62,278 Miles - Automatic, Nav on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Chrysler recalling over 280k minivans because airbags may deploy on wrong side

Chrysler has issued a recall for some 2013 Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan and Ram C/V Tradesman vans built between May 10, 2012 and June 7, 2013. These vehicles may have a software error that would cause the wrong side (opposite side) airbags to deploy in a crash. With this defect, a left-side impact would cause the right-side airbag to deploy, etc.
The recall affects 281,500 vehicles in total: 224k in the US, 49,300 in Canada, 2,900 in Mexico and 5,300 in other locations. Chrysler will notify owners of effected vehicles, and reflash the offending occupant restraint control module to resolve the issue. Scroll down to read the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration press release.

2014 Dodge Journey Crossroad soldiers on in the Chi

Introduced to the market in 2008 and updated in 2011, the Dodge Journey crossover has had all the freshness of a retirement village in recent years. Filling a potentially important niche for Dodge as an affordable, family-sized vehicle, the Journey has gotten one last mild refresh here in Chicago. Feast your mild-appearance-package-loving eyes on the 2014 Dodge Journey Crossroad.
We can't be sure if the inspiration for the Crossroad appellation was the 2002 blockbuster film, Crossroads, starring Britney Spears, or the 1986 cult-classic, Crossroads, starring Ralph Macchio, but based on the CUV's newfound boyish charm, we're betting on the Karate Kid.
Dark finish 19-inch wheels, platinum chrome accents and a manly new front fascia tell the world that this isn't the Dodge Journey that they've long since forgotten about. In fairness, the Crossroad is easily the best-looking iteration of the Journey to date, and should be better to live with, too, considering its revised cabin, leather seats and standard Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system.

IIHS says these are the safest cars of 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed its annual list of Top Safety Picks, an award that highlights automobiles it says offer "superior crash protection." A new and still more significant award, the Top Safety Pick+ honor, is given to those vehicles that earn good ratings for occupant protection in four out of five areas of measure. And while some 117 vehicles were given the TSP seal of approval for 2013, just 13 passed muster for TSP+.
To be fair, IIHS only evaluated 29 vehicles with its new testing procedures for TSP+ (we'd expect that the number of qualified cars will rise substantially for 2014). Luxury and Near Luxury midsize cars were the first groups evaluated, followed by midsizers in the Moderately Priced Cars category - unsurprisingly, it's only midsize cars that you'll find among the class this year.
Only two luxury sedans made the list of 13 for 2013: the Acura TL and Volvo S60. The other 11 cars on the list included entries from domestic, Japanese and German car makers: Dodge Avenger, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord (sedan and coupe), Kia Optima (but not its close kin, the Hyundai Sonata, strangely), Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy and Outback, Suzuki Kizashi and the Volkswagen Passat all made the grade.