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.
