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Chrysler Recalls Over 566,000 Trucks, SUVs

Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 566,000 trucks and SUVs in two recalls for malfunctioning fuel heaters that can cause fires and a software glitch can disable the electronic stability control. The recalls bring the newly merged company's total for the year to 6.4 million vehicles worldwide and 5.1 million in the U.S. as it continues to struggle with reliability problems. It was not immediately clear whether those totals were annual records. On Tuesday, its longtime quality chief abruptly left after Fiat Chrysler performed poorly in Consumer Reports magazine's annual reliability rankings. The largest of two recalls announced Wednesday covers almost 382,000 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups and Ram 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs from 2010 through 2014. In trucks with 6.7-Liter Cummins diesel engines, corrosion on a fuel heater terminal could cause overheating, fuel leaks and fires. Chrysler is not aware of any fires or injuries. Owners could be warned by an odor of diesel fuel. Customers will be notified by letters starting in December. Dealers will install upgraded terminals and fuel heater housings could be replaced. The second recall covers more than 184,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs from 2014. A debris cover over a circuit board in the steering column control module can disrupt communications and disable the stability control. The problem was discovered when dealers started getting reports from customers that electronic stability control warning lights were coming on. Fiat Chrysler says it knows of no crashes or injuries caused by the problem. Technicians will upgrade software to fix the SUVs, and customers will be notified in December. Fiat Chrysler has issued 33 global recalls and 27 in the U.S. so far this year. Doug Betts, its longtime quality chief, left the company to pursue other options after Consumer Reports' survey-based rankings this year showed four FiatChrysler brands at the bottom of its list. Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Fiat performed worst of 28 brands ranked by the magazine. Company spokesman Eric Mayne said Fiat Chrysler's recalls average fewer than 200,000 vehicles each, below the industry average of 301,000. That means the company is responding quickly to problems, he said, adding that eight of its 27 U.S. recalls were announced before the company received any consumer complaints. Chrysler is not alone with a high number of recalls so far this year.

Fiat Grande Panda is a compact hatchback with a serious attitude

Earlier in 2024, Fiat announced plans to turn the Panda — which has been one of its smallest and most affordable models since 1980 — into a full range of models. The first member of the extended Panda family is a compact, crossover-like hatchback called Grande Panda. Stretching to 157 inches long, the Grande Panda stands out with angular styling and a futuristic-looking front end. There's a tiny bit of retro hiding in that 22nd-century-like stare: The Fiat logo is offset to the side, like it was on the pre-facelift version of the original Panda. The black plastic cladding, the skid plate-like trim on the front bumper, and the roof rails give the hatchback a rugged look, while the rear lights create another visual link to the first-generation Panda. What's certain is that the Grande Panda looks like nothing else on European roads. We haven't seen the interior yet. We're told it seats five, and we hope the cabin will be at least as distinctive as the exterior. Technical specifications haven't been released. Fiat noted that it built the Grande Panda on a multi-energy platform to offer both hybrid and electric variants. Four-wheel-drive is a big part of the Panda's heritage, but we're guessing the Grande will settle for front-wheel-drive. Fiat will release more details about the Grande Panda in the coming months. The model will be sold in Europe, in the Middle East, and in Africa, but nothing suggests we'll see it in the United States. As for the current, third-generation Panda, it's sticking around for the time being. It was renamed Pandina in February 2024, and it's tentatively scheduled to remain on the market through 2027. It's old by car standards — it made its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show. It remains one of the cheapest new cars in Europe and one of Fiat's best-sellers, however.

Reid Bigland appointed CEO of Alfa Romeo, Maserati

There's been a big shakeup in Fiat Chrysler's leadership team, as head of US sales and FCA Canada CEO Reid Bigland will replace Harald Wester as the chief exec for Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Wester will retain his position as chief technical officer of FCA. Both men will hang onto their positions on FCA's Group Executive Council. The move is an interesting one considering the widely publicized issues at both Alfa and Maserati. Alfa Romeo's problems are almost too many to list. The brand has promised a full-scale return to the US market for more than a decade, but faced repeated delays. Its latest volume model, the Giulia, is being savaged by reviewers over quality issues, and the company has frequently pushed its upcoming CUV back. If that were the only problem, it'd be annoying, but according to Automotive News, Alfa's relaunch is also considerably over budget. Maserati is an entirely different can of worms. Alongside Alfa, it's been stung by a slow Chinese market. Profits are down, according to Automotive News, and it's been widely rumored that the company will delay its next sports car, the Alfieri, until 2018 – it was previously promised for this year. Meanwhile, two of its three other models, the Quattroporte and GranTurismo, are dangerously long in the tooth, and the Levante is still months away from US sales. Can Bigland sort these issues out? Maybe. As Sergio Marchionne said in his official statement, "[Bigland] has an extraordinary record of growing sales and market share in the US and Canada over the last 7 years at FCA, including leading the growth and positioning of the Ram and Dodge brands for part of that time."