Laguna Hills, CA – February 6, 2019 – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is recalling more than 193,000 of their newly released 2019 Ram 1500 pickup trucks with adjustable pedals due to a possibility that the brake pedal may detach. The recall is expected to affect roughly 222,000 model-year 2019 Ram 1500 pickups worldwide that are equipped with the adjustable pedals. The 2019 Ram Classic is not affected by this recall.
The Defect
According to Consumer Affairs, affected vehicles have electrically operated adjustable brake pedals to allow drivers of different heights to comfortably position the gas and brake pedals closer to them, or further away from them, depending on their height and leg length. FCA said these Ram brake pedals may detach if drivers adjust them to their rearmost positions. Lack of braking power can potentially lead to a crash, injury and even death.
Timeline of Events
According to a safety bulletin released by FCA, an FCA US investigation researched vehicles that have been equipped with the pedal adjustment feature. The adjustment process, which is activated by a switch and operated with an electric motor, is recommended for use only when the vehicle is stationary as it enables a driver to adjust pedal position.
The investigation found that drivers activating the feature to move pedals to their rear-most position may, in vehicles that have a particular defect in design, cause the integrity of the brake pedal assembly to become compromised which can lead to detachment of the brake pedal.
Additional vehicles will be subject to recall in Canada (est. 22,111), Mexico (est. 783) and certain regions outside the North American market (est. 5,487). The NHTSA has not yet provided more details on this recall or the sequence of events leading to the announcement.
FCA US stated that the company is currently unaware of any related injuries or accidents. However, customers affected by this recall are urged to refrain from using the adjustable-pedal feature until their vehicles are serviced, and also to never use the adjustable-pedal feature while driving. More information can be found in owner manuals.
The Solution
According to the FCA bulletin, dealers will “further secure the brake pedal” at no charge to owners. FCA says it will notify owners of affected trucks. More than 33% of affected vehicles are still at dealerships, and all of those vehicles will be repaired before they are sold. Owners can contact FCA at 800-853-1403. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has yet to issue a recall number for this campaign.
