Ram Owners React to the Huge Recall of 2009-2017 Ram 1500, 2500 and Heavy Duty trucks

There are several threads on different truck forums about the massive recall of nearly two million 2009-2017 Ram 1500 trucks and heavier duty Ram trucks. Fiat Chrysler North America lists the affected vehicles this way. “Affected are certain 2010-2017 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups; 2011-2017 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs; 2016-2017 Ram 3500 chassis cabs with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of less than 10,000 lbs. Certain 2009-2017 Ram 1500 pickups are also included in the campaign. Certain 2009-2017 Ram 1500 pickups are also included in the campaign, but heavy-duty trucks represent the majority of the affected vehicles.”

All of the 2017 Ram 1500 trucks built after December 31, 2016 are excluded from the recall.

The Malfunction Prompting the Recall

According to FCA, “The Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) may not function properly if subject to specific high-temperature conditions for prolonged periods.” In plain English, The gear shifter can fail if the vehicle is exposed to high interior temperatures. If the gear shift fails, the truck can be shifted out of park and the truck can roll, even if the brake pedal isn’t pushed and the key isn’t in the ignition.

Ram is aware of seven potentially related injuries and a small number of potentially related accidents.

Tom McCarthy, who oversees Safety and Compliance for FCA says in the company’s statement, “We urge customers to use their parking brakes, as recommended, and to ensure that child occupants are not left unattended.”

Owners Appreciate the Warning

While many owners are alarmed to find out that their trucks can be shifted out of park accidentally, others are pretty nonchalant about it. On one forum, Crispy, from Pennsylvania, says, “Heard about this the other day. I assume they will be sending out notifications by mail. As of this past weekend I didn’t see anything listed for my vin so they may still be going through details and solutions. This doesn’t seem like a big problem to me.”

Fire, from Wisconsin, raises an important question. “1.8 million trucks? How many years will that take to fix them all?”

Hemi, from New Hampshire, says “It will probably be like the recall on my wife's Jeep; the recall has been in effect for probably 8 months, but they still don't have the parts to fix it. FCA said it was seven cases that they were aware of, so it's more than likely a voluntary recall done at their own pace.”

The recall is limited to vehicles equipped with shifters mounted on their steering columns. Those with rotary-dial shifters or floor-mounted shifters are NOT affected.

FCA says that owners will be notified when the parts are available to fix the gear shifters. Worried owners can contact Ram and FCA US at (866)-220-6747.

Ram says 1.48 million of the vehicles are in the U.S. The recall affects nearly 250,000 trucks in Canada and nearly 43,000 in Mexico. Another 15,000 vehicles are outside North America.