2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport Utility 2-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Chrysler recalling over 200k vehicles across its brands

With more than 200,000 units across six separate recalls and almost all of its brands, it appears that Chrysler has officially jumped headfirst into the recall pool this month. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued three official recalls for the automaker, and The Detroit News is reporting that the automaker itself has announced three more.
The biggest of the recalls applies to about 120,000 Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger and Chrysler 300 models for 2011 and 2012 due to faulty wiring harnesses for the seat-mounted side airbags, which could lead to these airbags not deploying in the event of a crash. A little more than 60,000 two-wheel-drive versions of the 2007-2008 Dodge Nitro and 2008 Jeep Liberty SUVs are being recalled due to a heat shield that could cause the driveshaft to break, which if that isn't bad on its own, could then hit underneath where the airbag sensor is mounted, causing the airbags to deploy. Wrapping up NHTSA's recall notices, about 20,000 Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass models for 2012 are also being recalled due to a problem with the fuel tank transfer tube that could lead to the vehicle stalling. The LX car recall campaign is going into effect this month, while the other two will start next month - all three notices are posted below.
In addition to the official NHTSA recalls, The Detroit News is also reporting that Chrysler is recalling more than 16,000 Ram trucks and a small number of Dodge Dart sedans. Around 6,500 2013 Ram 1500 trucks will be recalled due to an improper adjustment of the parking brake cable from the factory, while 7,000 Cummins-powered 2013 Ram Heavy Duty trucks are being recalled due to an engine cover that does not have as much heat resistance as it is supposed to. Finally, a total of 46 Dodge Dart sedans are being recalled due to a problem with the brake calipers and/or parking brake.

Jeep CEO a fan of pickup redux

The idea of a Jeep pickup is a hardly a new concept. After all, putting a bed on the company's rugged off-roaders goes back to the '40s, not to mention the more recent Cherokee-based Comanche. There's a very slim chance that a truck could return to the lineup down the line if brand CEO Mike Manley gets his wish. "I remain a big fan of a Jeep pickup. I think we have history that says it belongs in our portfolio," Manley said to The Detroit News. However, there's no need to get any hopes up soon, because a truck doesn't get any mention in the brand's five-year plan. That puts the earliest possible introduction around 2019. Even Manley is tempering expectations. "At this moment and time, I have higher priorities. That doesn't mean to say that we don't work on it, we're not looking at it," he said to The Detroit News. The most likely candidate to support a future Jeep truck is the next-gen Wrangler, according to The News. The rest of FCA's pickups and SUVs are running at capacity, which makes slipping in another variant difficult. However, the future Wrangler is heavily rumored to get an expanded production facility in Toledo, OH, which could make things possible. Anonymous FCA insiders confirmed to Autoblog that the next-gen Wrangler would be offered with a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 and eight-speed automatic. It's also reportedly using solid axles at the front and rear, a fixed windshield and an aluminum body. That could make for a very fun and practical off-roader. If reading all of this speculation gives you a twinge of deja vu, it should. After the Jeep Gladiator concept (pictured above), there were years of speculation about the brand bringing the pickup back. Even then the plan was for a compact truck to tackle that hole in the segment. It was even believed that the project had a green light for production seemingly with Sergio Marchionne's blessing. Then things were pushed back, and last year, the idea was officially quashed. Related Video:

Jeep shows off Moab Easter Safari concepts crawling the red rocks

While most brands are busy showing off in New York, Jeep headed out to Moab for the Easter Jeep Safari with the company's fleet of 2013 concepts. This year saw the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk II, Wrangler Mopar Recon, Wrangler Stitch, Wrangler Sand Trooper II, Wrangler Flattop and Wrangler Slim Concepts tackle the rocks and sand, and Jeep was kind enough to bring along a camera crew to film the machines rolling over a few obstacles. The result is the video below, though don't expect to see too much hardcore off road action.
Instead, the quick clip features more than a few interviews with Jeep executives, including Jeep Head of Product Design Mark Allen, explaining what makes the Easter Jeep Safari so important. You can check out the quick clip below for yourself, and be sure to thumb through our galleries of the concepts as well.