Stellantis recall alert: More than 1.2 million Ram 1500 trucks affected in the U.S.

Stellantis has recalled over 1.2 million Ram 1500s in the U.S. (1.5 million worldwide) due to a software bug that could affect the vehicle's stability and cause a crash.

The recall also includes 159,000 vehicles in Canada, 13,000 in Mexico, and 61,000 outside North America.

The details: The issue is caused by a software malfunction in the pickup’s antilock braking systems (ABS) control module that can disable the truck’s electronic stability control (ESC) system, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

• Failure of the ESC system can cause the vehicle to crash without warning.   

• Recall models include 2019 and 2021 – 2024 model-year Ram 1500 pickups.

• Potential warning signs of the malfunction include ABS, ESC, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), and Forward Collision Warning (FCW) indicator lights when the vehicle starts.

Stellantis officials said the brakes will work if the software fails. They aren't aware of any crashes or injuries from the issue.    

Next steps: Dealers will update the control module software in the affected vehicles, free of charge. 

• Stellantis will begin notifying dealers of the malfunction on or before September 12, and vehicle owners by on or around Oct. 3.  

• Ram 1500 owners who have already incurred the cost of repairing the software will be reimbursed upon providing the company with proof of purchasing the replacement part.

Worth noting: Stellantis, which has been plagued by quality issues, also issued a recall on Sept. 7 for about 33,000 Jeep Gladiators manufactured between 2020 and 2024 and Jeep Wranglers manufactured between 2018 – 2024.  

On top of that, the NHTSA has opened a probe into about 781,459 Stellantis vehicles over a fire occurring while the vehicle’s ignition was in an ‘OFF’ state.

The latest NHTSA call for fixes follows a series of Stellantis recalls in 2024, including: 

• July: 332,000 Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Jeep vehicles.  

• June: 1.2 million vehicles in North America, including Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram pickup trucks and SUVs. 

• March: 285,000 Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300s.  

• February: 338,000+ Jeep Grand Cherokees.

What we’re watching: Stellantis is already under heavy scrutiny and this latest recall is only fanning the flames. Shareholders are suing the company, alleging it misled investors by concealing its declining performance through positive statements. Now, Stellantis must rebuild both consumer confidence and investor trust while dealing with ongoing quality concerns and layoffs.

Go deeper: Shareholders sue Stellantis over allegedly hiding struggling profits

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