2004 Jeep Liberty Limited Sport Utility 4-door 3.7l on 2040-cars

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Jeep sets all-time sales record in 2012

Last year was good to Jeep. Chrysler has announced its trail-rated brand set an all-time global sales record in 2012 by moving 701,626 units. That number easily surpasses the previous record set in 1999 when Jeep sold 675,494 models. All told, the brand saw a 19-percent sales increase worldwide over 2011, and much of that swell can be traced directly to the Wrangler. While the Grand Cherokee led Jeep sales, the Wrangler posted record numbers both globally and within the US, moving 194,142 and 141,669 units in each market, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Compass beat its previous global sales record with 103,321 units rolling off of dealer lots. In the US, Jeep sold 62,010 Patriot units, breaking that model's previous record as well. Jeep's impressive performance in 2012 marks the second year in a row the brand has seen double-digit percentage sales increases. Check out the full press release below.

FCA expands Jeep Cherokee recall to 68k more vehicles

FCA is expanding its airbag software update for the 2014 and 2015 Jeep Cherokee to cover 68,593 more of the vehicles worldwide. This brings the total to 316,774 Cherokees. Of those, there are now 230,240 in the US, 28,110 in Canada, 6,367 in Mexico, and 52,057 outside of NAFTA. According to the automaker, after reviewing the potentially affected population, it discovered these additional Cherokees in need of the upgrade. The original campaign to repair these vehicles was announced in early February. Engineers found a small number of cases where dramatic changes to the angle of the vehicle that upset its balance caused the side-curtain and seat-mounted side airbags to deploy because they anticipated a rollover. This especially occurred when driving off-road. According to FCA, there're no additional reports of this happening, and the company isn't aware of any injuries or accidents. The fix is simply a software upgrade that recalibrates the airbags' deployment. Related Video: Statement: Restraint-System Software Upgrade May 12, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is expanding by an estimated 62,148 vehicles its recall of U.S.-market SUVs** to upgrade air-bag software. The action follows a routine review of the originally reported vehicle population by FCA US engineers. There have been no additional incidents and FCA US is unaware of any related injuries or accidents. The campaign will upgrade software that governs side-curtain and seat-mounted side air bags following a small number of inadvertent deployments – most of which occurred in harsh, off-road environments. They were prompted by maneuvers that dramatically changed the vehicles' angle of operation, relative to the ground, and the air-bag systems – sensing potential rollover conditions – automatically activated. The software upgrade will recalibrate the threshold for deployment and the vehicles will remain compliant with all applicable safety regulations. Affected are certain 2014 and 2015 Jeep Cherokees. The revised estimate for the U.S. totals 230,240. Revised estimates for other markets are as follows: 28,110 in Canada; 6,367 in Mexico and 52,057 outside the NAFTA region. The revised global total is 316,774 – a difference of 68,593. The Company will notify affected customers. Software will be available at that time. Customers with additional concerns or questions may call 1-800-853-1403. ** http://media.chrysler.com/newsrelease.do?id=16332&mid=431

You probably won't see FCA's famous Easter eggs on an Alfa Romeo

They started in Jeeps, with images of seven-slot grilles showing up on windshield edges, the text "SINCE 1941" appearing in the clear plastic of headlight units, and a relief map of Moab engraved into a rubber cubby liner. Then a Chrysler got a map of Detroit and the outline of Laguna Seca materialized near the Viper's window switch. We've come to call them Easter eggs, but Klaus Busse points out that they were never really meant to be secrets, just ways to dress up what he calls "dead plastic." He's nevertheless cool with the phrase being applied and likes the enthusiastic response these design details get. Busse is intimately familiar with many of them, having signed off on many of them in his time as head interior designer for FCA's US operations. He recently moved to Europe to lead Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Fiat design there, so when I caught up with him next to the new Stelvio crossover at the Alfa stand in LA, I had to ask: Are we going to see any of those neat design details in Alfas or Maseratis anytime soon? The short answer is no. But he didn't say it's out of the question. Busse said if, for example, a designer wanted to put an Italian phrase somewhere on a car that was in keeping with the brand, he would allow it. Although he didn't come out and say it, it seems like he might feel this type of fun design element isn't necessarily appropriate for a higher-end brand like Alfa. And I get that. But I'm still going to check all the compartments of that new Alfa crossover for a map of the Stelvio Pass. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio: LA 2016 View 11 Photos Design/Style LA Auto Show Alfa Romeo Jeep 2016 LA Auto Show easter egg