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FCA cuts powertrain warranties to 60k miles

FCA US is cutting back the mileage of its powertrain warranty on some 2016 model year vehicles. Rather than the current five years/100,000 miles of coverage, the new amount is five years/60,000 miles for gasoline-fueled models from Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram. In March 2015, General Motors made a similar switch to five-years/60,000-miles of coverage for Chevrolet and GMC, and FCA US seems to be citing this as part of the reason for the shift. "Following changes already made by competitors, FCA US is adjusting powertrain warranty coverage for 2016 model year vehicles to be more consistent with industry practices," the automaker said in a portion of its statement. The bumper-to-bumper warranty for these vehicles is unchanged at three years/36,000 miles. According to Automotive News, Fiat's warranty is remaining at four years/50,000 miles. When it changed the mileage limit, GM also halved the number of free service visits for Chevy, GMC, and Buick to two from the previous four. The automaker claimed that the reason for the adjustments to its coverage was that a long warranty was seldom a reason for customers to buy a vehicle. Related Video: Response to Query: 2016MY Powertrain Warranty Adjustment Following changes already made by competitors, FCA US is adjusting powertrain warranty coverage for 2016 model year vehicles to be more consistent with industry practices. For 2016MY, Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge and Ram Truck vehicles with gasoline engines will be covered by a 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty. The basic coverage, also known as "bumper to bumper," remains at 3 years/36,000 miles. # # # News Source: FCA US, Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Car Buying Maintenance Ownership FCA warranty fca us powertrain

NHTSA investigating over 600,000 Ram trucks due to stalling engine

More than 600,000 heavy-duty pickups built by Ram during the 2019 and 2020 model years are the target of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation due to a faulty fuel pump. Only trucks powered by the 6.7-liter turbodiesel engine are affected. Documents posted on NHTSA's website explain that the agency's Office of Defects Investigation has received 22 complaints and two field reports claiming that the 6.7-liter turbodiesel straight-six either lost power or stalled completely while driving. The issue potentially affects 604,651 trucks, including the 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 variants of Ram's popular pickup. The 1500 model is not included. The agency notes that the high-pressure fuel pump is to blame; stalling occurs when the part fails. It adds that the issue mostly happens above 25 mph, and that the engine can't be started again after it turns off. Interestingly, while the investigation was announced in October 2021, Ram has been looking into it since November 2019. It asked dealers to "collect, monitor, and correct quality issues" on some trucks powered by the 6.7-liter Cummins. It has collected and inspected several pumps as a result of this campaign, according to NHTSA. As of writing, there have been no crashes, fires, injuries, or fatalities linked to the alleged defect. NHTSA officials explained they're looking into "the scope, frequency, root cause, and potential safety-related consequences" of the problem. If the issue is deemed a safety hazard, the agency could ask Ram to recall affected trucks and fix them. Ram said it's complying with investigators but provided no further details. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2019 RAM Heavy Duty | Everything You Need To Know About The New RAM Trucks

Recharge Wrap-up: Child Tesla driver hits baby in Chinese mall, Ram adds new CNG offering

A five-year-old child in a China shopping mall started a Tesla Model S at a display and hit a baby in a stroller. The baby fell out of the stroller and was unhurt, according to the report. A reporter from a local newspaper arrived at the scene to find the other Model S on display still powered on, this one with another child in the driver's seat. The cars had wooden blocks under the brake pedals and stickers warning the public not to touch the touchscreen. Police have opened an investigation into the incident. Read more and see all the photos at Car News China. Ram will add a new compressed natural gas pickup truck to its lineup. The new offering, which is smaller and less expensive than the current CNG pickup (pictured), will be available as a regular cab two-door with two-wheel drive and a long bed. Ram has sold 1,000 of the current 2500 CNG four-door 4x4 offering since going on sale in 2012. Ram believes the new offering will expand sales to fleet operators looking for a less-expensive truck. Read more at Automotive News. New methods of harvesting energy are being explored for automobiles. By now we're all familiar with regenerative braking, but thermoelectric harvesting from the motor, range extender or possibly even the exhaust could come to cars soon. Energy harvesting shock absorbers and exhaust turbines are also viable. Wind turbines could generate electricity while the car is parked, and piezoelectric energy harvesting could run minor electrical systems while the car is in motion. Enough energy harvesting could allow cars to use much smaller engines, and could extend the range of electric vehicles. Read more at Energy Harvesting Journal.