Dodge Caliber, Dodge Nitro, Ford Ranger Officially Dead

The oft-forgotten Dodge Caliber and Dodge Nitro are officially dead; both vehicles ceased production this month. The old, but still popular, Ford Ranger compact pickup has also ended production, according to PickupTrucks.com.

The 2012 Caliber officially kicked the bucket this past Friday. The Caliber, which was produced at Chrysler Belvidere Assembly in Illinois, will be replaced by the 2013 Dodge Dart. The new compact sedan will go into production at the plant in August or September. In preparation for the Dart, the plant got a $600 million upgrade.

Recall Alert: 26,715 Ford Trucks, SUVs

Ford is recalling 26,715 trucks and SUVs because the multifunction switch in the steering column may be defective, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall affects certain 2011 Ford Ranger trucks built between Jan. 25 and April 25 at the Twin Cities Assembly Plant, along with the following models that were serviced with a suspect multifunction switch: 2004-11 Ford Ranger; 2002-05 Ford Excursion; and 2002-07 F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550.

In the affected vehicles, the multifunction switch has a slider that could experience deformation. As a result, the turn signal, taillamps, hazard lights or brake lights may not activate, increasing the risk of a crash. The high-mounted brake light is not affected.

The recall is expected to begin Aug. 15, and dealers will replace the switches for free. Owners can call Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

Ford Ranger to End Production This Year

PickupTrucks.com delivered some sad news this morning for small truck fans. The venerable Ford Ranger – with more than 7 million sold since 1982 – will end production on Dec. 22, according to the United Auto Workers.

This will leave one of the largest domestic automakers without a small truck offering. The V-6 F-150 will be the most likely alternative for Ford shoppers.

While a new Ranger has been developed for global markets, it will not go on sale in the U.S.

Ford Ranger Production in the U.S. Will End by December 22, UAW Says (PickupTrucks.com)

Recall Alert: 2010 Ford Ranger

Ford is recalling 23,688 Ford Ranger trucks from the 2010 model year because a protective cover on the fuel line may not be properly installed, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, which were built between Oct. 15, 2009 and May 19 2010, the edge of the throttle body shield may contact the fuel line, causing chafing that could lead to a fuel odor and a leak. If an ignition source is present when this happens, a fire may result. You can check your car’s build date on the label attached to the driver’s side doorjamb.

The recall is expected to begin Monday. Dealers will trim the throttle body shield away from the fuel line, check the fuel line for any signs of wear and replace it if necessary at no charge. Owners may call Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA’s hotline at 888-327-4236.

2010|Ford|Ranger

NHTSA Urges Owners to Fix Recalled Fords

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reiterated to Ford owners today to get their recalled vehicles fixed.

The recall in question was for faulty cruise control systems, which could catch fire even if the vehicle was turned off, parked and unattended. While 17.5 million vehicles were recalled, Ford and NHTSA say only 14 million of those vehicles are still on the roads today. Out of those vehicles, NHTSA estimates that there may be several million vehicles still on the road with the dangerous defect. There have been reports of homes catching on fire as a result of this defect.

Why the New Ford Ranger Isn't Coming to the U.S.

As Ford prepares to take the wraps off its next-generation Ford Ranger on Oct. 15 in Australia, we finally know for sure it will not replace the current Ranger in the U.S.

Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of global product development, says there are no plans for the new Ranger in the U.S. or Canada at this time. According to Ford, the reasoning is fairly rational: The model would overlap too much with the popular Ford F-Series in America. The F-150 will get a new array of engines for 2011.

The new Ranger will be about 90 percent the size of the F-150, and the new compact pickup could cannibalize sales from the full-size model, according to Kuzak. Kuzak also said the Ranger was mainly used as a cheap means of transportation in this country — the 2011 Ranger starts at $17,935 and gets 22/27 mpg city/highway. Models like the Ford Transit Connect, upcoming seven-passenger Ford C-Max and Ford F-150 with EcoBoost will fill those shopper needs, he said.

The new Ranger — codenamed T6 — is expected to be equipped with a 2.5-liter gasoline-powered four-cylinder and 2.2- and 3.2-liter diesel powetrains, with the possibility of a EcoBoost engine as well, according to our friends at PickupTrucks.com.

For more information on the new Ranger, check out PickupTrucks.com for comprehensive coverage.

Ford Previews All-New Global Ranger, but It's Not Coming to North America (PickupTrucks.com)

2011|Ford|Ranger

Ford Adding Cash Back to 0% Financing on 2010s

Ford’s 2011s are rolling into dealer showrooms and that means the 2010s are going to get some better incentives to make room for the new arrivals. Ford is offering 0% financing plus $1,000 cash back on many 2010 models, including the Mustang and Focus. While the promotion on Ford’s consumer website also features the 2010 Taurus in this deal, it didn’t show up in all of the regions we searched. In Florida, for example, the 2010 Taurus' incentive is 0% financing for 36 months plus $500 cash back, but in Southern California you could get the full $1,000 on top of 0% financing for 36 months.

Make sure you research the incentives on Ford’s site before heading to a dealer. The deals are good through Sept. 7; the Transit Connect, hybrids, Taurus SE, Edge SE AWD and Mustang Shelby GT500 are excluded from these incentives.

Cars.com’s Current Incentives

Recall Alert: 2010 Ford Ranger

Ford has issued a recall for 2,934 Ranger vehicles from the 2010 model year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall affects vehicles equipped with a manual transmission and built between June 8, 2009 and February 2, 2010. In cold weather, the parking brake cable could disconnect from the right rear actuator due to wet conditions. If it does disconnect, the pedal may not fully apply the parking brake, which means the vehicle could unexpectedly move while parked.

Dealers will install a new right rear parking brake actuator to keep the cable attached. They will make the fix for free. Owners may contact Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

Small Trucks Come Up Short in Roof Crashes

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released a new report saying that of the five small pickups it tested for roof strength in crash tests, only the Nissan Frontier earned its top rating of Good. The Ford Ranger was the only other truck to pass, with a rating of Acceptable. The Dodge Dakota, Toyota Tacoma and Chevy Colorado earned Marginal ratings, the second-lowest score.
 
Even though the Frontier — also sold as the Suzuki Equator — earned top scores in the roof crush test, it didn’t get a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS because it earned an Acceptable rating in rear crash tests for neck injury instead of Good, which it received in front and side crash tests as well as the rollover test.
 
The Ranger and the Tacoma also saw top scores in side crash tests, but during the Dakota’s test, the optional side airbags failed to deploy. The IIHS said this is the first time that has ever happened in a side crash test.

Ford Recalling 4.5 Million Vehicles

The Detroit News is reporting that Ford will recall 4.5 million vehicles over a faulty cruise control deactivation switch. It is the same defect that was at the heart of previous recalls now totaling 14 million vehicles. There have been more than 1,500 complaints and at least 550 vehicles fires due to the faulty part. 

The new recall includes these vehicles:

• 1995-2003 Ford Windstar 
• 2000-2003 Ford Excursion diesel
• 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesel
• 1992-2003 Ford Econoline
• 1995-2002 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer
• 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Ford Ranger
• 1994 Ford F53 Motorhome vehicles equipped with the Texas Instruments speed control deactivation. 

This has been a black cloud for Ford for nearly 10 years. The automaker recalled 9.6 million vehicles between 1999 and 2008 and is still battling dozens of lawsuits over the issue. 

Ford recalls 4.5 million vehicles for faulty switch (Detroit News)