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Continental Automotive recalls 5 million airbag control units

Takata isn't the only supplier having airbag problems. Rival manufacturer Continental Automotive Systems announced a recall of 5 million airbag control units fitted to vehicles from Honda, Fiat Chrysler Automotive, Mercedes-Benz, and even a certain Chrysler-based Volkswagen. This sweeping recall has actually been in progress for some time, although the exact scope is only now becoming evident. In October of 2015, Mercedes-Benz recalled 2008 and 2009 model year C- and GLK-Class vehicles because their Continental-made airbag control units could corrode. Such a condition could cause the airbags to deploy without cause or warning, or in the event of a crash, not deploy at all. You can read all about it in our post from last year. Now, Continental's recall is going wide. Alongside the already recalled C and GLK, you've already heard about the 2008 and 2009 Honda Accord airbag recall, which we reported on yesterday. Now, Fiat Chrysler is announcing the recall of the 2009 Dodge Journey, as well as the 2008 and 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country, and their rebadged counterpart, the Volkswagen Routan. Yes, one manufacturer is recalling another manufacturer's vehicle. The models listed above only amount to about 580,000 vehicles out of 5 million bad airbag control units. And since Continental will notify manufacturers who will then issue their own recalls, it's extremely likely that more brands and vehicles will be ensnared. Stay tuned. Related Video: News Source: NHTSA via Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Fabian Bimmer / Reuters Recalls Chrysler Dodge Fiat Honda Mercedes-Benz Safety Crossover Minivan/Van Sedan FCA

The Walter P. Chrysler Museum is shutting down permanently this December

It is with disappointment that we report the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, MI, will be closed down permanently at the end of this year. The museum, which closed in 2012 after not being able to cover costs, was recently reopened to the public on alternating weekends starting in June, but Chrysler made the decision to shutter it altogether after its final day of operation on December 18, 2016. The reason for this is primarily because FCA needs more office space, and the company decided to convert the museum for that purpose. The the cars will be moved to storage after the closure, and they'll be shown at various events. However, they'll only be able to be seen together for two more weekends. Those weekends include those of November 19 and 20, and December 17 and 18. The museum will be open from 10 am to 4 pm on those days. If you can, we highly recommend visiting the museum. Adults get in for $10, seniors and retired FCA employees for $8, kids between 6 and 17 for $6, and kids under 5 for free. It also has some fantastic cars including concepts from the 1950s to the 2000s, oddball performance vehicles such as the Omni GLH-S, and of course plenty of fascinating history. And if it makes any difference to you, there's even a purple Plymouth Prowler you can sit in. Just make sure you don't wait too long to make up your mind about visiting. Related Video:

Dodge Viper GTS-R goes back to old-school livery

The Dodge Viper may have been around now for over 20 years, but as far as racing achievements go, 2000 was its finest season. That's when it won the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the GTS class trophy at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and its second consecutive title in the American Le Mans Series.
Since then, SRT Motorsports hasn't quite had the same success, withdrawing from Le Mans this year and shedding the Dodge name and its emblematic red and white livery for the SRT badge and a silver snakeskin theme. But now that the Viper is back under the Dodge banner, so too is the racing team returning to its classic livery.
Starting from the six-hour race at Watkins Glen next week, both the No. 91 and No. 93 Viper GTS-Rs will wear the red base color with twin white racing stripes that its more accomplished forebears wore on circuits around the world. And with it, maybe the Viper will return once again to the winner's circle at home and abroad.