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Ralph Gilles responds to Dodge rumors, says brand is 'here to stay'

This is why we love Ralph Gilles. While in Italy hanging out with a group of Viper Club members in Europe, the SRT boss took the time to respond to a question directed at him on Instagram in regards to the future of Dodge.
Recent reports have painted a bleak picture for Dodge, but Gilles defended Chrysler's full-line brand by stating that the rumors are, "all rumors, Dodge is here to stay! It may get more focused going forward but not killed!" The idea of a "more focused" Dodge brand could lend some credibility to reports that the Grand Caravan and Durango are on their way out, which would leave Dodge solely as a car, or car-based, automaker.

FCA adds 88k Dodge Challengers to Takata inflator recall

The Takata airbag inflator recall from FCA US is growing 88,346 vehicles larger in the US after the company's discovery of the faulty parts in the 2008-2010 Dodge Challenger. The affected examples have production dates between September 19, 2007, and October 29, 2010, and the coupes need the replacement components on the driver's side. According to chronology posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (as a PDF), the automaker was auditing the models covered under the campaign in July and "identified a population of vehicles that was inadvertently excluded." Initially, FCA believed these cars were using an unrecalled Takata inflator. The audit revealed that the affected cars indeed used a recalled version. As with the rest of the faulty parts, exposure to moisture can cause them to ignite too quickly during an airbag deployment and spray shrapnel at occupants. The problem has been linked to at least eight deaths worldwide and a vehicle fire in Japan. The Challenger wasn't previously part of FCA's 3.3-million unit national campaign or the subsequent expansion. According to FCA US the parts to complete the repairs in these Challengers aren't currently available. However, owners will be notified of the issue by mail starting August 14. They will receive a second notice when the parts become available. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Driver Side Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture Report Receipt Date: JUL 10, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V444000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 88,346 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) DODGE CHALLENGER 2008-2010 Details Manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) SUMMARY: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Dodge Challenger vehicles manufactured September 19, 2007, to October 29, 2010. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture. CONSEQUENCE: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death. REMEDY: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Parts to remedy the vehicles are not currently available. Interim notices will be mailed to owners beginning August 14, 2015.

Ron Burgundy returns for four more Dodge Durango ads

Dodge has released several more of its Anchorman 2-themed commercials, starring Will Ferrell as inept newsreader Ron Burgundy. The four spots, one of which is a sequel to a previous commercial, follow roughly the same pattern as previous ads, with Ferrell's Burgundy misunderstanding or generally making a fool of himself. For some of the ads, though, Burgundy is selling more than just Durangos - the red-suited host of San Diego's most watched news broadcast shilling the entire Dodge lineup.
We've included all four ads down below, and you can also hope over to our original posts to see some of the older commercials. Oh, and if you're getting tired of these - we aren't, aside from the Do-dge spot - just remember that Ferrell reportedly filmed around 70 ads for Dodge.