Reading the recalls at Stellpower, people may get the idea that Stellantis recalls its cars at an unusual high rate. In fact, every automaker issues numerous recalls, as cars are exceedingly complex systems made with a bewildering array of option groups to maximize both sales and profits. We don’t have a lot of Toyota stock … Read more
Jessica Lafond, the former leader of STLA North American engineering technical centers, is leaving the auto industry. She is being replaced by Mark Champine, head of North America customer experience since 2021 and head of quality since 2018, is being promoted to lead North American engineering technical centers. He reports directly to Harald Wester, head of … Read more
Three events are being planned to release new “electrified” cars, which may include both hybrids and battery-electrics. It is clear now that Dodge is bringing back the fratzog, at least for electric vehicles; it will have two previously announced releases in August. Sometime in September, there will be a new Jeep 4xe day showing off … Read more
Stellantis posted record profits for the first half of the year, with adjusted earnings before tax and interest rising by 44% to $12.7 billion. North America, which is dominated by the former Chrysler brands, was responsible for nearly half of all sales, and had a record margin of 18.1%. Overall, Stellantis’ margin rose from 11.4% in … Read more
Jeep has confirmed that the Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L, long-wheelbase versions of its luxury full-size vehicles based on Ram 1500 platforms, will start production later this year, with deliveries beginning within 2022. The Grand Wagoneer L was shown at the New York Auto Show earlier this year. It includes a standard twin turbo … Read more
The Senate passed the CHIPS and Science Act, which provides $52 billion in subsidies for United States-based semiconductor production. $2 billion of this was allocated for older chips used in automotive applications. In theory, $81 billion more is earmarked for National Science Foundation research, equipment, and education over five years; and $10 billion for the … Read more
Recently, Stellantis announced that it would be consolidating the manufacturing part of Trenton Engine in the South plant and likely using the North plant for materials handling and possibly other purposes. Today, we will go into some of the details. First, though, it is important to note that Trenton Engine has two buildings, North and … Read more
Stellantis is investing billions of dollars into its two Ontario assembly plants, Windsor and Brampton, but first there will be a workforce reduction to increase efficiency. According to AM 800, the company is starting with retirement packages for eligible workers in both plants, with a two-week decision period. After that, the company will announce layoffs. … Read more
Today, the NHTSA announced that it is probing safety issues in around 2 million domestic cars, more than half of which were built by FCA US. The Jeep Cherokee investigation covers 1.3 million 2014-20 Cherokees, because leaking water may cause the electric parking brakes to suddenly activate while the car is in motion; 80 people … Read more
Dodge has again claimed the top mass-market-brand spot in the J.D. Power APEAL study, which considers “performance, execution, and layout.” That makes Dodge the first domestic brand to get the #1 mass-market ranking for three years in a row. Ram was #2 for the third consecutive year, and the Ram 1500 was judged the best … Read more
Chrysler is recalling 52,340 Challengers, Chargers, and 300s because the batteries in the tire pressure sensors may fail quite early, resulting in inoperative sensors. Owners are advised to check their tire pressure now and then while waiting for notifications that new sensors are ready to be installed.
A few years ago, Zipcar’s CEO said they did not stock any American cars because their customers did not want to rent them. It turns out there is one exception—not a Hellcat Challenger, as you might think, or even a ProMaster van. It’s a Jeep. There may be other American vehicles in Zipcar’s fleet, but … Read more
Some time ago, Stellantis announced a plan to take a majority share of its joint venture with GAC. This apparently did not move forward, and Stellantis is ending the joint venture—resulting in a 300-million-euro charge against its balance sheet—and going it alone. The joint venture to make Jeeps in China was created in 2010, under … Read more
The Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Group Company Limited has reached an agreement for selling its 99.2 million shares of Stellantis (STLA)—around 3% of STLA’s shares. Under this agreement, Dongfeng may “from time to time submit an offer to sell to Stellantis, all or a portion of the Stellantis common shares held by Dongfeng.” If Stellantis … Read more
With production issues hurting European sales, both Volkswagen and Stellantis lost market share in the first half of the year. From January to June, VW’s share fell from 26% to 24.7%; and, more to the point, Stellantis’ share fell from 23.1% to 20.8%. One good sign was in June market shares, with Volkswagen falling to … Read more
Today, around six weeks before the normal release, Jeep unexpectedly dumped its list of updates for the 2023 Wrangler. In essence, there are a couple of color changes (Earl replaces Snazzberry and Reign is new), an American flag decal on each front fender, new 17-inch wheels on Rubicon, and a limited-time Wrangler Freedom edition. The … Read more
