Stellantis is about to be on the hook for an enormous recall involving one of its most popular models.
At issue are several model years of the Ram 1500, trucks which apparently have potentially wonky software in the modules for their anti-lock brakes. According to the feds, a software malfunction in this part could disable the electronic stability control system, a problem which would not only cause hitches in drivability but also runs afoul of requirements in the federal motor vehicle safety standards.
A total of 1,227,808 vehicles are impacted by this recall, with the NHTSA saying the estimated percentage with the defect is 100 percent. That is not a perfect score one wants to get. Model years affected are 2019 and 2021 – 2024 inclusive, meaning they probably should have continued whatever was going on in 2020 for the ABS programming in this particular truck.
The so-called “suspect period” – which is a delightful phrase this author shall be incorporating into conversation at every opportunity – began on October 31, 2017 and ran until the middle of February this year. At that time, an updated version of the ABS module software was released. When made aware of the problem several months ago, Stellantis opened an investigation which culminated in this recall.
Owners of vehicles with this problem can expect a letter from the company about a month from now, while dealers should be officially notified within the next few days. An official fix will require the trucks be brought to a dealer for software updates.
[Image: Ram]
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