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Fiat Chrysler to get $105M fine from NHTSA for recall woes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is about to send a powerful message to automakers doing business in the United States, assuming reports of an upcoming $105 million fine against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles comes to fruition. In addition to the record-setting monetary fine, according to The Wall Street Journal, FCA will have to accept an independent auditor that will monitor the company's recall and safety processes and will be forced to buy back certain recalled vehicles. In other cases, such as with Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty models with gas tanks that could potentially catch fire in certain types of accidents, FCA will offer financial encouragement for owners to get their recall work done or to trade those older vehicles in on new cars, according to the report. FCA could reportedly reduce its fines if it meets certain conditions, though those remain unclear at this time. These actions against FCA are being taken after NHTSA began a probe into the automaker over almost two dozen separate instances where the government claims FCA failed to follow proper procedures for recalls and safety defects. Included in those safety lapses are more than 11 million vehicles currently in customer hands. These penalties and fines are separate from the investigation over security problems with Chrysler's Uconnect system that allowed hackers to obtain remote access into key vehicle systems in 1.4 million vehicles. Related Video: Image Credit: Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Earnings/Financials Government/Legal Recalls Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Safety fiat chrysler automobiles fine

Car dealership in East Texas destroyed by tornado

Few things are as fundamentally and unconditionally destructive as a tornado. These cataclysmic phenomena pass through towns, leaving nothing in their wake but ruin and despair. According to an NBC affiliate in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, a car dealership in nearby Canton was hit by a tornado Saturday night. No employees were hurt. Four other people in the area weren't so lucky. Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton's new showroom and service center were pounded by the storm, leaving dozens of cars in various states of ruin. Some merely lost windows, while others were flipped and left on their sides or roofs. Photos show piles of cars stacked up like Hot Wheels dumped on the ground. According to a statement from the National Weather Service, winds reached speeds of up to 140 mph. Two other tornadoes were reported in the region. The area has been declared a disaster zone and first responders from up to 100 miles away have swarmed in to help out those in need. According to Reuters, the storms Saturday killed 11 people nationwide. Related Video: News Source: NBC DFW, National Weather Service, Reuters via Automotive NewsImage Credit: Reuters Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM tornado

These three automotive Lego kits deserve your suppoort

Lego has been quite good to car enthusiasts over the past few years. We've seen traditional kits for the classic VW Microbus, Mini Cooper, and the Caterham 620R, as well as an elaborate Technic kit for the 911 GT3 RS. But why stop there? The Lego Ideas page, which allows users to submit ideas with the chance to see their kits reach production, has many more cool car kits we'd love to see. Check them out below, and be sure to log on to vote for them. If a submission hits 10,000 votes, it is considered for production. That's how we got that Caterham kit, so it's worth your time to show your support. Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 This is a submission aimed at becoming one of Lego's Speed Champions kits. These are very small mini-figure scale car models, and the series has included the Ford GT, Audi R18 Le Mans racer, and more. This kit features a tiny version of the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, a Group B rally racer that gave Peugeot World Rally Championship titles two years in a row. The kit has a well-executed version of the car and its massive rear spoiler on the hatch. It also comes with a big dirt crest for it to fly over, along with amazed spectators on the sidelines. Porsche 911 Turbo 930 We love the GT3 RS Lego kit, but we think it's a little lonely as the only Porsche kit available. Such an impressive Porsche deserves an impressive companion, like this 911 Turbo. It's the 930 version, which is arguably the most famous classic 911 with its turbocharged power, whale-tail wing, and scary driving dynamics thanks to considerable turbo lag and rear-engine handling characteristics. This model is quite large at 1:10 scale, and comes with a detailed interior and exterior. The best part is the remote-control components underneath that allow the car to be driven. Jeep Wrangler JK Moving off the beaten path again, we have this highly detailed Wrangler kit. Actually, we have two kits, as the creator designed both two-door and four-door versions. They both feature removable hard tops, detailed interiors, and big tires. They also come with an assortment of off-road accessories such as auxiliary lights, an off-road jack, winch, gas can, roof rack, and off-road bumper. You can also find various fluid reservoirs and engine details under the opening hood. Related Video: Image Credit: AbFab1974 / Lego Ideas, brickmasterno1 / Lego Ideas, RREYES77 / Lego Ideas Auto News Toys/Games Jeep Porsche Peugeot Lego