2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland on 2040-cars

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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.

This incredibly detailed toy Jeep will set you back $2,300 [w/video]

When I was a kid, I desperately wanted one of those Power Wheels Ford-badged Big Foot impersonators. They were far cooler than my lousy, plastic Big Wheel trike. This 1/8-scale electric Jeep takes the Power Wheels idea to a fanatical level. For one, the Capo Racing Jeep is as true to the real Wrangler as is possible in a 1/8-scale vehicle. Everything works, from the three-speed automatic transmission to the transfer case to the locking differentials. It uses a body-on-frame design with a real, metal multi-link suspension. In the cabin, the seats recline and the instruments light up. It has to be one of the most remarkable miniatures we've ever laid eyes on. Of course, that all comes at a price. As our chums at Jalopnik point out, for $2,300 you could pick up a full-size Wrangler. It'd be battered, sure, but it'd be something you could take on actual roads. Check out the fully gallery of images and official details over on the Capo Racing website. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Auto critic calls out Corvette, Mustang and Cherokee faithful

Most automotive purists fear change, but not without reason. Change, after all, did kill big-block V8s, along with most station wagons and manual transmissions. But change has also brought with it far more performance, safety and fuel economy - not to mention ridding the world of shag carpet interiors, bias-ply tires and those horrible motorized seatbelts of the early '90s.
By this time next year, the Chevy Corvette, Jeep Cherokee and next-generation Ford Mustang will all be on sale and will all, in some way, have angered or offended purists. To those critics, Mark Phelan of the Detroit Free Press is preemptively telling them to stop complaining - at least until they've all been driven. From the Corvette's square taillights and the Cherokee's radical nose to whatever pony car purists will harp on the 2015 Mustang for, Phelan's column points out the positives of automotive evolution and the negatives of staying the course for too long. That's fair enough, but do you think Phelan is on point, or all wet? Head on over to the Detroit Free Press to read his words, then have your say in Comments.