Newsletter Stay up to date on car reviews, buying guides, articles and more Chrysler Group is recalling nearly 700 model-year 2012 Chrysler 200, Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Charger, Dodge Durango, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Journey and Jeep Grand Cherokee models built between August 31 and September 13, 2011.
All affected vehicles are equipped with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, which may potentially experience connecting-rod bearing failure due to manufacturing debris left inside the engine block during assembly.
Connecting-rod failure could lead to a seized engine and loss of vehicle control. No customer incidents have been reported due to this defect, which was detected during a quality audit of Chrysler’s Saltillo South Engine Plant.
Due to the recent manufacturing dates, most affected vehicles are on dealer lots or in transit to dealerships, and won't yet have been delivered to customers.
Chrysler will replace the engines of affected vehicles when the recall begins in October.
Owners will be notified via first class mail, but those with questions or concerns can contact Chrysler at (800) 853-1403. Questions may also be directed to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, which can be reached at (888) 327-4236.
Given its muddied history, we'll forgive you for brushing off Dodge's latest batch of R/T models. Although the R/T badge once signified a vehicle designed to tease, excite, and appease the enthusiast, in recent years, the nameplate was haphazardly applied to almost every Dodge, many of which drove no better than their conventional cousins. The R/T range has been renewed and expanded for 2011, but its original purpose is on the way to being restored. Dodge brand CEO Ralph Gilles has promised all future R/T models will offer a "higher level of dynamic capability" -- and that appears to hold true for the 2012 Avenger R/T, which debuts this week at the 2011 New York auto show.
As is the case with other current models in the R/T portfolio (now including the Charger, Grand Caravan, Durango, and Journey), the new sport-tuned Avenger doesn't receive any wild bump underhood. In fact, it continues to make use of the same 3.6-liter, 283-horsepower Pentastar V-6 found in lesser Avengers, matched up to a six-speed automatic transmission. 
In other words, it's not exactly a configuration that's going to raise eyebrows, quicken pulses, and set Internet discussion boards afire. But wait: In the immortal words of Ron Popeil, there's more. The secret, or so we're told, lies entirely with chassis tuning. Lo, engineers have had their way with the Avenger's suspension bits in an attempt to liven up a front-drive platform long regarded as more milquetoast than magnificent. The Dodge crew says stiffness is increased by 18 percent, while front and rear spring rates are upped by 17 and 12 percent, respectively.
