Recall Alert: Approximately 215,000 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram Vehicles

The Chrysler Group issued six separate recalls affecting around 215,000 vehicles in the U.S. According to the automaker, the following vehicles are affected:

• 61,400 model-year 2007-08 Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty SUVs. Chrysler has stated that it's recalling two-wheel-drive versions of these vehicles in order to brace a heat shield that can loosen and contact the driveshaft, causing wear and possible breakage over time. "Chrysler Group is unaware of any collisions or injuries associated with the condition," the automaker said in a statement.

Recall Alert: 2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger

Chrysler is recalling 1,785 model-year 2013 versions of the 200 and Dodge Avenger midsize cars due to a problem with the gas tank, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from Oct. 30 through Nov. 2, 2012, and may have a gas tank with a broken control valve in the fuel tank assembly (check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb). This could lead to fuel leakage and the engine stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.

Chrysler will notify owners starting in March, and dealers will inspect and replace the affected parts for free. Owners can call Chrysler at 800-247-9753 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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Chrysler CEO 'Saw Tears' Over Next-Gen 200

Chrysler dealers stood and clapped in Las Vegas in September 2012, and it wasn't because the blackjack dealer drew a bust. It was at a closed-door dealer meeting and Chrysler had just unveiled the next-generation 200, a midsize sedan that departs from the current Sebring-derived car.

More 2013 Chicago Auto Show Coverage

Saad Chehab was there. Chehab, CEO of Chrysler's namesake division, said dealers gave the new 200 a standing ovation. Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed to reporters in January that the car will have a nine-speed automatic transmission, which could raise highway gas mileage to the high 30s or beyond. That’s competitive with leading family cars like the Nissan Altima and Honda Accord.

Wait a minute. Chrysler dealers were pretty enthusiastic when the automaker showed off the current Sebring-turned-200 refresh at a similar meeting in Orlando, Fla., in 2010. We lauded the effort but said the 200 needed more. Still, it notched 125,476 sales in 2012, which is better than any year in the preceding Sebring's tenure. Chehab called it Chrysler's "little hero, [a] surprise of the brand." Still, 2012’s sales for the 200 fell well short of stalwarts like the Chevrolet Malibu (210,951), Hyundai Sonata (230,605), Ford Fusion (241,263), Altima (302,934), Accord (331,872) and Toyota Camry (404,886).

What makes Chehab think the new 200 will compete?

Chrysler-Fiat Plans 47 New or Updated Cars by End of 2016

Chrysler-Fiat will introduce, redesign or update 47 cars over the next four years, the automaker said Wednesday in a financial presentation to analysts. Among them are six Alfa Romeos from Fiat's upscale European division, plus seven new Fiat-branded models. Chrysler also encompasses the Dodge, Jeep, Ram and SRT brands.

The pipeline goes well beyond what Fiat had planned when it took a government-brokered stake in Chrysler in 2009. In September 2012, the automaker unveiled 66 future models at a private dealer meeting in Las Vegas, and we don't know how many of these 47 cars overlap with those. At that meeting there were just two Alfas, however.

The new plan eliminates four Fiat-built cars — two Chryslers and two Dodges — and moves the timing back by one to three years on nine models. All told, there are 16 refreshes and 31 new cars between now and the end of 2016. We've already seen five of them — the refreshed Compass and Grand Cherokee, plus Fiat's new 500L and the Ram HD and chassis cabs — and an SRT Grand Cherokee is also in the works. That still leaves 42 to come. Naturally, all of this is subject to change. Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne called the plan "a living document," the Detroit News reports.

Here's how it breaks down:

Honda Shines, Toyota Falls in Latest IIHS Crash Tests

The 2013 Toyota Camry sedan and Prius v hybrid (above, right) failed a new crash test by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that simulates a frontal impact overlapping a small portion of the car — say, piling into a tree from your left headlight. IIHS announced today its test of 18 model-year 2013 family cars. It's the largest yet for the so-called "small overlap" frontal test that many luxury brands failed in August 2012.

At the other end, the Honda Accord sedan and nearly-defunct Suzuki Kizashi (above, left) earned IIHS' top score, Good; 11 other cars — including the Accord coupe — earned Acceptable ratings. The IIHS rates cars Good, Acceptable, Marginal or Poor. Of the 18 cars tested, the Toyotas scored Poor, but the Hyundai Sonata, Chevrolet Malibu and Volkswagen Jetta sedan scored Marginal.

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Chrysler 200 Convertible

In bettering the Chrysler 200 for 2013, you might say the automaker has adopted a top-down strategy. Cars.com reviewer Jennifer Geiger says a European-market-inspired suspension update improves the soft top's handling. The 2013 convertible is confident in tight turns, and its 3.6-liter V-6 does an honorable, if unspectacular, job in the power department. Bump absorption still needs work, however. But with a negligible price increase over 2012, small fixes go far in a narrow field of affordable midsize convertibles.

2013 Chrysler 200 Convertible Review

Chrysler Gives Dealers Sneak Peek of 66 Future Cars

Chrysler unveiled 66 cars in its product pipeline at a private dealer meeting Monday in Las Vegas, Reuters reports. One dealer said it "was like a lovefest" as representatives from some 2,600 global dealerships — the vast majority based in the U.S. — beheld a two-tiered stage of future products at the MGM Grand hotel.

Among the cars that dealers shared with Reuters:

• A redesigned Chrysler 200 that departs from the current Sebring-derived 200. Dealers said it looks a lot like the 2013 Dodge Dart.
• A subcompact Chrysler 100.
• A subcompact Jeep crossover, plus redesigns of the Compass, Patriot and Liberty that follow styling cues of the current Grand Cherokee.
• Two Alfa Romeo cars that Chrysler will sell in Fiat showrooms.

Chrysler officials wouldn't comment to Reuters on the story, but during the last closed-door dealer meeting about future products — in Florida in 2010 — the automaker unveiled the current 200 and Town & Country, along with the Jeep Patriot and Fiat 500. The reporting on that meeting turned out pretty accurate, so we're inclined to think these products are legit. We'll keep you posted as we learn more.

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Cars.com Family Reviews the 2012 Chrysler 200

Chrysler's midsize sedan, the 200, hits many of the right notes with its low starting price and impressive but optional V-6 engine, according to Cars.com Family contributor Carrie Kim. However, the five-seater’s floaty suspension and difficult-to-reach Latch anchors kept this mother of one from declaring it a great family car.

2012 Chrysler 200 Review

Cars.com Reviews the 2012 Chrysler 200 Convertible

It's convertible season, and if you're shopping for an affordable four-seat hardtop convertible, the Chrysler 200 is your main option. Though it has a well-made and attractively designed cabin and a roomier-than-expected trunk, a lack of ride composure and sloppy brakes are two big disappointments, according to Cars.com Editor Jennifer Geiger.

2012 Chrysler 200 Convertible Review

Daily News Briefs: June 22, 2012

Volvo is looking to build cars in North America, company CEO Stefan Jacoby told Bloomberg News. But the Swedish automaker, which is owned by China's Zhejiang Geely, won't likely build them at a standalone U.S. facility like European carmakers Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. More likely, Volvo will partner with another automaker to build cars here, like Volkswagen does with the Chrysler-built Routan minivan. It's part of a plan for the automaker to hit 800,000 global sales by 2020. Last year Volvo sold 449,255 cars, with around 67,000 sales in the U.S. Jacoby said he hopes to share development costs on a small car, and Chrysler-Fiat — which just developed the Alfa Romeo-based Dodge Dart — "is obviously one of the alternatives."

In other news: