Jeep Cherokees missing in action as thousands stack up at factory

Sometimes I wonder if Chrysler didn't have bad luck, if they'd have any....

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee rolled into the spotlight to much debate in February, with its angular looks boldly moving away from the slab-cut Cherokees of yore. First assembly began in July, and reviewers drove the cars in August and September. Yet today, weeks after it was expected to hit the market, there's not a single Cherokee up for sale in any Jeep dealership in America — despite at least 19,000 having been built.

A search of Chrysler's nationwide dealer inventory system shows nine Cherokees listed as "in transit" to dealers, a small break in a giant logjam; Chrysler's own data showed it had built 18,849 Cherokees at the plant in Toledo as of September 30, and production has continued since then. Chrysler has offered few specifics about the delay, saying it involved "powertrain calibration" issues and vowing that it would not let buyers have a half-baked SUV:

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee has an all-new nine-speed transmission, two new powertrains, three advanced four-wheel-drive systems and has undergone more than 14 million test miles in order to ensure the vehicle meets our highest quality standards. Once the latest powertrain calibration is validated, the company will be able to quickly update the powertrain software on Cherokees already built and ship vehicles to dealership around the country in quantity.

Complex may be an understatement. The nine-speed transmission, an industry first designed by German firm ZF but built by Chrysler at its own factory in Indiana, has been expected to see duty in many Chrysler front-wheel-drive models as a key part of the company's plan to meet future fuel efficiency standards. The electronics and chassis of the Cherokee come from a platform shared with Fiat. And because it's a Jeep, the Cherokee has not just a typical all-wheel-drive system for its four- and six-cylinder engines, but an optional off-roadable four-wheel-drive unit with trick pieces like a locking rear differential — all of which has to work seamlessly with software controls.

Automakers occasionally have bumpy launches; last year Ford had to ship thousands of Lincoln MKZ sedans from Mexico to Michigan for repairs after factory troubles. And such delays hit the bottom line directly; automakers don't book a sale until a car leaves the factory, and dealers get antsy when they don't have the vehicles they expected to sell. But the alternative — selling cars with known problems that then require customers to go back to the dealership a few months later — would only shift Chrysler's reputation into low gear.

Source;

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/jeep-cherokees-missing-action-thousands-stack-factory-192527121.html

Out with the Jeep Liberty and return of the (2014) Jeep Cherokee

Bold. Not sure if they are going to be alienating their traditional core buyers....

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee (yes, you read that right) is back in Jeep’s U.S. lineup, serving as a replacement for the aging Liberty midsize SUV that featured far more off-roading capability than on-road fuel economy. The new Cherokee will make its world debut at the 2013 New York auto show at the end of March.

Before any midsize SUV customers hear about the 2014 Jeep Cherokee’s 45-percent improvement in fuel economy, the comments are bound to fly about its new exterior look. Like the Nissan Juke, the 2014 Cherokee has three sets of front lights, including one with LED daytime running lights. The seven-bar Jeep grille is prominently displayed, with a pulled-back look that’s far more modern than the Cherokee of yore — or Liberty for that matter — ever was.

The Jeep Liberty finished 2012 with sales of 75,483, ahead of the Patriot and Compass, but behind the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. With far more competitive fuel economy and exterior styling that will get its driver noticed, the 2014 Jeep Cherokee might just have what it takes to become a more significant part of Jeep’s lineup. And those who complain the 2014 Cherokee isn’t as off-road ready as its predecessor can always buy a Wrangler or Grand Cherokee. Rumor has it that the new Cherokee will use a 3.2-liter version of the Pentastar V-6 and could possibly be one of the first Chrysler products to employ a ZF-sourced nine-speed automatic transmission.

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee will arrive at dealers in the third quarter of this year and be built at Jeep’s facility in Toledo, Ohio.

Source;

http://rumors.automobilemag.com/2014-jeep-cherokee-is-the-new-liberty-206747.html#axzz2LvBOJvKb

"It's Halftime in America" Chrysler Commercial from 2012 NFL Championship Game

Awesome commercial....

Safety Advocates Demand Government Recall Jeep Grand Cherokee

The safety-minded organization claims that the 1993 through 2004 Grand Cherokee "is the most dangerous vehicle on the road today" due to a supposed defective fuel tank design.-Autoblog
By LISA STARK and BEN FORER
June 8, 2011

The Center for Auto Safety is demanding the government recall 2.2 million Jeep Grand Cherokees, model years 1993 through 2004, because of what they say is a defective fuel tank design that can cause the gas tank to rupture in a crash.

"For the Center for Auto Safety, this is the most dangerous vehicle on the road today and we want it recalled," said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the advocacy organization.

The Center says that at least 55 people have died in crashes where fire was "the most harmful factor."

This week the center turned over to the government new crash test results that it says show gas tests failings in rear-end impacts. Ditlow said the problem is that the fuel tank is located behind the rear axle.

"You can have the tank itself rupture, you can have the filler hoses pull off as they did in some of our crash tests, and it's just a terrible design," Ditlow told ABC News.

Chrysler disputes the Center for Auto Safety's test results, telling ABC News, the test was "three times as severe" as the government standard and that the vehicle meets or exceeds federal standards.

The company added, "rear impacts resulting in a fire are extremely rare ...[and] occur no more often in 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles than in peer vehicles."

New Jersey mom Susan Klein died in a Cherokee when it burst into flames after she was rear-ended. Her husband, Tom Kline, spoke to ABC News affiliate WTVD in Raleigh, N.C.

"Imagine someone you've been with, that you've loved dearly for 33 years being burned to death. It's just not a good picture."

The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is investigating the vehicle's safety, declined to comment on the crash test.

Chrysler changed the Cherokee's design in 2005, moving the fuel tank in front of the rear axle. It says the change was made to expand cargo space and had nothing to do with safety.

Source;
http://abcnews.go.com/US/safety-advocates-demand-government-recall-jeep-grand-cherokee/story?id=13791477