1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo Sport Utility 4-door 5.2l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

NHTSA investigating why Jeep recall fix is taking so long

Jeep's saga with the National Traffic Safety Administration and the voluntary campaign to repair 1.56 million vehicles for allegedly unsafe trailer hitches, is getting yet another chapter. The controversy appeared to finally be over in January when the automaker found a supplier for the replacement parts. Nothing is ever that easy, though, and the government regulator is now requesting documents from the company to clarify why the repairs are taking so long to begin.
Jeep parent company Chrysler has until July 16 to submit documents and answers to NHTSA explaining the situation. The regulator claims that despite its compromise to inspect and repair the models with improper hitches in June 2013, Chrysler didn't find a part supplier until December and didn't order the replacements until January. The government agency believes that the first components weren't manufactured until May of this year and vehicles may not actually be repaired until as late as August. According to the report, if the Chrysler doesn't supply what NHTSA is asking for, the agency could "take additional appropriate action as warranted."
Throughout this entire process, Chrysler has asserted that the vehicles met the applicable crash test standards of the time, and it has kept NHTSA abreast of the repair activity. In a recently released statement it said that the regulator analyzed eight rear impact reconstruction tests and found the replacement hitch to be safe. To keep up with the high demand for replacements, Chrysler is working with multiple suppliers, and they are running three shifts, six days a week to get the parts ready as soon as possible.

2015 Jeep Renegade brings the cute

The jig is up, the noose is out, we finally found it: the Renegade that Jeep has made, retrieved for a bounty.
Okay, enough of that. Meet the Renegade - Jeep's cute little compact crossover that makes its official debut here at the Geneva Motor Show. We recently brought you a massive Deep Dive into what makes the Renegade tick, and we're now getting our first live look at the tiny Jeep, live from its coming out party in Switzerland.
With the exception of associate editor Jonathon Ramsey, who doesn't know what he's talking about, we at Autoblog are kind of smitten with the little Jeep - it's a really unique package, featuring details that really make it kind of special (notice that jerry can pattern in the taillights, for example). Jeep will offer the Renegade with either a 1.4-liter turbo-four (from the Fiat 500L) or a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four (from the Dodge Dart), with either a six-speed manual transmission or a nine-speed automatic. There will even be a Trailhawk version with four-wheel drive - properly trail-rated, to boot. The Renegade also features a nifty new My Sky removable roof panel system, giving this little cutie sort of a baby Wrangler feel.

Autoblog Podcast #417

Episode #417 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Brandon Turkus talk about what we're expecting to see at the upcoming 2015 Chicago Auto Show that kicks off on February 12. Of course, the podcast starts with what's in the garage and finishes up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #417 The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics 2015 Chicago Auto Show In The Autoblog Garage 2015 Bentley Continental GT Speed 2014 Ford F-150 Tremor Long-Term 2015 Volkswagen GTI Long-Term 2014 Jeep Cherokee Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:25:53 Rundown Intro and Garage – 00:00 Chicago show – 27:37 Q&A – 47:27 Get The Podcast UStream – Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes