Chrysler Recalls SUVs for Fires; Steering Probed in Fords

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AP/Chrysler NEW YORK -- Chrysler says it is recalling 651,000 Jeep and Dodge SUVs in the U.S. because vanity mirror lights that have undergone repairs can short circuit and start a fire if not reassembled correctly. The recall is for certain 2011 to 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango models. Chrysler says it has seen the problem only in lighted sun visor mirrors that have been repaired. But as a precaution, it says the recall applies to all of the vehicles. The automaker says it knows of three injuries caused by the lighted mirror. Chrysler will contact customers and let them know when they can have the problem fixed. The recall will total 895,000 SUVs around the world. About 45,000 are in Canada, 23,000 are in Mexico and 175,000 are outside North America. Separately, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday it's investigating steering problems in about 500,000 Ford cars. The investigation covers 2004 to 2007 Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis and Marauder models. NHTSA says a heat shield in the car can rust, dislodge and cause the steering shaft to jam. It has received 5 complaints about the issue and knows of one injury. In that case, the steering froze as a driver entered a high entrance ramp, causing the car to roll over and cause injuries. Ford Motor Co. says it will cooperate with the NHTSA on the investigation. Ford (F) shares rose 14 cents to $17.34 in morning trading Friday. They have risen more than 11 percent in the past three months. MSRP: $26,495 Resale value retained after five years: 50.5 percent Even under Fiat (FIATY) ownership, some elements of Dodge's mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, He-Man-Woman-Haters-Club approach to auto sales managed to survive. The built-by-car-guys-for-car-guys Challenger and its rebooted muscle car aesthetic still lingers to lure meatheads who value racing stripes and rims over, oh, just about any other element of their vehicle. Ordinarily, that alone wouldn't make one of these vehicles worth a second look five years from now --  even among the most superficial gearheads. But Fiat helped the Challenger smarten up a little bit by coupling a 305-horsepower V6 engine or 375-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 Hemi with loads of interior space, real-time touchscreen navigation, traffic updates, Bluetooth connectivity,  Sirius (SIRI) XM satellite radio, keyless entry/starter and a whole lot of Harman Kardon audio upgrades.