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Jeep Wrangler burns when fireworks were set off inside the vehicle

It should come as no surprise that some fireworks celebrations on the Fourth of July lead to damage and destruction of property. Whether it's poor planning, a lack of skills or simply bad luck, fire departments are usually pretty busy. That wasn't exactly the case when this Jeep Wrangler TJ burnt to the ground. Despite about two dozen people around when the Wrangler caught fire, no one thought it best to call emergency services. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Last week, Chief Spokesperson for Montgomery County Maryland Fire & Rescue Service Pete Piringer sent out a tweet of a TJ that hadn't looked this rough since the body panels were just steel sheets moving through a press. According to Piringer, the fire was caused by a firework that was set off inside the vehicle. It's unclear if this was accidental or on purpose, though we imagine few people would actually want to burn their vehicles to the ground. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. No one was hurt by the fire. Despite no one calling the fire department, a few attendees attempted to put the fire out. Damages to the Wrangler TJ (built between 1997 and 2006) come out to more than $5,000. A follow-up tweet from Piringer said "charges pending," tagging the Montgomery County Fire Department, Office of Fire & Explosive Investigations/Bomb Squad and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. It seems fireworks are illegal in Montgomery County. Related Video: News Source: Twitter via Jalopnik Weird Car News Jeep Truck SUV Off-Road Vehicles fire fireworks

Marchionne defends FCA recalls, says Wrangler won't be all-aluminum

FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne recently received the 2015 Industry Leadership Award from the SAE Foundation. While speaking with the press after the event, the boss discussed his thoughts about some key issues regarding the company's future. One of the big regulatory issues facing FCA at the moment is the upcoming public hearing by the National Highway Traffic Safety into the automaker's handling of 20 recalls. Marchionne has no intention of testifying there, according to The Detroit News. The CEO also thinks that the government regulator is becoming much more aggressive in how it handles safety campaigns, but the Feds aren't necessarily doing a very good job of communicating that. "We need to work with the agency in a very cooperative and open way to make sure that we can meet their requirements for their new stance," he said, according to the newspaper. "We have no option but to comply with their requirements and we will. I have nothing to hide in this process. I just want clear rules." Marchionne also dropped the news that the company has changed its mind about making the next Jeep Wrangler totally from aluminum. "Because of the difference in cost, not just the new material but the actual assembly process, I think we can do almost as well without doing it all-aluminum," he said to The Detroit News. This seemingly opens the door for the model to remain in production in Toledo, OH, but only just a crack. Marchionne says that the new Wrangler would still use a large amount of aluminum, and there are "at least" two sites in contention for the assembly. The company doesn't have too long to make a decision because the model reportedly launches in 2017.

Jeep owner inadvertently receives 2018 Wrangler hood from scrapyard

After an apparent mix-up, FCA may be looking for a new scrapyard to which to send prototype parts. JLWranglerForums.com member Redrockjk recently purchased a used Wrangler hood from a yard near the FCA proving grounds. When he ordered it, he thought it was from a 2014 model, and while it looked very similar to his current hood, after installing he discovered something unusual. It was too long. From what we can see in the photos from JLWranglerForums.com, the leading edge of the hood sticks out roughly two inches from the top of the Wrangler's grille. The greater length is also clear when the hood is placed next to its likely predecessor. The receivers for the exposed latches are also too far forward to be used on a current Wrangler. Redrockjk also said there wasn't a VIN or a part number anywhere on the hood. As if those details weren't a big enough red flag, Redrockjk reported that the used parts supplier contacted him to ask for the hood back. We reached out to Jeep to see if they could confirm if this is a hood for the next-generation Wrangler. Unsurprisingly, the company had no comment at this time. Considering the details, and the proximity of the scrapyard to an FCA proving ground, there's a better than zero chance this is from a pre-production 2018 Wrangler sent to the yard to be scrapped. No word on whether the hood was aluminum, as has been rumored. Except for the length, the part fits pretty well on the current model. The hood vents present are also similar to those found on some current models. It's one more piece of evidence that the next Wrangler won't stray far from a proven formula. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Jeep Wrangler Hood News Source: JLWranglerForums.comImage Credit: JLWranglerForums.com Spy Photos Jeep SUV Off-Road Vehicles forum wrangler forums