2005 Jeep Wrangler Se Sport Utility 2-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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NHTSA boss Strickland weighs in on Jeep recall fracas

Adding yet another chapter to the ongoing Jeep recall story, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) head David Strickland has gone on record to defend the government's request that Chrysler recall 2.7 million out-of-production Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty vehicles after the agency investigated fiery rear-end collisions that have reportedly killed at least 51 people over the years. In statements made to The Detroit News, Strickland said, "We felt very strongly that the process that we undertook and the findings that we made and ... we made the decision to issue a recall request. We do not take that very lightly." The top US auto safety regulator stopped short of telling owners to park their cars until the automaker takes action. "They can make their own risk assessment and their own choices," he said.
Chrysler does not intend to recall the models, insisting the "vehicles met and exceeded all applicable requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, including FMVSS 301, pertaining to fuel-system integrity" when they were manufactured and sold. "The company does not agree with NHTSA's conclusions and does not intend to recall the vehicles cited in the investigation. The subject vehicles are safe and are not defective," Chrysler announced last week in a statement. "We believe NHTSA's initial conclusions are based on an incomplete analysis of the underlying data, and we are committed to continue working with the agency to resolve this disagreement."
Legally, Chrysler has until June 18 to formally respond to NHTSA's request. If the automaker does not take action, NHTSA is expected to issue a formal finding and seek a recall.

Jeep Renegade gets new duds courtesy of Mopar

In a uncommon move, Jeep has found itself with customized versions of a car we've become quite familiar seeing on auto show floors well before it's actual on-sale date. But that's okay – we're pretty fond of the little Renegade, and we're even more keen to get behind the wheel, something that's scheduled to take place in just a few weeks. The two Renegade models you see here have been blessed with bits and pieces from the Mopar parts catalog. These Jeep Performance Parts and Authentic Accessories will be made available to buyers of the Renegade who want to add some factory-backed custom flair to their rough-and-tumble baby crossovers, whether they plan to stay on the asphalt or head off the beaten path. Starting on the street, the Urban Jeep Renegade doesn't really have any major modifications, its factory-spec bike carrier, mirror caps, grille rings, taillamp surrounds and roof rails in Omaha Orange paint over an Anvil-color base serving more to make it stand out from the crowd than actually offer any additional capability. The interior of the Urban Renegade also gets Omaha Orange highlights to go along with Katzkin leather seats. On the dirtier side of the crossover equation, the Commando Green off-road Mopar-modded Renegade gets concept skid plate, prototype rock rails, rear valance and production roof rails provide some added protection and carrying capabilities. X-shaped graphics mimic the jerry can-style motif of the Renegade's tail lamps. Inside, Commando Green bits again join Katzkin leather. Take a good look at all the images above, and feel free to read more about the Mopar-spec Jeep Renegade models below. Mopar to Showcase Trio of Customized Vehicles at NAIAS 2015 - Mopar display at 2015 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit to spotlight how Mopar parts help customers personalize their rides - Off-road Mopar-equipped Jeep® Renegade makes Trailhawk model of Jeep brand's all-new small SUV even more trail tough using Jeep Performance Parts - Urban Mopar-equipped Jeep Renegade enhances city-sized proportions and versatility of the all-new 2015 Renegade with selections from Jeep Authentic Accessories catalog - Dodge Challenger T/A Concept blends vintage design cues with cutting-edge Mopar performance mods January 9, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich.

Autoblog Minute: FCA hit with record fine, issues recall and buyback

FCA, found in violation of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, agrees to buyback recalled models as part of record penalties issued by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The cars in question are more than half a million Chrysler vehicles with defective suspension parts that could cause cars to lose control, and more than a million Jeeps that are prone to deadly fires. Autoblog's Eddie Sabatini reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute, with expert commentary from Pete Bigelow. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] FCA faces record penalties as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds the automaker in violation of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. I'm Eddie Sabatini and this is your Autoblog Minute. Penalties for the automaker include submitting to increased government oversight, a hundred and five million dollar civil penalty, as well as, mandates to buy back defective vehicles from owners and payment for repairs. The cars in question are [00:00:30] more than half a million Chrysler vehicles with defective suspension parts that could cause cars to lose control, and more than a million Jeeps that are prone to deadly fires. Autoblog's Pete Bigelow discussed the NHTSA findings with us. [00:01:00] [PETE BIGELOW INTERVIEW] This fine and buyback recall, combined with the 1.4 million vehicles recalled over remote hacking concerns makes for a rough couple of weeks for FCA. For Autoblog, I'm Eddie Sabatini. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals.