Fiat Chrysler to buy back 500,000 pickups in recall deal

[skip68]

We need a new company called Truck.   The truck that the "Truck" company builds is a real truck.   Only a heater, ac, radio, power steering and power brakes.  Maybe power windows for the fancy ones.   A good quality engine with minimal electronics and overdrive transmission for fuel economy.   That's it.  NO electronic garbage for anything.   
I bet they'd sell like crazy because price would realistically be cheap.   Probably a $12-$15k range for a brand new workhorse. 
Honestly, maybe even cheaper.  Think about it.   How much is a base model f150 or f250?     Now take away all the complicated unnecessary computer crap and all the sensors and computer controlled transmission shift points and so on and so on and now how much would it really cost?      Not that much.     

[charger_fan_4ever]

We need a new company called Truck.   The truck that the "Truck" company builds is a real truck.   Only a heater, ac, radio, power steering and power brakes.  Maybe power windows for the fancy ones.   A good quality engine with minimal electronics and overdrive transmission for fuel economy.   That's it.  NO electronic garbage for anything.   
I bet they'd sell like crazy because price would realistically be cheap.   Probably a $12-$15k range for a brand new workhorse. 
Honestly, maybe even cheaper.  Think about it.   How much is a base model f150 or f250?     Now take away all the complicated unnecessary computer crap and all the sensors and computer controlled transmission shift points and so on and so on and now how much would it really cost?      Not that much.     

A p pump 12v cummins engine. Will fire up without a single wire connected to it. Manual cable for the full shut off solenoid. Shove that in a early mid 80's chevy chassis. Stupid simple.

[JB400]

Not everyone wants a commercial grade vehicle.

[Mike DC]

That's true.


But if this "Truck" brand branched out into "econobox" and "family sedan" and "police/taxi/govt car" (and maybe even "ponycar") they would have another hit each time.  



It won't happen for a bunch of reasons.  


#1, the profit margins would be small.  

#2, the govt would keep raising the regulation standards on stuff every couple years and force continual redesigns.  If the company designs for several notches into the future from the beginning, then the performance/efficiency numbers will look worse than competitors' stuff until that time. 

#3, everyone talks about wanting quality for their money but when it comes time to sign on the dotted line they don't pay for it.  

#4, it would take at least a decade for the company to prove they were building something as workable as they claimed they were.  The public (sensibly) would  not really trust it before then, and certainly would not pay a lot.  In the meantime that's a decade of losing money.

[odcics2]

READ THIS - official FCA stuff...

Certain press reports have misconstrued the scope and therefore the estimated costs of certain remedies contemplated by the consent order entered into by FCA US with NHTSA and announced today. FCA intends to clarify the scope of such remedies.

In the consent order, FCA US has agreed to additional remedies for three recall campaigns covering approximately half a million vehicles, primarily 2008 through 2012 chassis cab, 2009 through 2011 light duty and 2008 through 2012 heavy-duty Ram Trucks. In each of those campaigns, FCA US will offer to owners whose vehicles have not yet been remedied, as an alternative remedy, to repurchase those vehicles at a price equal to the original purchase price less a reasonable allowance for depreciation plus ten percent. However, customers responding to the recall may continue to keep their vehicles and have them repaired in accordance with the original recall. As of this date, repairs have been completed on well over 60 percent of the subject vehicles, leaving less than two hundred thousand eligible vehicles. As is expressly provided for under the consent order, FCA intends that any vehicles repurchased will be remedied and resold.

In addition, FCA US is offering consumer incentives to encourage owners of vehicles subject to the structural reinforcement campaign to participate in the campaign. With respect to the 1993 through 1998 Jeep® Grand Cherokee ZJs, FCA US is also offering to increase the trade-in allowance to be applied to the purchase of another FCA product, service or parts for those owners of these very old vehicles who would prefer this alternative over the installation of a trailer hitch.

All premiums paid to repurchase vehicles in the three recall campaigns and customer incentives will be applied as credits to the $20 million that FCA US has agreed to spend on industry outreach amounts included in the $105 million referred to in the consent order.

While such amounts may exceed the $20 million, contrary to certain reports, FCA US does not expect that the net cost of providing these additional alternatives will be material to its financial position, liquidity or results of operations.

my comment below:
Keep in mind that the Jeeps met the impact requirements set in place at the time of manufacture. There are other vehicles out there with way worse crash results.  Why don't we hear about them?

[myk]

Politics man, politics...

[303 Mopar]

repurchase those vehicles at a price equal to the original purchase price less a reasonable allowance for depreciation plus ten percent.

So my 2011 Ram 1500 should be worth a couple thousand trade on a 2016 $50,0000 truck? I think I'll stick with my truck.