Man, Fiat Chrysler just CANNOT catch a break. Fresh off the lawsuit earlier this year where they didn’t respond promptly enough to a series of recalls, they’ve announced another set of recalls. At least they’re on top of it this time!
Two recalls were announced last Thursday. The first is for 1.35 million Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickups and 3500, 4500, and 5500 Chassis cabs, all from 2012-2014. An internal investigation showed that some trucks could have wires in the steering wheel wear out because of contact with a spring, which in turn could cause a short circuit that deploys the air bag without a crash precipitating it. Two injuries have resulted from this issue, but no actual crashes. Less than 1% of trucks repaired for this problem had the air bag deploy incorrectly. FCA is mailing notices to all owners to inform them of the recall. Affected owners can take their vehicles to dealers to have the wiring harness tied off and protective caps installed on the springs.
The second recall concerns around 188,000 2014-2015 Ram Quad Cab trucks. The problem with these is that the side curtain air bags don’t comply with federal regulations covering rear passengers in the event of a roll over. FCA says they know of no crashes or complaints stemming from this issue. Owners will be notified when they can take their vehicle in to get the problem fixed.
If you’ve got a Ram that fits these parameters, you miiiight want to get it looked at.