2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Sport Utility 4-door 3.6l on 2040-cars

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FCA expands Jeep Cherokee recall to 68k more vehicles

FCA is expanding its airbag software update for the 2014 and 2015 Jeep Cherokee to cover 68,593 more of the vehicles worldwide. This brings the total to 316,774 Cherokees. Of those, there are now 230,240 in the US, 28,110 in Canada, 6,367 in Mexico, and 52,057 outside of NAFTA. According to the automaker, after reviewing the potentially affected population, it discovered these additional Cherokees in need of the upgrade. The original campaign to repair these vehicles was announced in early February. Engineers found a small number of cases where dramatic changes to the angle of the vehicle that upset its balance caused the side-curtain and seat-mounted side airbags to deploy because they anticipated a rollover. This especially occurred when driving off-road. According to FCA, there're no additional reports of this happening, and the company isn't aware of any injuries or accidents. The fix is simply a software upgrade that recalibrates the airbags' deployment. Related Video: Statement: Restraint-System Software Upgrade May 12, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is expanding by an estimated 62,148 vehicles its recall of U.S.-market SUVs** to upgrade air-bag software. The action follows a routine review of the originally reported vehicle population by FCA US engineers. There have been no additional incidents and FCA US is unaware of any related injuries or accidents. The campaign will upgrade software that governs side-curtain and seat-mounted side air bags following a small number of inadvertent deployments – most of which occurred in harsh, off-road environments. They were prompted by maneuvers that dramatically changed the vehicles' angle of operation, relative to the ground, and the air-bag systems – sensing potential rollover conditions – automatically activated. The software upgrade will recalibrate the threshold for deployment and the vehicles will remain compliant with all applicable safety regulations. Affected are certain 2014 and 2015 Jeep Cherokees. The revised estimate for the U.S. totals 230,240. Revised estimates for other markets are as follows: 28,110 in Canada; 6,367 in Mexico and 52,057 outside the NAFTA region. The revised global total is 316,774 – a difference of 68,593. The Company will notify affected customers. Software will be available at that time. Customers with additional concerns or questions may call 1-800-853-1403. ** http://media.chrysler.com/newsrelease.do?id=16332&mid=431

Off-roader plows through a deep bog like it was nothing

The Facebook page Jeeps With Attitude runs a weekly series called Too Deep Tuesday wherein they post videos of off-roaders running their rigs through bogs and mud holes of surprising depth and coming out the other side soggy but relatively unscathed. This week's video, in which a driver extracts a buried vehicle from the muddiest bog in the land, is the perfect mix of nutso bravery and off-road know-how. The video starts with the vehicle already sunk to its hood and listing to starboard in a deep, sticky bog. Slowly but surely, the vehicle creeps forward through the mud, pushing a heavy bow wave of muck and debris in front of it. Unlike other recent videos where jeep drivers lost their rides in the water and destroyed their expensive toys, this driver keeps his cool and with a steady foot on the accelerator and the help of a winch and a convenient tree, eventually emerges triumphant. What did he do right? Well, using the vehicle's winch to help pull the rig out of the mud was the big thing. Also, he kept his cool and, once committed, never hesitated or deviated from his chosen path. Gunning it blindly or backing up in that mess would have meant almost certain death for that vehicle, a lesson that the aforementioned Jeep drivers learned the hard way. Related Video: News Source: Facebook Weird Car News Jeep Driving Off-Road Vehicles Videos

Chrysler's Woodward Dream Cruise festivities include Ram concept truck debut

The streets will be crowded next weekend along Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, Michigan for the 19th Annual Woodward Dream Cruise. As part of the run-up to the festivities, Chrysler has announced that all of its brands - Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat, SRT and Mopar - will bring along their latest vehicles. Also included will be a collection of classic American cars and various activities for attendees at the official Chrysler location on the corner of Woodward and 13 Mile Road.
Special to this year, Ram brand director Bob Hegbloom and head of design John Dehner will unveil a Ram concept truck on Saturday. Chrysler will also bring Ryan Friedlinghaus of West Coast Customs fame along to show off a few custom Chrysler-made vehicles of his own. Fans of the brand on Facebook will get the chance to virtually customize a vehicle from the automaker's portfolio, with the winner getting their dream car built for them by Chrysler. Pretty cool stuff, no?
As in past years, Ford and General Motors will have an official presence at the event as well, and you can expect to see plenty of cars of all makes and models from all parts of the globe. The madness starts this Friday, August 16, from 4:30 PM to 10 PM, with the main event taking place on Saturday, from 9 AM to 9 PM. For more details on the show, including events and their times, check out the press release below.