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25,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango SUVs recalled over brake feel

Chrysler has announced that it is recalling over 25,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs from several markets over concerns about brake feel under hard braking. The affected models are from the 2012 and 2013 model years, although the actual dates of production aren't available. 18,700 are in the US, while 825 are in Canada, 530 are in Mexico and a further 5,200 outside of North America.
According to a statement, Chrysler was informed of the issue by a component supplier for the Ready Alert Braking system, which primes the brakes in anticipation of an emergency stop. A component in the system was restricting the flow of brake fluid too much.
As Chrysler is quick to point out, the way the brakes functioned was in compliance with regulations and there are no reported cases of drivers losing braking power. Instead, the issue rests with what Chrysler calls a pedal feel that "was not consistent with customer expectations." So it would seem Chrysler is being proactive and fixing a problem not because there's a legal issue at work, but simply because it doesn't feel the way the manufacturer wants it to. Well done.

Stellantis reports surprising 2020 results, is 'off to a flying start'

MILAN — Low global car inventories and cost cuts should boost Stellantis's profit margins this year, though a shortage of semiconductors and investments in electric vehicles could weigh on results, the newly-formed automaker said on Wednesday. The forecast came as Stellantis, created by the January merger of Peugeot-maker PSA and Fiat Chrysler (FCA), reported better-than-expected results for 2020 that sent its shares up around 3% in morning trading. "Stellantis gets off to a flying start and is fully focused on achieving the full promised synergies (from the merger)," Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said in a statement. Stellantis is the world's fourth largest carmaker, with 14 brands including Fiat, Peugeot, Opel, Jeep, Ram and Maserati. It said 2021 results should be helped by three new high-margin Jeep vehicles in North America and a strong pricing environment there. The U.S. market has driven profits for years at FCA and starts off as the strongest part of Stellantis. The group's guidance assumes no more significant lockdowns caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which shuttered auto plants around the world last spring. Stellantis should also get a lift as its starts to implement a plan aimed at delivering over 5 billion euros a year in savings, without closing any plants. Tavares has also pledged not to cut jobs. But a pandemic-related global shortage of semiconductors, used for everything from maximizing engine fuel economy to driver-assistance features, could hurt business. Auto industry executives have said the shortage should ease by the second half of 2021. Stellantis said its "electrification offensive" could also weigh on results this year. Automakers are racing to develop electric vehicles to meet tighter CO2 emissions targets in Europe and this week Volvo joined a growing number of carmakers aiming for a fully-electric line-up by 2030. Stellantis plans to have fully-electric or hybrid versions of all of its vehicles available in Europe by 2025, broadly in line with plans at top rivals such as Volkswagen and Renault-Nissan, although Stellantis has further to go to meet that goal. The carmaker is targeting an adjusted operating profit margin of 5.5%-7.5% this year. That compares with a 5.3% aggregated margin last year: 4.3% at FCA and 7.1% at PSA excluding a controlling stake in parts maker Faurecia, which is set to be spun-off from Stellantis shortly.

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