Auburn Hills, MI — May 04, 2016 — Earlier this month, Fiat Chrysler announced a new recall centered around a series of Ram trucks. These vehicles were built between last January and September, and represent a possible threat to occupants due to power steering circuit contamination.

The investigations officially began in August 2015: A chronology document filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that was when electronic power steering systems appeared in user complaints. It started tracking possibly affected parts January 11, 2016.

The contamination issues could impact a total of 442 Ram 1500 DS or DX vehicles. The affected circuit boards may have been constructed during a single day at the production plant. A Part 573 Report listed with the NHTSA cited the Nexteer Automotive Corporation, also based in Michigan, as the supplier involved in this case. They helped the manufacturer trace suspicious EPS units.

Drivers that see a lit up Malfunction Indicator Lamp may want to proceed with caution, the report added. If the control circuit components suffer a short, the power steering function may permanently and suddenly shut off. Alternately, the power steering could fail intermittently, or the steering wheel could simply become more difficult to use. The remedy involves fully replacing the affected EPS.

This voluntary recall comes after no official notice of accidents or damage, although the manufacturer did receive three field reports as of March 11, the chronology stated. This source also noted that the suspect production period varies slightly depending on the plant location: The Saltillo plant’s suspect period begins on January 22, 2015, but only extends just under a month to February 17. The longer period belongs to the Warren plant, which is under suspicion from January 23 to September 13.

Auburn Hills, MI — November 04, 2015 — Thousands of Ram 1500 trucks produced this year may be in danger thanks to axle shafts that could be vulnerable to breakage thanks to poor use of heat treatment. In a press release cited by Autoblog, manufacturer Chrysler noted the potential danger this could cause for owners, although the defect has only led to one possibly related accident so far.

According to the source, 65,760 trucks are included in the U.S. extension of the recall. Around the world, the same action has led to thousands of more vehicles being included, with the greatest number of these (16,647) in Canada. The relevant model years for this recall are 2015 and 2016.

While there was no notification schedule included with the initial recall statement, the manufacturer is alerting users to contact dealerships in the event of suspicious activity. It also explained the results of the negative conditions and how they can trigger problems in the trucks.

“An FCA US investigation discovered axle shafts produced by a supplier may not have been properly heat-treated,” the press statement said. “This may contribute to increased wear and overheating sufficient to illuminate a vehicle’s Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) warning light; if ignored, the condition may lead to component fracture and possible wheel separation.”

Reuters reports that the total number of trucks recalled includes more than 86,000. As this new outlet also reported, other Chrysler recalls are currently in effect for possible dangers. More than 75,360 Jeep Cherokees for a different issue, involving air conditioning lines close enough to exhaust manifolds to cause a possible fire, a condition that has not led to any reported accidents.

Auburn Hills, MI — August 28, 2015 — Nearly 200 trucks are included in a new recall from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced this month. While there doesn’t appear to be any information on this in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) recall database, TruckingInfo features information on this action and what it means for dealerships and users.

According to this source, the trucks are from the 2015 model year and include the Ram 4500 and 5000 model names. Though the recall itself isn’t set to begin until next month, dealers are already instructed to replace the upper control arms to give the driver better reign over the vehicle and possibly keep a crash from occurring.

Even though this is just one recall for a relatively small number of trucks, it comes in the context of the greater scrutiny given to FCA and its recall practices. New England Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey have addressed the weak recall actions taken to address the vehicles, to which the government has taken new action. 

“This enforcement action is an improvement over the status quo, and it follows some of the measures that we have put forth in the Early Warning Reporting Systems Improvement Act, as it requires [Fiat Chrysler] to automatically submit documents related to potentially-fatal defects,” the two of them said in a letter to the head Administrator of the NHTSA, as the Hill reported.

During this same month, the manufacturer also held a Las Vegas meeting in which it announced new vehicles in development, including a new Dodge Charger and Jeep Wrangler SUV.