Category Archives: FCA

Stellantis RAM 2500 & 3500 Truck Problems

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Transmission Fluid Leak May Cause Fire In Certain Stellantis Trucks

Chrysler’s parent company, Stellantis has issued a recall for certain 2020-2022 Ram 3500 and 2020-2023 Ram 2500 heavy-duty diesel trucks because of a problem that could result in an engine compartment fire. These trucks are equipped with Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engines and 68RFE transmissions.

According to the defect report, a build-up of heat and pressure inside the transmission may result in transmission fluid being expelled from the dipstick tube. If the fluid comes in contact with an ignition source within the engine compartment, it could result in a vehicle fire. Stellantis is still working on a fix for this problem. Chrysler’s number for this recall is ZA3 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-835.

In the past two years, Stellantis’s Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 trucks have experienced a high number of recalls.

Owners Are Advised To Park Outdoors Due To Fire Hazard

It began in February 2021, when an investigation was opened into engine compartment fires in certain 2021-2022 Ram 2500, 3500 pickup trucks and 2021-2022 Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500 cab chassis vehicles equipped with Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engines. An electrical short within the solid-state intake heater grid relay could result in a fire, even when the ignition was turned off. Owners are advised to park these vehicles outside and away from structures and other vehicles until the problem has been fixed. Approximately 131,000 vehicles were affected by this recall.

Side curtain Air Bag May Not Deploy Properly

In November 2021 an airbag recall was issued for a small number of 2021-2022 RAM 1500, 2500 and 3500 trucks. The side air bag inflatable curtain (SABIC) assemblies in these vehicles were manufactured with a low gas mass that would result in an airbag non-deployment or slow deployment or a high gas mass that could result in aggressive airbag deployment and an increased risk of occupant injury in certain crash scenarios.

Stellantis RAM Electrical Problems

Stellantis issued three more recalls before their most recent for transmission fluid leaks that could cause fires. In March 2022, approximately 370, 000 Dodge Duango, RAM 2500, and Ram 3500 trucks were repaired for an electronic stability control (ECS) indicator light that could fail to illuminate during a control problem, increasing the risk of a crash.

In June 2022, certain 2022 Ram 1500, 2500 pickup trucks, and 3500 Cab Chassis vehicles with GVWR less than 10,000 lbs, experienced a radio software problem that could prevent the rear view image from displaying. These vehicles failed to comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for rear visibility.

In August 2022 a misaligned capacitor inside the ECM of certain 2022 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500 and 5500 trucks, could cause an electrical short, and a loss of drive power.

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ECM Defect On RAM Trucks Could Cause Loss Of Drive Power

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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) USA will be contacting the owners of certain 2022 Ram trucks because their vehicles may have a manufacturing defect within the Engine Control Module (ECM) that could affect vehicle safety. This defect affects vehicles equipped with Cummins 6.7L turbo diesel engines and could result in an unexpected engine stall.

The RAM trucks affected by this defect include:

2022 Ram 2500
2022 Ram 3500
2022 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis
2022 Ram 4500 Cab Chassis
2022 Ram 5500 Cab Chassis

The FCA Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance (TSRC) organization became aware of the problem in August 2022 when they were contacted by the RAM truck assembly plant regarding suspect ECMs manufactured with a defective component. According to the NHTSA safety report, some ECMs may have been manufactured with a misaligned capacitor that could short-circuit and create an internal loss of communication. This internal loss of communication could result in a loss of motive power and an increased chance of an accident.

The suspect period for these defective ECMS began on May 31, 2022, and ended on August 23, 2022, when the ECMs were quarantined. This time period was determined using supplier traceability and vehicle production records. Similar vehicles not included in the recall did not receive suspect ECMs or were repaired prior to release from the assembly plant control.

Owners who receive notices will be asked to return to their dealers to have ECMs in their trucks replaced. FCA US, LLC’s number for this recall is Z87 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-642.