1979 Amc Jeep Cj5 Golden Eagle. Cj-5. Rare And Original. Runs, Drives, Stops.... on 2040-cars

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Dodge and Jeep recalling 895k SUVs for possibility of headliner fires

Dodge and Jeep are announcing recalls of a total of 895,000 Durango and Grand Cherokee models worldwide from the 2011 through 2014 model years. There's a possibility that the wiring in the sun visor can short circuit and cause a fire. It specifically affects vehicles built between January 5, 2010, and December 11, 2013, and there are approximately 651,000 of them in the US, 45,700 in Canada, 23,000 in Mexico and 175,000 outside of North America.
Screws that fasten the sunvisor to the headliner may pierce wires in the visor, if the part has been removed or serviced, potentially causing a fire risk. If the wires short circuit, they could overheat and potentially combust. The automakers report three injuries caused by this defect, and according to the investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "there may be a total of 52 unique fire incidents."
To fix the problem, Dodge and Jeep will inspect the vehicles for suspect wiring, and all of the models, whether damaged or not, will get a new sun visor spacer with a wire guide to stop the possibility of short circuits. According to the automakers' announcement, "this condition is not present in vehicles which have not had the headliner or vanity mirror serviced." They will notify affected owners, and repairs will begin in August.

2015 Jeep Renegade First Drive [w/video]

Would it surprise you to hear that a strong, vocal and loyal owner base can sometimes be a hindrance to automakers? Of course, no brand would ever admit such a thing. And sure, on the surface, you might think that having people passionately champion a brand would provide nothing but perks. As we've seen over the years, though, there are plenty of times when that's not the case. Jeep has most recently fought this battle following the arrival of the new Cherokee, where two-tracking purists and rock-crawling enthusiasts bemoaned the nameplate's dip into Crossoverdom. Now, with its latest vehicle, the off-road brand is trying to keep this vocal minority happy (or at least quiet) while building a crossover that has general-purpose appeal to consumers in an increasingly crowded and important small CUV market. This balancing act has produced the 2015 Renegade, a vehicle that, following our testing in sunny San Jose, CA, we're quite confident will appeal to both brand loyalists and the uninitiated, alike. Before we dig into the meat of our First Drive, if you're here looking for a review of the Renegade Trailhawk and its off-road abilities, you're out of luck. We did drive it, both on- and off-road, and will be publishing a feature on it in the very near future. But for now, we're focusing on the volume model, the Renegade Latitude. Instead of the off-roader-meets-E.T. appearance of the Cherokee that's polarized so many, Jeep has dipped its brush in the tin marked "Heritage," fitting a simple seven-slat grille, historically appropriate round headlights and square taillights. In between all that, there are flared trapezoidal wheel arches, like you'd get on a classic CJ or MB, tall windows to let in plenty of light and short overhangs. It's not the broader strokes that contribute to the Renegade's adorably busy exterior, so much as the myriad of smaller styling details that visually attach this new model to Jeeps of the past. The hood is long and mostly flat, forcibly recalling the bonnet of the original Willys MBs and Ford GPWs that US troops used to strategize, sermonize and operate on during World War II. But rather than make it flush with the grille, it bleeds over the headlights, like the front of an infantryman's helmet. The X shape found throughout the car is reminiscent of military-style jerry cans, while the mirrors are door-mounted, like Jeeps of old. The roof, meanwhile, can be blacked-out, further linking the Renegade to its big brother, the Wrangler.

2015 Ford F-150 named Truck of Texas, Lincoln and Jeep also awarded at Truck Rodeo

The Ford Motor Company has a lot of reasons to celebrate after winning eight categories in this year's Texas Auto Writers Association's annual Truck Rodeo. Most important among them, the Blue Oval's latest 2015 Ford F-150 earned the prestigious Truck of Texas award, ending the Ram 1500's two-year winning streak. The 2015 Lincoln MKC also grabbed the honor as the CUV of Texas, and Ford was named Truck Line of Texas.
FoMoCo even took trophies for best technology with its extensive use of aluminum on its latest F-Series and best commercial vehicle for the new Transit 250. It wasn't a total sweep, though, because the Jeep Grand Cherokee grabbed the title of the SUV of Texas for the fifth straight time.
This year's event put 60 auto writers in 75 pickups, SUVs and crossovers and challenged them to find the best in a plethora of categories. All of the winners are listed below, and scroll down to read the full announcements from the Texas Auto Writers Association and Ford.