Chrysler recalls nearly 300,00 Ram 1500 in US

FCA (Chrysler) has issued a recall for 296,000 2019-2010 Ram 1500’s that need repairs to prevent the airbags and seat belt pretensioners from failing.

The 2019-2020 Ram 1500s have software problems related to the occupant restraint controllers which can disable the airbags. A software error may occur when the engine is turned off, NHTSA says. If a computer module doesn't properly reset, the airbags and seat-belt pretensioners wouldn't work properly in a collision. Fiat Chrysler says the 2019-2020 RAM 1500’s have software with vulnerabilities "during power-down memory clean-up events which can corrupt flash memory."

FCA says about a third of the recalled trucks are still at dealerships, and the 2020 trucks are pre-production models that the automaker still owns.

The repairs are expected to be available this month.

Vehicles recalled: 295,981 Ram 1500 pickup trucks from the 2019-2020 model years, built from Oct. 31, 2017 through May 21, 2019. 

The problem: Software in the computer module that controls the airbags and seat belt pretensioners may become corrupt. If that happens, those systems would be disabled.

The fix: Dealerships will reprogram the module or replace it as necessary at no charge to owners.

How to contact the manufacturer: Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 800-853-1403. FCA's numbers for this recall are V61 and V71.

NHTSA’s campaign number: 19V407.  

Check to see whether your vehicle has an open recall: NHTSA’s website will tell you whether your vehicle has any open recalls that need to be addressed.

If you plug your car’s 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) into NHTSA’s website and a recall doesn’t appear, it means your vehicle doesn’t currently have any. Because automakers issue recalls often, and for many older vehicles, we recommend checking back regularly.