Autoblog

After a five-day shutdown due to a mechanical glitch at Chrysler's Belvidere stamping plant, the facility will again be able to resume building the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot. In the short term, Chrysler will keep the assembly facility running smoothly by outsourcing stamping to other nearby plants. The shutdown came only weeks before the Belvidere plant permanently drops one shift, which will result in the indefinite layoff of 1,000 workers. With a tough economy in which automakers are struggling to sell units, it's unlikely many people will have difficulty finding a Caliber, Compass, or Patriot as a result of the temporary shutdown.

[Source: Auto News (subs. req'd)]

Having learned from the sales bank debacle of the past, Chrysler is now throttling back production to draw down inventory levels. Sales of the PM/MK platform cars – Dodge Caliber and Jeep ComPatriot twins – are down roughly 23 percent compared to last year. Part of that is due to a move away from fleet sales, but whatever the cause, the 3,400 workers at the Belvidere assembly plant will get a two week vacation starting Monday. It's a great time of year to take a trip, enjoy some of the last warm days before winter tightens its grip, or just get out and rake the yard. By the time the line starts back up again, the backlog of unsold vehicles will be reduced, and the looming catastrophe of UAW contract talks will be looming.

[Source: Auto News - sub req.]

We just posted about this Dodge Caliber SRT-4 a couple of weeks ago and now we have some live shots to go along with the details. Jalopnik found pics of one sitting on a city street for all the world to see. Looks a lot like the photos we've seen already, but seeing one in the wild brings the reality of imminent production to a point. Chunky and mean, we can't forget that this little wagon is packing 300 hp. When we talked about the chats with the SRT team on CaliberForums.com, we were reminded that this Dodge will be a normal 2008 model year car, which means it will arrive "as the leaves change colors," according to one engineer. Unfortunately, the on-sale date can't be pinned down to a specific day this far out, so we'll have to be satisfied with an autumnal arrival. We're very eager for someone to get their hands on an SRT-4 to see how Dodge handles the torque steer issues that come with routing 300 horsepower through the front wheels. Click over to Jalopnik for several more photos in larger sizes.

[Source: Jalopnik]

If you own a 2007 Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep listen up, because you're likely affected by Chrysler's latest recall. DaimlerChrysler is bringing home more than 68,000 vehicles to reprogram balky brake computers.

The 11 affected models are 2007 versions of the Sebring, 300, Charger, Magnum, Caliber, Commander, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Nitro and Compass. Whew.

Chrysler says computers in the recalled vehicles' could fail, leading to a loss of antilock brakes, traction control and speedomter functions. We don't remember much from our drivers' ed class, but we're pretty sure brake failure is hardly ever a good thing. Thankfully DC says nobody's been hurt yet.

Oh, and you Sebring drivers must have broken a mirror or something. While one team of crack DC mechanics gives your car a brain transplant, another team will be reteaching it to defrost your windshield. So take a book or something. That particular recall affects about 6,000 new Sebrings.

[Source: Reuters]

In its quest to clean up television, could the Federal Communications Commission go after automotive advertising? USA Today wonders how the cuddly-wuddly FCC may react to some of the in-your-face commercials currently being shown in your home.

The story cites Volkswagen's "Safe Happens" Passat ads as well as Dodge's Caliber ad (shown above) featuring the foul-mouthed Binky in a Caliber focus group. "It scares the BEEP out of me," Binky responds to the ominous black Caliber.

Regarding V-Dub's recent crash-centric commericals, VW's General Manager Kurt Schneider reponds to USAT's questioning, by saying, "One of the most critical things was to have the dialog and whole scene be extremely natural. For anyone who's been in an accident, one of the first things you do is curse."

One of the next things you might do is buy a new car. Either because of, or in spite of the ads, lots of drivers have bought new Calibers and Passats this year.

The fact that the FCC hasn't brought this issue to fore, yet, may be an indication that either these spots are flying under the radar of the agency's boffins or that the ad's tactics are a drop in the bucket when it comes to foul language and violence on TV. Either way, it's a safe bet that we'll be hearing more about this issue as advertisers continue to up the ante in 30-second increments.

[Sources: USA Today, YouTube]

The Chrysler Group has gotten tons of PR mileage out of the popularity of the Dodge Caliber, to the point where dealers haven't been able to keep them in stock and consumers have to beg for a test drive (new Calibers net more profit than demos, after all). Unfortunately for the automaker, the Caliber's stablemate, the Jeep Compass, isn't enjoying the same successes. As the first car-based Jeep to hit the streets, the Caliber's sales have been lower than projected despite the vehicle's distinctive styling and sharp interior. The problem seems to be the 2006 models glutting dealer lots, giving potential Compass buyers food for thought -- a 2007 Compass doesn't represent the same kind of deal as, say, a loaded up 2006 Jeep Liberty.

Automotive News reports that the transaction price of the Dodge Caliber has risen since its introduction, beginning at $17,059 in March and then up to $18,276 by the end of September, while the Compass' price has lowered from $22,467 at launch to $21,534.

Jeep has quite a predicament on its hands if the Liberty and even Grand Cherokee are cannibalizing Compass sales -- evidently yet another drawback to Chrysler's resistance to cutting production when showrooms first started clogging up. We'll see how the situation evolves when the Patriot comes out.

[Source: Automotive News via AutoWeek]

Not only is the Caliber tough to find on dealer lots in the United States, but it's also selling out in Europe as well. According to AutoWeek, Dodge woefully underestimated European demand for its hatchback replacement for the Neon, causing dealers in Europe to put people on a waiting list in excess of six months.

Many questioned whether Dodge's very American design could do well in Western Europe, but that question is now answered, with 3,238 Calibers were sold so far this year. Dodge sold just 311 vehicles in western Europe all of last year, but announced plans earlier this year to push Dodge as an international brand for the automaker.

[Source: AutoWeek]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) just can't stop ramming large, bumper shaped projectiles into the newest vehicles for 2007. Today the IIHS released the results of it most recent tests and it looks like Toyota is well represented at the top and the Caliber has made impressive improvements over its predecessor, the Dodge Neon.

The Toyota Camry received the institute's highest rating for a side impact, receiving an "excellent" score mainly due to its standard side-curtain airbags that provide the best possible protection to its occupants in one of the most common crashes.

Also tested was the Neon-replacing Dodge Caliber, which handily beat out its elder for both front and side impacts. Whereas the Neon was one of the worst vehicles tested at the time, the Caliber, with its standard side-curtain airbags, was awarded a "marginal" designation, compared to the Neon that received "poor" scores throughout its lifetime.

Other vehicles tested include the new RAV4, Kia Optima, Lincoln Zephyr and Hyundai Tucson.

One aspect of the tests that deserves note is that all the manufactures did not perform as well on the rear-impact tests as the IIHS would like. Where front and side impacts are some of the more dwelt upon crashes, the IIHS contends that back and neck injuries caused by collisions from behind are becoming more of an issue and they would like to see automakers address this problem with more research and development.

Follow the link to read the full report.

The Jeep Compass might be turning the heads of some consumers looking to the trail-rated brand for something new, but the ten members of the Detroit News Automotive Consumer Panel weren't impressed. While all ten said they would recommend the vehicle's sibling -- the Dodge Caliber -- to their friends, and six said they'd consider buying a Caliber themselves, just two of the ten would recommend the Compass to family or friends and none would consider buying one themselves. Calling the vehicle "ugly" and identifying it as something that is completely at odds with the Jeep brand, the panelists overwhelmingly gave the car two thumbs down after driving a few around town during the month of July.

Said one panelist, "Jeep, to me, no longer can justify having that 'rugged' reputation attached to its brand name. A Jeep is supposed to bellow 'run me into the ground.' Instead, this Jeep says, 'You guys want to go to the mall?'"

Let's hope, for Chrylser's sake, that the new Compass will overcome the opinions of these ten.

[Source: Detroit News]