Yahoo Autos Ram Recalling 1.2 Million Trucks Over Potential Stability Control Failure
The last thing anyone wants to deal with behind the wheel is an out-of-the-blue lack of traction — and that's doubly true when your truck can weigh more than 6000 pounds. So it's in no way surprising to hear the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall for more than one million Ram 1500 models, after it was determined that an ABS module fault could lead to the electronic stability control system unexpectedly disengaging.
Specifically, around 1.2 million 2019 and 2021-2024 Ram 1500 models in the United States are included in the recall, with an additional 233,161 vehicles in Canada, Mexico and outside of North America also affected. The issue stems from a faulty ABS module software introduced when 2019 model year Ram production started in calendar year 2017; the software was updated in 2024, meaning 100 percent of the five model years' of Ram 1500 trucks are plagued by faulty software.
Stellantis says that this failure will be marked by a number of lights on the dash, specifically ABS, ESC, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Forward Collision Warning indicator lights will be illuminated at vehicle start up. If these lights pop on, Stellantis says, the systems are not available; the brake pedal will still work, but anti-lock braking and the other aforementioned systems will not. The company says it is not aware of any crashes or injures due to this issue.
The remedy to the issue is fairly simple, with Stellantis saying it will update the ABS module software at no charge. The company also says that it will reimburse any owners who have incurred repair costs related to this issue prior to the recall.
The potential for electronic stability control failure is not only frightening for driver, of course, who may expect the safety system to kick in during slippery conditions or other troublesome scenarios, but it also creates issues with the feds. According to the NHTSA, all vehicles of the affected model years in the U.S. are required to have ESC operational "during all phases of driving including acceleration, coasting, and deceleration" — requirements which, clearly, could be violated by this failure.
The timeline for investigating and identifying the problem was relatively short, according to NHTSA filings. Stellantis was initially alerted to the issue in February, an analysis of the software was underway less than a month later and the issue was officially isolated by June 28, 2024. The recall was then formally issued on August 30, 2024.
Dealerships will be notified by September 12, while owners will received mailed notices in October. For more information on the recall, Ram 1500 owners are encouraged to check NHTSA's website.
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