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Chrysler Recalling Nearly 907,000 Cars, SUVs

Nearly 907,000 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep SUVs and cars are being recalled for alternators that can fail and heated power mirror wiring that can short and cause minor fires. The recalls, posted Thursday by U.S. safety regulators, push the total number of recalls so far this year 544, totaling a record of more than 52 million vehicles. The largest of Thursday's recalls covers nearly 470,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees, Chrysler 300s, and Dodge Chargers, Challengers and Durangos from the 2011 through 2014 model years. The alternators can fail, causing the 3.6-liter V6 engines to stall unexpectedly. The problem also can cause the electrical system to fail, as well as knock out power-assisted steering, antilock brakes and electronic stability control. It can even cause fire or smoke, according to documents Chrysler filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA opened an investigation into the problem in July, and Chrysler began its own probe in August. The company analyzed warranty complaints and alternators that had failed. The alternator generates electricity to recharge the battery and run other devices. Chrysler investigators traced the problem to heat fatigue in an alternator diode. Chrysler said it received 322 complaints about the problem, while 55 people complained to NHTSA. The company said it knows of one crash related to the problem, but no injuries or fires. The company will replace the alternators with upgraded versions for free. Owners will be notified in November. The company says customers who see warning lights or suspect a problem should contact their dealers. The recall affects cars and SUVs sold mainly in the U.S. and Canada, but some were sold in Mexico and overseas markets. The second recall covers almost 437,000 Jeep Wranglers from 2011 through 2013. Water can find its way into the heated power mirror wiring harness and cause corrosion. That can cause a short and could cause a minor fire and smoke, as well as cause loss of function of the mirror. The problem was discovered in February after three Wranglers in Canada were damaged. Chrysler says it has 26 complaints about the problem, but it knows of no fires, crashes or injuries. Dealers will move the wiring and install a protective shield to keep water out at no cost to owners, starting in December. Most of the Wranglers are in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, but more than 78,000 were sold overseas.

As it did with Ferrari, Fiat Chrysler spinning off Magneti Marelli

MILAN — Fiat Chrysler said on Thursday its board had tasked management to proceed with spinning off Magneti Marelli and distributing shares in a new holding for the 99-year old parts business to FCA investors. The spinoff is part of a plan by FCA Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne to "purify" the Italian-American carmaker's portfolio and to unlock value at Magneti Marelli, which sits within FCA's components unit alongside robotics specialist Comau and castings firm Teksid, and which analysts say could be worth between 3.6 and 5 billion euros ($4.4-6.1 billion). "The separation will deliver value to FCA shareholders, while providing the operational flexibility necessary for Magneti Marelli's strategic growth in the coming years," Marchionne said in a statement. Magneti Marelli, which employs around 43,000 people and operates in 19 countries, is a diversified components supplier specialized in lighting, powertrain and electronics, and its spinoff is part of a five-year business plan FCA is due to present on June 1. "The spinoff will also allow FCA to further focus on its core portfolio while at the same time improving its capital position," Marchionne added. Marchionne has a long history of such moves. The 65-year-old was behind the spinoff and listing of trucks and tractor maker CNH Industrial and supercar brand Ferrari. The Magneti Marelli separation is expected to be completed by the end of this year or early 2019, with shares in the company expected to be listed on the Milan stock exchange. FCA's advisers initially looked at a possible initial public offering for the business to raise cash to cut FCA's debt, but the Agnelli family - FCA's main shareholder - were put off by low industry valuations and did not want their stake in Magneti Marelli to be diluted, three sources close to the matter told Reuters last month. Magneti Marelli has often been touted as a takeover target and FCA has fielded interest from various rivals and private equity firms over the years. South Korea's Samsung Electronics made a bid approach in 2016 but negotiations fell through as it was only interested in parts of the business, other sources have said. The spinoff is subject to regulatory approvals, tax and legal considerations and a final approval by the FCA board. The carmaker may modify or call off the transaction at any time and for any reason, it added.

Chrysler 200 subtitles performance in latest round of advertising

Every once in a while, we come across a car video narrated in a foreign language and subtitled in English. They usually center on foreign-made automobiles, but this latest series of videos comes straight from Detroit.
Airing for the first time during's NFL broadcasts, these four commercials for the 2015 Chrysler 200 were produced by Wieden + Kennedy Portland - the same advertising firm that created the now-legendary Eminem spot for the last-generation 200.
Each clip in the "Ready to Take on the World" campaign highlights a different aspect of the American sedan and is narrated in Japanese, German or Swedish - each with English subtitles - associating the 200's Japanese level of quality, German performance and Swedish safety standards. But while the clips are ostensibly set in Japan, Germany and Sweden, Automotive News reports that they were actually filmed at home in the US.