much with the jeep's fluids. Related Video: News Source: Jeep EXPERIENCE Weird Car News Jeep Land Rover Driving Safety SUV Off-Road Vehicles Videos river

NHTSA closes probes on Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey

The Detroit News reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has officially closed its investigations into 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2004-2005 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey models. The separate probes found no issues that pose safety concerns. NHTSA began investigating certain Grand Cherokee SUVs over complaints that power steering hoses could detach during operation, thereby increasing the risk of a vehicle fire. Of the 24 reports of failure, none alleged smoke or fire in the engine bay, and Chrysler has since modified the power steering cooler assembly to reduce the likelihood of the failure.
Meanwhile, certain Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey vehicles garnered a government probe after receiving complaints that the models were equipped with faulty scissor jacks. The agency had received six reports of the jacks failing or causing injuries, including one incident that resulted in a fatality. But NHTSA says the jack failure rate is similar to those found in other vehicles. In those six cases, the government agency found the jacks were being used for something other than changing a tire, and investigators could not determine whether the emergency brake was set or the rear tires were properly chocked.