After Toyota, now its Ford and Chrysler turn. Ford Motor Co. is recalling 33,700 of its Transit Connect small commercial vans over an interior liner while Chrysler Group said it was recalling certain 2010 SUVs and trucks over a possible brake fluid leak.
Ford is recalling the Transit Connect vehicles sold in the United States and manufactured from December 2008 through May of this year due to an interior liner that fails to meet all safety requirements for head protection.
"In the event of a vehicle crash, an occupant could be at increased risk of injury," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday in a letter to Ford.
Ford said in correspondence to NHTSA that it would tell dealers to stop delivering affected vehicles until revised head protection is installed. It would notify current owners about repairs.
Separately, Chrysler is recalling certain 2010 Jeep Liberty and Wrangler, Dodge Nitro and Ram 1500 trucks made in the United States that may have been built with an improperly formed tube that could cause brake fluid to leak.
Chrysler is halting sales of the affected vehicles, made in April and May of this year, until the problem covering up to 22,000 vehicles is fixed, the company said in a letter to regulators.
Chrysler, which emerged from a U.S. government-financed bankruptcy last year under the management of Italy's Fiat SpA, will formally notify dealers and vehicle owners next month.
- Reuters Inputs
Showing posts with label chrysler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chrysler. Show all posts
Friday, 9 July 2010
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Chrysler to going to Set Up 200 Fiat Dealerships in US.
Fiat dealerships will be returning to the United States of America after a long holiday of 26 years.
Chrysler said Tuesday that it planned to set up about 200 outlets by the end of the year to sell the Fiat 500, an Italian designed subcompact. The dealerships will be run by existing Chrysler dealers and in many cases located on the same property, but they will have separate showrooms and employees.
The strategy runs counter to a general trend of consolidating multiple brands into one showroom. It also requires dealers to commit significant resources to a lineup that initially has a single model. A convertible, the 500 Cabrio, is scheduled to arrive in 2011, followed by a battery-powered 500 in 2012, but Chrysler has not revealed plans to expand Fiat beyond that.
BMW used a similar approach to successfully reintroduce its Mini brand to the United States nearly a decade ago, requiring dealers to build auxiliary showrooms to sell the Mini Cooper. But investing in an expansion for what analysts consider to be a niche model, at a time when auto sales are depressed and many dealers are struggling, is a gamble.
“If I were a dealer, I would be somewhat reluctant to make that investment,” said Erich Merkle, an automotive analyst and president of Autoconomy.com in Grand Rapids, Mich. “You have to go and build a new facility to sell a brand that really is going to take a considerable amount of time to get any kind of volume.”
A Chrysler spokesman, Ralph Kisiel, said the company intended to have Fiat dealerships in 125 markets in about 41 states. He said most would be concentrated in metropolitan areas where small cars were already popular and where demand was expected to increase.
Executives sent letters this week to all 2,320 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealers inviting them to apply for a Fiat franchise. Fewer than 10 percent will be selected, and the locations will be announced in September, Chrysler said.
Interest in the 500 among Chrysler dealers has been high, and given the small number of outlets being selected, Mr. Merkle said he expected the company would receive more than enough bids, despite the requirements.
“All these years I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting” for Fiat to return, said Mr. Gulla, the owner of Larchmont Chrysler Jeep Dodge. “It’s an emotional situation as well as an economic one.”
The Fiat 500 is a major piece of Chrysler’s efforts to diversify a lineup that has relied heavily on trucks and sport utility vehicles, hurting sales as American consumers began seeking more fuel-efficient alternatives. The company plans to build more than 100,000 of the vehicles a year at a plant in Mexico, sending half to the United States and half to South America.
Src: [nytimes]
Chrysler said Tuesday that it planned to set up about 200 outlets by the end of the year to sell the Fiat 500, an Italian designed subcompact. The dealerships will be run by existing Chrysler dealers and in many cases located on the same property, but they will have separate showrooms and employees.
The strategy runs counter to a general trend of consolidating multiple brands into one showroom. It also requires dealers to commit significant resources to a lineup that initially has a single model. A convertible, the 500 Cabrio, is scheduled to arrive in 2011, followed by a battery-powered 500 in 2012, but Chrysler has not revealed plans to expand Fiat beyond that.
BMW used a similar approach to successfully reintroduce its Mini brand to the United States nearly a decade ago, requiring dealers to build auxiliary showrooms to sell the Mini Cooper. But investing in an expansion for what analysts consider to be a niche model, at a time when auto sales are depressed and many dealers are struggling, is a gamble.
“If I were a dealer, I would be somewhat reluctant to make that investment,” said Erich Merkle, an automotive analyst and president of Autoconomy.com in Grand Rapids, Mich. “You have to go and build a new facility to sell a brand that really is going to take a considerable amount of time to get any kind of volume.”
A Chrysler spokesman, Ralph Kisiel, said the company intended to have Fiat dealerships in 125 markets in about 41 states. He said most would be concentrated in metropolitan areas where small cars were already popular and where demand was expected to increase.
Executives sent letters this week to all 2,320 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealers inviting them to apply for a Fiat franchise. Fewer than 10 percent will be selected, and the locations will be announced in September, Chrysler said.
Interest in the 500 among Chrysler dealers has been high, and given the small number of outlets being selected, Mr. Merkle said he expected the company would receive more than enough bids, despite the requirements.
“All these years I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting” for Fiat to return, said Mr. Gulla, the owner of Larchmont Chrysler Jeep Dodge. “It’s an emotional situation as well as an economic one.”
The Fiat 500 is a major piece of Chrysler’s efforts to diversify a lineup that has relied heavily on trucks and sport utility vehicles, hurting sales as American consumers began seeking more fuel-efficient alternatives. The company plans to build more than 100,000 of the vehicles a year at a plant in Mexico, sending half to the United States and half to South America.
Src: [nytimes]
Chrysler's money-back guarantee incentive to stay for a while.
(Reuters) Chrysler Group LLC said today it will offer consumers a 60-day, money-back guarantee on new vehicles and also make the first two months of payments for buyers, as it tries to shore up sales amid lackluster consumer confidence.
The offer expands on Chrysler's Minivan Pledge, a 60-day money back guarantee on the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. Chrysler launched the Minivan Pledge in February and it expired July 6. But the two minivans are included in the new program, which covers most Chrysler vehicles.
Chrysler said consumers will be allowed to return a new vehicle within 60 days if they are not happy with the purchase and the company will pay up to $500 per month for the first two months.
In addition, Chrysler will offer interest-free loans for up to sixty months on most 2010 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles when financed through GMAC Financial Services for the month of July.
The only vehicles not included in the money-back offer are the Dodge Viper and Jeep Wrangler.
"We build great vehicles for just about any lifestyle and with this pledge, consumers will have the confidence to know they made the right purchase or they can return the vehicle no questions asked," Chrysler U.S. sales chief Fred Diaz said in a statement.
Chrysler spokesman Ralph Kisiel said only eight customers returned minivans during the Minivan Pledge, which launched Feb. 11.
The new program has conditions similar to those of the minivan program:
Chrysler's U.S. sales rose nearly 12 percent in the first six months of this year but lagged the 16.7 percent gain in overall industry sales over the same period.
Src: [autonews]
The offer expands on Chrysler's Minivan Pledge, a 60-day money back guarantee on the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. Chrysler launched the Minivan Pledge in February and it expired July 6. But the two minivans are included in the new program, which covers most Chrysler vehicles.
Chrysler said consumers will be allowed to return a new vehicle within 60 days if they are not happy with the purchase and the company will pay up to $500 per month for the first two months.
In addition, Chrysler will offer interest-free loans for up to sixty months on most 2010 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles when financed through GMAC Financial Services for the month of July.
The only vehicles not included in the money-back offer are the Dodge Viper and Jeep Wrangler.
"We build great vehicles for just about any lifestyle and with this pledge, consumers will have the confidence to know they made the right purchase or they can return the vehicle no questions asked," Chrysler U.S. sales chief Fred Diaz said in a statement.
Chrysler spokesman Ralph Kisiel said only eight customers returned minivans during the Minivan Pledge, which launched Feb. 11.
The new program has conditions similar to those of the minivan program:
- Customers who return their vehicles will be charged 40 cents for each mile driven, and they must drive it for at least 30 days before they exercise the option, a Chrysler spokesperson said. That amount is up from 30 cents under the Minivan Pledge.
- At the time of the purchase, dealers will present customers with a one-page statement explaining the price they'll be paid if they choose to return the minivan. Customers will not get their trade-in vehicle back.
- Customers who had negative equity on their trade-in vehicles will have that amount deducted from the money Chrysler refunds to them. So if a person owed $2,000 more on their trade-in vehicle than that vehicle was worth, the $2,000 will be deducted.
- The offer will be void if there is more than $200 worth of damage to the vehicle.
Chrysler's U.S. sales rose nearly 12 percent in the first six months of this year but lagged the 16.7 percent gain in overall industry sales over the same period.
Src: [autonews]
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Mopar limited edition of the Challenger to be offered by Chrysler.
The company will build 500 Mopar 2010 Challengers at its Brampton, Ontario, plant.
Chrysler says the car, with a functional hood scoop, is the first Mopar edition of one of its vehicles. Mopar is Chrysler's service and parts brand.
The automatic transmission version will be priced at $38,000, including freight, while the manual-transmission version will sell for $39,000, including freight. Both will be powered by Chrysler's 5.7-liter Hemi V-8.
The car will be offered in black with three accent colors: blue, red or silver. The accent colors will appear on side stripes and the baseball-style stitching on the steering wheel and seats.
Customers will receive a special kit when they buy the car that includes a certificate with the VIN number and date the car was built along with a sketch of the vehicle by Chrysler Group designer Mark Trostle.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)