Facing complaints that a recall fix caused some Jeep Grand Cherokee and Commander models to subsequently malfunction, Chrysler has denied a causal relation but promises to pay for repair costs in some cases.

The issue starts with a recall last year that affected nearly a half million 2005-2012 Grand Cherokees and 2006-2010 Commanders, which were vulnerable to problems with the circuit board on their NVG 245 transfer case. The company decided to address the issue with a software update to prevent accidental shifting into neutral due to cracked boards.

After bringing their Jeeps in to have the final-drive controller reflashed, more than a few owners reportedly encountered “4WD system error” faults and loss of low-range 4WD mode.

Some of the affected vehicles are said to have required a new transfer-case actuator to be installed. Other owners reverted back to old software and claimed that the 4WD warning lights went off and 4WD-low functionality was restored, albeit with the risk of neutral rollaway.

“The update has no bearing on the root cause of the warning-light activation,” the company said in a statement posted by Autoweek. “Chrysler Group engineers developed the software update, which prevents an inadvertent transfer-case shift and also enables identification of a pre-existing electrical fault that was previously undetectable.”

Despite the denial of responsibility for breaking Jeeps that left the service centers with new warning lights illuminated, Chrysler will cover repair costs “on a case-by-case basis.”

The UAW has filed an appeal with the National Labor Relations Board claiming that outside influences from politicians and special interest groups negatively affected a recent vote at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, production plant.

Earlier this month workers at VW’s Tennessee plant voted down joining the UAW by a count of 712-to-626, but the union claims the outcome would have been different had it not been for anti-union campaigns run by outside entities.

The appeal specifically calls out U.S. Senator Bob Corker, who publicly promised that the Chattanooga plant would be chosen to build a new SUV if workers rejected the UAW’s bid for representation.

“Senator Corker’s conduct was shameful and undertaken with utter disregard for the rights of the citizens of Tennessee and surrounding states that work at Volkswagen,” the objection states. “The clear message of the campaign was that voting for the union would result in stagnation for the Chattanooga plant, with no new product, no job security, and withholding of state support for its expansion.”

UAW president Bob King also voiced his displeasure with Corker, along with some of the state’s other elected officials.

“It’s an outrage that politically motivated third parties threatened the economic future of this facility and the opportunity for workers to create a successful operating model that that would grow jobs in Tennessee,” said King. “It is extraordinary interference in the private decision of workers to have a U.S. senator, a governor and leaders of the state legislature threaten the company with the denial of economic incentives and workers with a loss of product. We’re committed to standing with the Volkswagen workers to ensure that their right to have a fair vote without coercion and interference is protected.”

The UAW is desperately trying to convert at least one southern factory owned by a transplant automaker to help stem its sliding membership.

The NLRB will review the UAW’s appeal and determine if a re-vote is necessary.

Hyundai has fully revealed its Intrado concept crossover ahead of the Geneva Motor Show.

The company hopes the Intrado’s aesthetics will help attract younger buyers and distinguish the brand from Kia, while also serving as a demonstration platform for a new form of carbon-fiber construction that could make its way to production vehicles in the coming years.

“Many people say Hyundai is the more conservative brand of the two, but I don’t think that’s the right way,” designer Peter Schreyer told Auto Express. “It’s not an old man’s car, it can be sporty too with its rally racing background and more.”

The company has filed a patent for a construction method that starts with soft carbon-fiber tubing that can be bent into different shapes. Once the desired form is achieved, resin is cured inside the tubes to create a rigid frame.

The approach is claimed to be rigid enough to eliminate the need for a B-pillar between the front and rear seats, simplifying passenger entry. It is also said to be much lighter and simpler to produce, compared to current mainstream construction methods with steel or aluminum.

The Intrado is designed around Hyundai’s second-generation hydrogen fuel cell, which is claimed to deliver a range of over 365 miles and push the car to 62 mph in approximately 12.5 seconds.

Additional details are expected to be disclosed next month as the Intrado goes on display in Geneva.

Subaru has published an enigmatic teaser image that previews the Geneva-bound VIZIV 2 concept. The name VIZIV is derived from the phrase “vision for innovation.”

As its name clearly implies, the VIZIV 2 is billed as an evolution of the VIZIV show car displayed at last year’s edition of the Geneva Motor Show. The teaser image suggests the two-door crossover has been updated with a new front end that gains sharp headlights, round LED fog lights and a three-slat grille with a hexagonal frame.

The visual updates put the VIZIV 2 in line with recent additions to the Subaru lineup such as the 2015 WRX STI, the 2015 Legacy and the Japan-only Levorg station wagon.

The original VIZIV was powered by a diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain consisting of a 2.0-liter oil-burning flat-four spinning the front wheels and two electric motors independently providing power to the rear wheels. Subaru has not disclosed what lies under the VIZIV 2′s hood but it’s safe to assume it is powered by an equally-efficient setup.

Look for a full set of details about the Subaru VIZIV 2 concept to emerge in the coming days.

What’s Next?

Subaru has all but confirmed it is planning on adding more crossovers to its lineup. A seven-seater crossover inspired by the Crossover 7 concept is expected to replace the aging Tribeca in the near future, and a toned down version of the VIZIV aimed at a younger target audience could make production before the end of the decade.

Mazda has published a dark teaser image that previews a new concept called Hazumi. Named after the Japanese word for “bounce,” the Hazumi will greet the public for the first time next month at the Geneva Motor Show.

As is often the case, the teaser image reveals precious little but Mazda promises the Hazumi takes the form of a close-to-production concept that accurately previews the next generation of the Mazda2 subcompact, one the oldest member of the company’s lineup. The concept closely follows Mazda’s KODO design language with slender headlights, curvaceous flanks and an elegant five-point grille.

Interior shots are being kept under wraps until the hatchback’s formal debut but expect a well-finished cockpit with a clean layout and a generous serving of high-tech equipment.

Full details about the Mazda Hazumi concept will emerge in the coming days. The next Mazda2 could bow as soon as next fall’s Tokyo Motor Show and land in U.S. showrooms as a 2015 model shortly after.

New Skyactiv

Mazda will also showcase a new 1.5-liter four-cylinder Skyactiv-D turbodiesel engine in Geneva. The mill will be widely used in Europe as an entry-level oil-burner and it might make its way to the United States under the hood of smaller models like the Mazda3.

The Department of Homeland Security has temporarily shelved a plan to establish a commercial database for tracking license-plate numbers scanned from various sources around the country.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement had published a solicitation for a tracking database for license plate numbers that “pass through cameras or are voluntarily entered into a system,” to help the agency hunt down fugitives and undocumented immigrants.

“The solicitation, which was posted without the awareness of ICE leadership, has been canceled,” said ICE deputy press secretary Gillian Christensen in an statement to Bloomberg. “While we continue to support a range of technologies to help meet our law enforcement mission, this solicitation will be reviewed to ensure the path forward appropriately meets our operational needs.”

License-plate tracking systems are already in place throughout the country, with practices varying by state and individual enforcement agencies, however privacy advocates voiced concerns over the implications of a nationwide universal database.

“Where people travel can reveal a great deal about them — where they go to the doctor, who all of their friends are, every deviation from their daily routine,” said ACLU staff attorney Catherine Crump. “That is not the type of information that should be collected about each and every one of us when there is no reason to believe we are doing anything wrong.”

It is unclear if ICE plans to push forward with the plan after its initial review, though Christensen promises that the system would only be used for criminal investigations and the data would be collected and stored by a private company rather than the government.

Ford has cut ties with long-time pitchman Mike Rowe.

Best-known for hosting Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs,” Rowe has been promoting Ford’s cars, trucks and service for the last seven years. Ford didn’t give a specific reason for the breakup, saying only it was time to move on.

“We decided after a great association with Mike Rowe for several years that it was time to move in a new direction,” Ford spokesman Chris Preuss told Advertising Age, an affiliate of Automotive News. “We are no longer working together.”

Rowe confirmed the split on Glenn Beck’s radio show.

“After seven years, we’re going in different directions, and I’m wishing them every possible success that any car company could ever have,” Rowe said.

Preuss said Ford has no current plans to replace Rowe with another spokesperson.

Speaking to media at the South Carolina Auto Summit, Governor Nikki Haley made it clear that union jobs from Ford, General Motors, Chrysler or any other companies are not welcome in her state.

“I think unions are trying to get in wherever they can; they’re getting desperate and so they are trying to sneak in anywhere they can,” she told a reporter from The Greenville News. “My job is to make sure that I keep kickin’ ‘em out.”

When pressed for her opinion on Volkswagen’s attempt to establish a German-style works council, Haley suggested it was an “odd situation” that South Carolina attempts to avoid by talking with potential incoming companies “ahead of time” and clarifying the state’s anti-union stance.

“We discourage any companies that have unions from wanting to come to South Carolina because we don’t want to taint the water,” Haley added.

In an interesting twist following the vote by VW’s Chattanooga workers to reject UAW representation, the company’s labor leader threatened to block any further expansion plans in the South.

One of Haley’s Democratic opponents, State Senator Vincent Sheheen, supports union-restricting “right to work” legislation, however he has taken a more cordial tone regarding prospective employers.

“We need good, high-paying jobs in South Carolina,” he said. “Part of leadership is putting ideology and partisanship to the side when there’s something that could be good for South Carolina.”