Tesla recalls a million models over pinch-happy windows, Dodge pays tribute to the fans with the Challenger Black Ghost, and automotive suppliers are raising prices. All this and more in today’s issue of The Morning Dump.
Welcome to The Morning Dump, bite-sized stories corralled into a single article for your morning perusal. If your morning coffee’s working a little too well, pull up a throne and have a gander at the best of the rest of yesterday.
Tesla Recalls Models Over Pinching Windows
The quality control issues keep on coming for Tesla, and this latest one is rather weird. More than a million models have been recalled due to defective power windows. I’ll let the NHTSA recall report explain this one.
Affected vehicles may not meet certain automatic window reversal system requirements in FMVSS 118, Section 5 (automatic reversal systems). When closing in circumstances subject to FMVSS 118, Section 5, the window may exert more force than Section 5 permits before retracting. The window may also retract less than the distance required under Section 5.
If a window is closing and detects an obstruction, the condition may increase the risk of a pinching injury to the occupant.
While this may seem minor in the grand scheme of things, NHTSA says that this issue violates FMVSS 118, section five regarding automatic window reversal systems. Plus, it’s just nice to have an automatic window reversal feature just in case you accidentally hit the window switch while any object is poking through the window aperture so you don’t shatter the glass.
Vehicles affected include certain 2021 to 2022 Tesla Model S , Model X, and Model Y vehicles, along with certain Model 3 sedans made between 2017 and 2022. Total number vehicles affected? A whopping 1,096,762. Fortunately, like many software-controlled recalls on connected cars, the fix is reportedly just an over-the-air software update, but it’s really an issue that never should’ve happened in the first place.
The Dodge Challenger Black Ghost Is One For The Fans
Dodge has pulled the wraps off its sixth Last Call special edition model and this one’s really for the fans. Say hello to the Challenger Black Ghost. In case you aren’t aware of the original Black Ghost Challenger, it was a 1970 Challenger that made a name for itself in the Detroit street racing scene. Special-ordered with the 426 Hemi, Super Track Pak, R/T package, and SE package, it was known for showing up, vanquishing all-comers, then disappearing into the night, not to reappear for months. It’s now on the National Historic Vehicle Register, so it’s clearly cemented itself in American automotive culture.
The new Challenger Black Ghost takes the spirit of the original and modernizes it for the 21st century. Starting with the Hellcat Redeye Widebody, the Black Ghost turns up the wick to 807 horsepower, gains a 3:09:1 rear axle ratio, and adopts some visual cues from the original. The white tail stripe is on deck, as is special gator skin roof vinyl. A few extra chrome bits like the Challenger script grille emblem really pop against the black paint without appearing overwrought.
It’s nice to see Dodge not only honoring its own internal heritage in this last run of Challenger and Charger muscle cars, but also the heritage of Mopar fans. For the Mopar faithful who miss out on the Black Ghost, Dodge has one more Last Call special edition to show off, expected to be unveiled at the SEMA show in Las Vegas.
Automotive Suppliers Are Raising Prices To Stay Afloat
It was only a matter of time before inflation set in to every single part required to make a new vehicle. Reuters reports that automotive suppliers are raising prices, with some price hikes ranging from 7 percent to 20 percent.
“During the course of this year, more and more suppliers have gone in to their customers,” demanding higher pricing from automakers, said Andreas Weller, chief executive of aluminum parts maker Aludyne.
“They’ve been trying to hold everybody off, but eventually the dam breaks and then you’ve got to pay people,” he said of the automakers.
Quite right, automakers do have to pay suppliers so that workers at those suppliers can keep food on the table [Ed note: And, ahem, healthy margins for the owners – MH]. So what does this mean to the average car owner? Well, not only will your next new car get more expensive, the cost of replacement parts is also expected to rise. While this may seem like a minor sting in the grand scheme of things, sometimes a few extra dollars to fix a car can be the difference between someone having a job and not.
NTSB Wants Alcohol Detection Systems In Every New Car
Get ready for the possibility of another safety gizmo you never asked for. Automotive News reports that the NTSB wants to see alcohol-detection systems in every new car.
The NTSB is recommending that NHTSA require passive alcohol-detection systems, advanced driver-monitoring systems, or a combination of the two, on all new vehicles.
The agency also recommends incentivizing automakers and consumers to adopt intelligent speed adaptation systems that could prevent speed-related crashes.
“We have to remember that technology is only part of the solution,” [NTSB Chair Jennifer] Homendy said. “To save lives on our roads, we need to look more broadly at the entire transportation system, which includes everything that can prevent a crash.”
This isn’t going to work and I’ll tell you exactly why. The average car on American roads is 12.2 years old, and that’s only going to grow as consumer spending power shrinks and new cars grow more expensive. It’ll take more than a decade for this tech to really worm its way into vehicles and even then, habitual drunk drivers will seek out cars made before this tech is implemented. If NHTSA issues an affirmative ruling on putting alcohol-detection tech in new cars before the November 2024 deadline, all it’ll really amount to is driving up the cost of new cars.
The Flush
Whelp, time to drop the lid on today’s edition of The Morning Dump. Happy Thursday, everyone. To celebrate the impending arrival of the weekend, let’s play a game. This one’s a little bit chaotic and I have no idea what to expect, but we’re going to give it a shot. I call it “sight-unseen” and here’s how it works. You can have any one used car for free, but the first person to reply to your comment gets to alter its condition in some way to make it slightly worse. Maybe they’ll give it a rebuilt title, maybe they’ll swap in an automatic gearbox, maybe they’ll ensure it was initially ordered in a rather controversial color combination. Ready? Set? Game on.
Lead photo courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
Oh, I like this one. I irrationally hate: Nissan, Stellantis, and VAG. So, I’m gonna create an AD even I hate, just to see where this might go myself.
Ad:
Nissan Rogue shell with a swapped in diesel cheating TDI mysteriously built in the Conner Avenue Assembly plant on August 31, 2017 by Trumpers who were drunk.
Could that get even worse???
I understand that Tesla windows can be fixed by heaving a couple of ball bearings at them.
Curious as to what causes the window issue to be a full blown recall when other issues are fixed via pushed out software updates absent a recall notice. Maybe I just don’t understand the legal framework
Also, sorry to tell you, but that 9-5 had the dogleg rust “professionally repaired” with hand-shaped toothpaste and spraypaint. Which is somehow still an improvement.
A) Cry about supply-chain crunches to the public
B) Cry about the uncertain economic future to your labor force
C) Brag about record profits to your investors
D) All of the above
Shove a Vette engine under the hood.. and Mud Tires.