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Some Jeep Wrangler drivers have been experiencing a frightening phenomenon commonly known as the Jeep "Death Wobble". While the term is dramatic, FCA says they know of no injuries or deaths caused by this experience. After the vehicle hits a bump at highway speed, the steering wheel can vibrate back and forth by up to five degrees. Drivers claim that the only way to correct the wobble is to speed up or slow down. FCA says that the cause of this is a resonance in the front axle and dampers containing air bubbles. Cold weather makes the oil in the dampers less viscous and air bubbles won't dissipate quickly enough. Jeep will remedy the issue by installing a new damper free of charge to any customer who wants one, but it is not recalling the vehicle. All new Wranglers come with the new damper. There is currently a class action lawsuit pending that hopes to force FCA to recall the vehicle and calls the addition of a damper a band-aid. View full article

FCA Reports June 2019 U.S. Sales FCA US reports best June retail sales in 18 years; best total sales in 14 years Ram pickup trucks notch record as sales jump 56 percent to 68,098 vehicles sold Jeep® Gladiator captures an estimated 7 percent of the mid-sized truck market in its first full month in dealerships Dodge Charger posts highest June sales in 12 years FCA ends monthly sales reporting; first quarterly report to occur Oct. 1 July 2, 2019 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC reported its best June in 14 years as total sales climbed 2 percent to 206,083 vehicles, driven by Ram pickup trucks which had its highest month of sales since the brand was detached from Dodge and launched as a standalone division in 2009. Sales of Ram pickups for June rose 56 percent to 68,098 vehicles. For the quarter, Ram pickup truck sales finished at 179,454 vehicles. Jeep® Gladiator sales reached 4,231 vehicles sold, which helped the nameplate capture an estimated 7 percent of the mid-sized truck market after only one full month on dealership lots. The Dodge Charger also reached its highest level since 2007 with sales of 9,034 vehicles. Overall, June retail sales for FCA US hit the highest level in 18 years with 156,588 vehicles sold. Fleet sales totaled 49,495 vehicles and accounted for 24 percent of total sales. "For the first-half of 2019, Ram has been on a tear since we made the strategic decision to enter the year with a three-truck strategy. The new Ram 1500, Ram Classic and Heavy Duty are all generating a huge response from customers and critics alike,” Head of U.S. Sales Reid Bigland said. “This is now the third month Ram pickup sales have surpassed 60,000 since December. Our dealers had a steady stream of customers all month long.” June results also mark the end of monthly sales reporting by FCA US LLC. The first quarterly sales report will occur on Oct. 1, covering the months of July, August and September. See the attached table for the breakdown of brand and nameplate sales. FCA US LLC Sales Summary June 2019 Model Month Sales Vol % Change CYTD Sales Curr Yr Pr Yr Vol % Change Curr Yr Pr Yr Compass 10,976 15,142 -28% 75,513 87,510 -14% Patriot 1 47 -98% 13 549 -98% Wrangler 20,055 23,110 -13% 116,985 133,492 -12% Gladiator 4,231 0 New 7,252 0 New Cherokee 15,826 22,433 -29% 97,210 113,719 -15% Grand Cherokee 19,660 17,724 11% 123,272 109,313 13% Renegade 6,077 8,533 -29% 36,036 50,439 -29% JEEP BRAND 76,826 86,989 -12% 456,281 495,022 -8% Ram P/U 68,098 43,542 56% 299,480 233,539 28% ProMaster Van 5,937 6,996 -15% 26,712 20,362 31% ProMaster City 1,192 1,191 0% 6,976 6,440 8% RAM BRAND 75,227 51,729 45% 333,168 260,341 28% 200 0 52 -100% 35 894 -96% 300 2,904 4,318 -33% 15,857 24,707 -36% Town & Country 0 0 3 5 -40% Pacifica 10,037 9,114 10% 48,527 63,024 -23% CHRYSLER BRAND 12,941 13,484 -4% 64,422 88,630 -27% Dart 0 27 -100% 10 334 -97% Avenger 0 1 -100% 1 3 -67% Charger 9,034 6,640 36% 45,046 41,406 9% Challenger 5,067 6,822 -26% 28,668 37,367 -23% Viper 3 0 5 14 -64% Journey 6,704 11,286 -41% 45,431 52,309 -13% Caravan 12,215 16,267 -25% 71,947 86,778 -17% Durango 5,538 5,344 4% 36,991 32,722 13% DODGE BRAND 38,561 46,387 -17% 228,099 250,933 -9% 500 306 354 -14% 1,692 2,262 -25% 500L 90 157 -43% 399 904 -56% 500X 200 514 -61% 1,484 3,225 -54% Spider 337 401 -16% 1,528 1,894 -19% FIAT BRAND 933 1,426 -35% 5,103 8,285 -38% Giulia 768 979 -22% 4,346 6,362 -32% Alfa 4C 9 39 -77% 91 134 -32% Stelvio 818 1,231 -34% 4,600 5,769 -20% ALFA ROMEO 1,595 2,249 -29% 9,037 12,265 -26% FCA US LLC 206,083 202,264 2% 1,096,110 1,115,476 -2%

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has been lagging behind other automakers in terms of electrification, tending to focus more on how many more vehicles they drop the Hellcat V8 into. But that appears to be changing. The Detroit Bureau had the chance to speak with FCA's new global powertrain chief, Micky Bly. He said that within the next twelve to eighteen months, FCA would try to reposition itself as one of the industry’s leaders in electrification. “We’re not leaders now,” said Bly, “but we will be soon.” Bly wouldn't go into detail as to how FCA plans to do this. But we already know that a number of FCA brands have plans for hybrid and electric vehicles - including a new Fiat 500e. Sources also revealed that there is the possibility of the Hellcat V8 being teamed with a mild-hybrid setup that could add 130 pound-feet, and only add around 100 pounds to the overall curb weight. There is also the possibility of a production version of the Chrysler Portal concept, going with a full electric powertrain. Source: The Detroit Bureau View full article

At FCA, amid the backdrop of a proposed merger and its subsequent collapse, a lawsuit has been filed by Reid Bigland, head of the RAM brand and CEO of FCA Canada alleging that FCA has retaliated against Bigland for cooperating in a Federal prob of FCA's sales reporting process. Bigland joined Chrysler in 2006 and in turn took over the reigns of Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Dodge, eventually serving as CEO of FCA Canada. The lawsuit filed Wednesday accuses FCA of retaliation for not taking the fall for the sales reporting prob. Bigland claims his compensation has fallen by more than 90% and that the sales reporting process under scrutiny was one that he inherited. The probe of FCA's sales reporting started after two dealerships in Illinois filed a lawsuit alleging they were offered cash in return for reporting falsely inflated sales numbers. From that lawsuit, FCA was forced to recount and re-report its previous sales reports. The Security and Exchange Commission continued its investigation and Bigland cooperated. Bigland's position is that the sales reporting methods existed well before he assumed his roles, and he did nothing to change the reporting process already in place. Bigland claims that the SEC tried to settle with some admission of wrong-doing by the company and Bigland. Bigland declined to admit wrong doing and later sent a letter detailing the sales reporting practices to the SEC. Bigland sold his shares in the company in 2018 and he claims that FCA is withholding bonuses to pay for SEC fines if and when they come. For FCA's part they say via Detroit News: We'll have more information as it comes out. View full article

Fiat Chrysler Automobile has abruptly pulled back on their merger offer with Renault after the second day of negotiations came to a close. The Wall Street Journal reports that Renault's partner, Nissan declined to support the deal according to sources. During a vote today on the Renault board, the two Nissan representative abstained, raising concerns for both FCA and Renault that Nissan would back out of the alliance. This, in turn, caused the French Government (major stakeholder in Renault), to not pledge its support of the deal. The government asked for a delay on the vote until Nissan would guarantee that it would continue with the alliance. The falling of these dominos prompted FCA to withdraw their offer. The move is a heavy blow as FCA had reached a tentative agreement with the French Government on the merger according to two sources speaking to Reuters. FCA, Renault, and the French Government declined to comment. We'll update this story if any new details come to light. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) View full article

The merger between FCA and Renault has crossed another hurdle overnight with FCA agreeing to a compromise with the French government. The issue surrounded the French government's desire for a guaranteed seat on the company's board of directors and effective veto power on CEO appointments. In a compromise, Renault would give up one of its own board seats for one occupied by a representative of the French government. The makeup of the board would then be 4 seats allocated to FCA appointees, three to Renault appointees, and one to the French government. France is Renault's largest shareholder with a 15% stake in the company. Additionally, Renault would give up one of its two seats on the 4 member CEO selection committee to the French government. The new proposal goes to Renault's board for consideration. View full article

FCA US Reports March 2019 Sales Ram pickup reports new March record as sales increase 9 percent to 45,187 sold Jeep® Grand Cherokee notches best March ever as sales rise 26 percent to 24,655 vehicles sold Ram brand sets new March record as sales jump 15 percent to 51,822 sold April 2, 2019 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC reported a new March record for the Ram brand as sales jumped 15 percent, underscoring the success the company has found in its two-pronged strategy of selling both the Ram 1500 and Ram Classic. The performance of the Ram brand, combined with a new March record for Jeep® Grand Cherokee, countered general softness within the industry. FCA sold 200,307 vehicles in the month. "The industry had a tough first quarter but with spring finally starting to show its face and continued strong economic indicators, such as a boost in housing sales, lower lending rates and a strong labor market, we are confident that new vehicle sales demand will strengthen going forward," Reid Bigland, Head of U.S. Sales, said. "Meanwhile, our Ram brand sales and average transaction prices continue to be strong and our much anticipated, game-changing Jeep Gladiator pickup is on track for its in-market debut this month." See the attached table for the breakdown of brand and nameplate sales. Method of Determining FCA US LLC’s Monthly Sales. FCA US’s reported vehicle sales represent unit sales of vehicles to retail customers, deliveries of vehicles to fleet customers and to others such as FCA US’s employees and retirees as well as vehicles used for marketing. Most of these reported sales reflect retail sales made by dealers out of their own inventory of vehicles previously purchased by them from FCA US. Reported vehicle units sales do not correspond to FCA US’s reported revenues, which are based on FCA US’s sale and delivery of vehicles, and typically recognized upon shipment to the dealer or end customer. As announced on July 26, 2016, FCA US has modified its methodology for monthly sales reporting as follows: Sales to retail customers by dealers in the U.S. are derived from the New Vehicle Delivery Report (“NVDR”) system and are determined as the sum of (A) all sales recorded by dealers during the month net of all unwound transactions recorded to the end of that month (whether the original sale was recorded in the current month or any prior month); plus (B) all sales of vehicles during that month attributable to past unwinds that had previously been reversed in determining monthly sales (in the current or prior months). Fleet sales are recorded upon the shipment of the vehicle by FCA US to the customer or end user. Other retail sales are recorded either (A) when the sale is recorded in the NVDR system (for sales by dealers in Puerto Rico and limited sales made through distributors that submit NVDRs in the same manner as for sales by U.S. dealers) or (B) upon receipt of a similar delivery notification (for vehicles for which NVDRs are not entered such as vehicles for FCA employees). FCA US LLC Sales Summary March 2019 Model Month Sales Vol % Change CYTD Sales Curr Yr Pr Yr Vol % Change Curr Yr Pr Yr Compass 14,945 17,302 -14% 37,306 43,520 -14% Patriot 1 100 -99% 10 364 -97% Wrangler 21,963 27,829 -21% 49,978 55,504 -10% Gladiator 43 0 New 123 0 New Cherokee 18,262 23,764 -23% 49,420 50,610 -2% Grand Cherokee 24,665 19,616 26% 57,749 53,448 8% Renegade 7,449 9,771 -24% 18,218 24,659 -26% JEEP BRAND 87,328 98,382 -11% 212,804 228,105 -7% Ram P/U 45,187 41,307 9% 120,026 103,964 15% Cargo Van 0 0 0% 0 0 ProMaster Van 4,928 2,451 101% 13,319 6,457 106% ProMaster City 1,707 1,120 52% 3,668 3,233 13% RAM BRAND 51,822 44,878 15% 137,013 113,654 21% 200 8 189 -96% 26 659 -96% 300 3,704 6,223 -40% 8,290 12,992 -36% Town & Country 0 1 -100% 1 3 -67% Pacifica 8,457 13,086 -35% 23,274 32,579 -29% CHRYSLER BRAND 12,169 19,499 -38% 31,591 46,233 -32% Dart 2 87 -98% 8 252 -97% Avenger 0 0 100% 0 1 -100% Charger 8,858 8,504 4% 20,615 21,265 -3% Challenger 6,562 8,150 -19% 13,431 17,648 -24% Viper 0 6 -100% 1 9 -89% Journey 8,513 10,275 -17% 24,003 18,419 30% Caravan 15,806 16,292 -3% 35,440 43,144 -18% Durango 6,626 5,870 13% 17,019 16,233 5% DODGE BRAND 46,367 49,184 -6% 110,517 116,971 -6% 500 310 439 -29% 778 1,309 -41% 500L 61 173 -65% 168 395 -57% 500X 262 607 -57% 755 1,579 -52% Spider 214 325 -34% 513 731 -30% FIAT BRAND 847 1,544 -45% 2,214 4,014 -45% Giulia 858 1,284 -33% 2,035 3,085 -34% Alfa 4C 18 22 -18% 41 54 -24% Stelvio 898 1,270 -29% 2,210 2,653 -17% ALFA ROMEO 1,774 2,576 -31% 4,286 5,792 -26% FCA US LLC 200,307 216,063 -7% 498,425 514,769 -3%

A Nissan executive who has declined to be identified is upbeat about the possible FCA-Renault merger according to a report by AutoBlog. The deal, estimated at about $35 billion, would not give FCA the right to use Nissan technology via the Nissan-Renault alliance. The executive said he was optimistic about possible synergies of using Nissan's green and electric vehicle know-how in other vehicles. He also raised the possibility that Nissan could increase its stake, currently 15%, in Renault or FCA-Renault. Without increasing their stake, Nissan's share of the resulting company would be cut to 7.5%. FCA-Renault however, would continue to hold 43.4% of Nissan. Examples of some of the sharing could be Nissan's advanced engine technology currently used in Infiniti as a possible benefit for Alfa Romeo and Jeep. FCA and Renault for their part are still negotiating with each other and with the French government which wants job and production guarantees. Renault is said to have a decision on the merger by end of this week. View full article

FCA has sent a merger proposal to Renault in what would start as an operational tie-up leading to a full merger. The proposal is a 50/50 deal that will not involve Nissan or Mitsubishi and it estimated to be worth around $33 billion. Few details have been revealed, however, Renault's board said it would issue a press release after the meeting. Rumor has it that Renault is negotiating with FCA without the approval from Nissan or Mitsubishi. If the merger does go through, it would happen over the next 12 months and the combined companies would rank 3rd in the world in terms of production, just behind Toyota and Volkswagen. One complication to the deal is the French government's 15% stake in Renault. FCA has offered a guarantee to keep existing production locations but left the door open for white-collar job cuts. This comes after FCA turned down a merger proposal from PSA back in March of this year. View full article

FCA US Reports April 2019 Sales; Quarterly Reporting of Sales to Start in Q3 Jeep® Grand Cherokee and Jeep Compass post new April sales records Ram pickup notches best April ever as sales rise 25 percent Overall Ram brand sales reach new high FCA US to report sales quarterly starting Oct. 1 May 1, 2019 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC notched four U.S. sales records for April, highlighting consumer demand for the company’s brands despite continued softness within the industry. FCA sold 172,900 vehicles in the month compared to 184,149 vehicles for the same period a year earlier. Retail sales accounted for 129,382 vehicles and fleet accounted for 25 percent of total sales. On a year-to-date basis, fleet accounted for 27 percent of total sales. The Jeep® Compass and Jeep Grand Cherokee both reported April records as sales rose 10 percent and 23 percent, respectively. This was the second consecutive month Grand Cherokee set a record monthly high. The Ram brand achieved its fourth consecutive month of record sales for the year, as April sales rose 25 percent to 53,811 vehicles. Ram pickup sales also had their second consecutive month of record sales with 49,106 vehicles sold. "April marks the start of the spring selling season and we anticipate strong consumer spending as we move through May,” U.S Head of Sales Reid Bigland said. "The industry may be shaking off the first-quarter sluggishness, but shoppers are coming into showrooms and buying. We sold more than 300 Jeep Gladiators, which are now starting to arrive in showrooms across the country, and we expect our Gladiator count to continue to rise, reflecting both ongoing demand and the fulfillment of the 4,190 orders taken in early April for the 2020 Gladiator Launch Edition." See the attached table for the breakdown of brand and nameplate sales.

Financial Times is reporting that Renault wants to make the marriage to Nissan more official and formally merge. Renault wants to start talks within the next 12 months and include a potential bid for automaker FCA . The combined companies of Nissan, Renault, Fiat, and Chrysler would be a conglomerate that rivals the size of Toyota and Volkswagen. Carlos Ghosn tried to start merger talks prior to his arrest for financial wrongdoing, however, the French government stopped his proposals. Renault currently owns roughly 43% of Nissan. FCA has recently been in the news for potential talks with Peugeot to merge. Those reports were squashed when it came to light that the Agnelli family, who has a controlling stake in FCA, was not interested in a deal that was paid for with PSA stock. View full article

The heads of FCA and PSA separately stated to journalists at the Geneva auto show that their respective companies remain open to the idea of partnering or merging with another company, though neither named which potential suitor that could be. Robert Peugeot, who's family owns around 14% of PSA group said, "We supported the [Opel acquisition] from the start,” he told Les Echo in an interview held Monday. “If another opportunity comes up, we will not be braking, [PSA Group CEO Carlos Taveres] knows that." Meanwhile another potential partner could be Jaguar Land Rover. Merging with either company would give PSA better access to the US Market, something Peugeot is already planning on doing by 2026. For FCA, the benefits would be a more global partner and access to technology that would help meet Europe's strict emissions regulations. On the flip side, it would mean 3 additional brands on top of the 7 that FCA already has. View full article

The rumors that PSA and FCA may merge can be put to bed now. Sources familiar with the discussion told the Wall Street Journal that executives from the respective companies are no longer in talks. FCA was reticent about the idea because it would increase the companies reliance on the struggling European market, and the Agnelli family, who has a controlling stake in FCA, was not interested in a deal that was paid for with PSA stock. PSA would need to use equity to pay for FCA because they are still digesting their acquisition of Opel from General Motors. Had they merged, the combined company would produce over 9 million vehicles per year, putting them on a playing field with Volkswagen and Nissan-Renault. It would also give PSA a much needed foothold into the U.S. market for their planned 2026 re-entry. View full article

The EPA has announced that FCA will be issuing a voluntary recall of 862,520 gasoline vehicles in the United States that do not meet emissions standards. The vehicles covered are the 2011-2016 Dodge Journey, 2011-2014 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger, 2011-2016 Jeep Patriot and Compass (with CVT and FWD), and 2011-2012 Dodge Caliber. Due to the scope of the recall, the fixes will be issued in stages starting with the oldest vehicles. The fix involves replacing the catalytic converter. FCA has stated there are no safety concerns and no fines will be issued by the EPA. The issue was discovered during routing in-use emissions testing by FCA and subsequently reported to the EPA. FCA just settled a claim by the EPA that FCA used a cheat device in its diesel trucks and SUVS. View full article