Recall Alert: More Than 300,000 Jeep and Ram Vehicles

Chrysler has issued three separate recalls for 301,283 Jeep and Ram brand vehicles to address electrical, airbag and coolant issues, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The first affects 295,345 model-year 2005-10 Jeep Grand Cherokee (models manufactured from Feb. 11, 2004, through March 9, 2010) and 2006-10 Jeep Commander vehicles (models manufactured Jan. 31, 2005, through March 10, 2010). A transfer case electrical failure could make it possible to unintentionally shift the vehicle into Neutral, and the car could roll away. The automaker initiated an investigation after a customer reported that a 2007 Grand Cherokee rolled away after it was remotely started, Chrysler said in a statement. The automaker will notify affected owners starting in June and dealers will install a software update for free.

Top 10 Best-Selling Cars: April 2013

Nissan and Ford led a strong month for the auto industry, with sales up 23.2% at Nissan and 17.9% at Ford thanks to big gains among both carmakers' strongest sellers. Nissan Altima sales gained 35.4% while Ford Escape sales spiked 52% — despite similar year-over-year incentives on both and lower dealership supply for the Escape.

It may seem bizarre that the Altima, then, isn't among the top 10 best-sellers. It's been there for ninth months straight, and in March it was the best-selling car (not truck) in America. But a year ago, sales were dismal — less than 17,000 in April 2012 — so even a healthy spike kept Nissan off April 2013's top 10.

The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord had higher-profile struggles. The Camry's sales drop could signal plateauing demand for Toyota's seventh-generation family sedan, whose year-over-year sales have declined for three straight months. The new Accord, meanwhile, is just 7 months old, and shoppers found significantly lower discounts versus the 2012 Accord a year ago. It's a factor that could affect Accord sales through autumn. Still, Ford didn't seem to have a problem with that. Anyone considering the new Fusion found a similar situation — lower discounts versus year-ago levels — but it didn't stop shoppers from flocking toward the popular sedan, whose sales boomed 23.7%.

2013 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn Edition: Gorgeous or Gaudy?

There are many faces of the 2013 Ram 1500 pickup — plenty of powertrain options, grille designs, exterior colors, trim levels, cab choices and bed lengths. None of them stand out more than the Laramie Longhorn edition.

The 1500 was redesigned for 2013, with new powertrains, revised styling and a big jump in interior quality. The top-line Laramie Longhorn model is joined by the base ST (fleet only), Tradesman, Express, SLT, Big Horn, Lone Star, Outdoorsman, Sport, R/T and Laramie. The Longhorn could also be called the cowboy edition. What sets it apart from the lineup — aside from its starting price of $45,580, including a $995 destination fee — are loads of Western-inspired details.

Customers can choose between Cattle Tan or Canyon Brown perforated front and rear leather seats, which are embellished with a tramp-stamp-esque scroll on the back and bottom cushions. They're finished with contrast-color piping and thick saddle-like stitching. The seatbacks again evoke a saddle, with leather-flap map pockets complete with buckles. Rich burled walnut wood trims the interior, a stark contrast to the kitschy plastic barbed-wire pattern molded into the front and rear floor. There's also plenty of Longhorn badges embossed throughout the cabin, both in the leather and metal belt-buckle-style ones in the floor.

Is it over the top or the picture of luxury? Check out the gallery below and decide for yourself. Cars.com photos by Robby DeGraff.

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.

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2013 Ram 1500

With its gigantic step-in height and heavy doors, it's clear that the Ram 1500 Express Quad Cab wasn't designed with families in mind, but that didn't stop Cars.com Family reviewer Courtney Messenbaugh from loading her kids into it. With its Hemi V-8 engine, Courtney said she had a fantastic time blowing by all kinds of family-friendly cars on the highway. Ram's Quad Cab has seating for six, though backseat legroom was tight for adults.

2013 Ram 1500 Family Review

Top 10 Best-Selling Cars: March 2013

With the top seven automakers reporting numbers — which account for the vast majority of new-car sales — March sales have crept up around 3.2% over year-ago levels. Honda, GM and Ford saw the largest gains, but no major automaker saw a double-digit increase.

The top sellers are a reshuffle from February's list; all 10 are back. The Nissan Altima jumped three spots from February, and despite an 8% sales drop, it's the best-selling sedan by just 100 cars in March. Madness? Not really. Look back at March 2012 and the Altima even beat out the Chevrolet Silverado for a podium finish in monthly sales.

Lower year-over-year incentives played against Nissan's redesigned sedan as surging competitors — the Honda Accord and the Ford Fusion — saw larger gains. Ford says the Fusion had its best sales month in the nameplate's 7 1/2-year history, and this happened with fewer incentives than on last year’s outgoing model. The Escape hit its highest monthly total in its 12-plus-year history. Those two cars — and rising Explorer and F-Series sales — overcame falling Focus, Edge and Mustang sales to drive Ford to a 5.7% year-over-year increase.

Most-Watched Videos of the Week

PickupTrucks.com Editor Mark Williams is no stranger to our most-watched videos list, though this week his presence is downright ubiquitous. Williams appears in four of the top five videos, including this week's No. 1, a newcomer showcasing a trio of Mercedes-Benz heavy-duty vehicles from The Work Truck Show 2013 in Indianapolis. Check out what was popular this week:

1. Mercedes-Benz Platform Works Like a Pickup
2. Road Test Review: 2013 Ram 1500 V-6
3. 2013 Toyota Avalon
4. 2014 Toyota Tundra
5. Ford Atlas Concept

2014 BMW 3 Series Sports Wagon Earns Five Stars From NHTSA

A pickup truck and a compact luxury car are among the latest vehicles crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

NHTSA gave the new-for-2014 wagon version of the all-wheel-drive BMW 3 Series (328i xDrive) an overall safety rating of five stars out of five. The wagon is a twin of the model-year 2013 sedan, so the ratings are the same, said NHTSA spokesperson Kil-Jae Hong. Both the sedan and wagon earned an overall five-star score comprised of four stars in the frontal test and five stars in side and rollover testing. The coupe has not yet been tested. 

Two- and four-wheel-drive versions of the redesigned-for-2013 Ram 1500 pickup received an overall safety rating of four stars from NHTSA — the rating applies to regular cab, crew-cab and extended-cab versions. All models earned five stars in side-impact testing; four-wheel-drive models earned just three stars in rollover tests while two-wheel-drive versions scored four stars. Its rival, the 2013 Ford F-150, hasn’t been crash-tested; the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 also received an overall score of four stars.

Related
Research the BMW 3 Series
Research the Ram 1500
More Safety News on Cars.com

Most-Watched Videos of the Week

PickupTrucks.com's tow testing of a pair of 2013 Ram 1500 pickup trucks hauled it to the top of this week's most-watched videos list. The video, narrated by PickupTrucks.com Editor Mark Williams, puts the pickups' towing capabilities to a tough test near the Arizona-Nevada border on Highway 68's "infamous" Davis Dam section. Other newcomers to the list include our test drive of the 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 at Roebling Road Raceway near Savannah, Ga., at No. 2, and Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek's critique of the 2013 Toyota Avalon at No. 5. Check out what was popular this week:

1. Road Test Review: 2013 Ram 1500 V-6
2. 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 at Roebling Road Raceway
3. 2013 Chevrolet Camaro 1LE
4. 2014 Toyota Tundra
5. 2013 Toyota Avalon

Ram Adds Diesel to 1500 Lineup

Jeep recently announced the addition of a diesel powertrain to the Grand Cherokee lineup, and the Ram brand is following with news that it'll borrow the power plant for the 1500 pickup later this year. The 2014 Ram 1500 will be the only half-ton pickup to offer a small turbodiesel engine option.

In the truck and the Grand Cherokee, the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine will be mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Ram isn't providing detailed specs, but in the Grand Cherokee, the diesel is good for 240 horsepower and 420 pounds-feet of torque.

The new diesel model will go on sale during the third quarter of 2013. No word yet on pricing or fuel economy, but check out Pickuptrucks.com for more information.

Related
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, SRT at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show
Research the Ram 1500
More Pickup Truck News on Cars.com