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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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.

2013 Cadillac ATS Joins NHTSA's Five-Star Club

Cadillac's new luxury sedan, the ATS, is the latest vehicle to be awarded the top rating of five stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2013 Cadillac ATS earned a perfect score in NHTSA's crash tests.

The composite score for the ATS comprised across-the-board five-star ratings in the different areas of crash testing. Those test categories include: overall vehicle safety, frontal crashes, side crashes and rollover.

The long-awaited ATS gives GM's luxury brand a competitor to America's best-selling luxury car, the BMW 3 Series. Both the all- and rear-wheel-drive versions of the ATS received five stars in all crash tests.

Also joining NHTSA's five-star-rating club was the 2013 Dodge Challenger, which earned mostly five stars in the different crash-test categories; the Challenger scored a four out of five in its rollover rating.

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Top 10 Best-Selling Cars: September 2012

September was another strong month of car sales, making the automotive industry one of the sole bright spots of the economic recovery. With most major carmakers reporting, sales are up 13% year-over-year with 1.118 million vehicles sold, according to Automotive News. 

That gain is healthy, especially considering that the average vehicle transaction price has also increased to $32,243 as compared to August’s $32,181, according to CNW Marketing Research. Total incentives and discounts weren’t appreciably higher as compared with last month, either. In fact, the only major seller to see significant incentive increases for the month was the 2012-13 Ford Focus, which has up to $2,000 cash-back offers currently. The Focus was up an astounding 91.4% year-over-year, which made it the 12th best-selling vehicle for the month.

Daily News Briefs: June 7, 2012

Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne has decided to keep the number of offerings at Dodge and Chrysler brands to no more than five models, according to Automobile Magazine. The Chrysler brand is already below that level at four models, but Dodge has seven models. Primed for the chopping block are the Dodge Avenger and, over time, the Dodge Durango SUV, the magazine reports. The Durango will be replaced by a seven-passenger Jeep model, says the magazine.

In other news:

Incentives Diet: Buy This, Not That

In this latest round of Buy This, Not That, we focus on soon-to-be-discontinued midsize luxury and mainstream sedans. Included in this rundown are the Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima, Lexus ES, Lincoln MKZ, Dodge Avenger and Mitsubishi Galant. All are on death's door in their current incarnations.

All the trim levels picked for these comparisons include an automatic transmission, air conditioning, keyless entry, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity and power locks/windows/side mirrors. Final prices include destination charges.

Manual Transmissions Fading Out of Midsize Sedan Lineups

Soon a majority of mainstream midsize sedans will have standard automatic transmissions and no manual transmission option.

It's been a long time coming. The stick shift has stuck around longer on midsize sedans than on other body styles, probably due to the broad appeal of the segment; these cars still make up the most vehicle sales in the U.S. The manual-transmission option also allowed marketing departments to advertise the highest fuel-efficiency figures and the lowest base prices, which were usually found on the manual-equipped models.

Dodge Expands Avenger V-6 Lineup

Dodge is adding a V-6 to its entry-level Avenger. Previously available only on uplevel models, the 283-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 and six-speed automatic transmission are now available on the base Avenger SE. It's EPA-rated at 19/29 mpg city/highway.

For 2012, the Avenger comes in five trim levels: SE, SE V-6, SXT, SXT Plus and R/T. The 173-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine continues to be standard on the entry-level SE and volume SXT models.

Aside from the powertrain, the new SE V-6 adds 18-inch aluminum wheels, dual exhaust with bright tips and a body-colored rear spoiler to the base SE. It starts at $21,495, excluding destination. Four-cylinder SE models start at $18,995.

Dodge Dart Shines Light on Future Chrysler-Fiat Vehicles

The 2013 Dodge Dart is the first compact sedan from Chrysler in nearly seven years. That in itself is a milestone, but the car also looks competitive against the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Chevrolet Cruze.

Chrysler's compact car plans are thanks to its new partner, Fiat. In the Dart we get the first real-world example of what to expect from upcoming replacement vehicles for the Jeep Liberty, Chrysler 200 and others in the future.

Chrysler has stated that the Dart's underpinnings are based off a new basic platform originally used to design and produce the Alfa Romeo Giulietta in Europe. Chrysler says the Dart platform — called Compact U.S. Wide — will also underpin most of its upcoming midsize and large sedans, crossovers, SUVs and minivans. The exceptions are the Jeep Wrangler, which will remain body-on-frame, Ram's trucks and the 2013 SRT Viper.

Year-End Deal Reality Check: Chrysler Group

Chrysler's had a very successful year overall, with sales up 25% through November. Part of that has to do with the automaker's redesigned and refreshed vehicles, and part of it has to do with Chrysler's seemingly eternal and robust incentive spending. The end of the year is no different. Under Chrysler's cross-branded “Big Finish 2011” sales event, there are plenty of attractive financing and cash-back deals to be had.

Starting with the Chrysler brand — which has the most aggressive incentive offers – there are 0% financing deals on the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country and 2012 Chrysler 200 sedan for 60 months and for 60 to 72 months on all 2011 Chrysler brand models. The Town & Country ($1,250), 200 ($2,500), 300 ($1,500) and 200 convertible ($1,000) also have generous cash-back offers.