Stellantis has made public a major recall affecting several Ram 1500, model 2025 models. Due to a malfunction in the software that controls the headlights, the safety of these vehicles may be compromised.
Stellantis recalls 53 Ram pickup trucks
Between September 20 and October 4, 2024, a batch of 2025 Ram 1500 vehicles were produced that have a defect in the software that controls the headlights. This problem is at great risk of causing the headlights to malfunction, rendering the vehicle noncompliant with road safety regulations. The problem was initially identified following an internal report on October 2, 2024. After a thorough analysis that was conducted in the following months, it was determined that the origin of the defect lay in an error made during the production of the vehicles.
Stellantis has therefore decided to recall about 53 Ram 1500 model year 2025 pickup trucks to the shop because of a software problem affecting the vehicles’ headlights. The defect we are talking about could cause the headlights to malfunction, rendering them inoperable, and consequently general driving problems for various drivers. The problem found violates a federal motor vehicle safety regulation (FMVSS No. 108), which sets minimum standards for headlights. Therefore, failure of headlights to operate properly poses a serious road safety hazard. A non-functioning headlight greatly limits the driver’s visibility, which disproportionately increases the likelihood of accidents, especially in low road light conditions.
What to do if you have one of the defective vehicles
Given the seriousness of the situation, FCA US decided on December 13, 2024, to launch a voluntary recall campaign to repair any vehicle affected by the problem completely free of charge. The summary of the timeline then is as follows. September-October 2024, the production of the vehicles with the faulty software. This is followed by October 2, 2024, when internal reporting of the potential problem was carried out. In October-November 2024, an internal investigation was done to understand the source of the problem. On November 27, 2024, the software-related construction problem was identified. Finally, on December 13, 2024, Stellantis decided to initiate the voluntary recall.
Therefore, the car owned by dozens of consumers may have a problem with the software that controls the headlights. To solve this problem, the automaker FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) has decided to update this software free of charge in all affected cars. What is necessary to do in this case? Wait for the letter, which should be delivered by January 21, 2025 that will inform if the car is involved in this recall. In addition, you can also contact FCA, in case you have questions or if you want to know if your car is affected, you can also call FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Finally, you can also search using the recall number, which is D4B. You can also contact the authorities. For more information or to report any problems, one can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the U.S. government agency responsible for road safety. They are available at 1-888-327-4236 or through their website nhtsa.gov.