When Jeep and Ram were tuning VM diesels for use in Ram 1500s and Jeeps, it turned to a Volkswagen-owned contractor and VM employees for help with fine tuning the controls. Not long afterwards, it turned out that Volkswagen had been faking its emissions tests, and then researchers and reporters turned their attention to just about every other seller of diesel-powered light vehicles.
Now, at last, Stellantis and the U.S. Justice Department are close to a resolution, having reached a deal for $300 million of penalties—if a judge approves of the settlement. Volkswagen pleaded guilty to criminal charges five years ago; the fallout from that deal included diesel engines falling out of fashion in Europe, with a new focus on battery-electric cars.
David Zatz started what was to become the world’s biggest, most comprehensive Mopar site in 1994 as he pursued a career in organizational research and change. After a chemo-induced break, during which he wrote car books covering Vipers, minivans, and Jeeps, he returned with Patrick Rall to create StellPower.com for daily news, and to set up MoTales for mo’ tales.
David Zatz has around 30 years of experience in covering Chrysler/Mopar news and history, and most recently wrote Century of Chrysler, a 100-year retrospective on the Chrysler marque.
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