Ram expanded a recall for an increased engine fire risk in its heavy-duty diesel pickup trucks, the NHTSA disclosed last week. That brings the total number of trucks recalled from the 2021-2023 model years to 302,067 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 Cab Chassis in the U.S., and nearly 341,000 Ram HD trucks worldwide.
In trucks equipped with a Cummins 6.7-liter turbodiesel inline-6 engine, an electrical short in the engine block heater grid relay can trigger an engine compartment fire, with or without the engine running. The NHTSA declared it an urgent fire risk, and urged owners to park the trucks outside and away from building, structures, and other vehicles until the issue has been fixed.
The widespread and urgent recall is an expansion of an earlier recall issued Oct. 14, 2021 for 2021-2022 Ram heavy-duty Cummins turbodiesel engines. That recall encompassed 131,177 trucks. The problem continued in vehicles built after that initial recall.
Parent company Stellantis identified six field reports and three warranty claims for the engine fires, though it said it was aware of no injuries or crashes related to the issue. Ram said there were no warnings in the truck if the engine compartment was about to catch fire. The remedy is a new internally fused relay for the heater.
Ram dealers will replace the relay, free of charge, and owners can expect notification of the remedy timeline by mail by March 31, 2023. For more info, contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403 or visit Ram’s recall page.
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