Photo: Ram
Chrysler has a bad reputation for very poor quality. How poor? How about forgetting to install some critical sensors in certain Ram 1500 trucks and sending the improperly produced vehicles to dealers nationwide?
According to documents filed with the federal watchdog, FCA US LLC started investigating this inexcusable oversight in October 2022. The Auburn Hills-based automakers reviewed production and shipping records through March 2023, which is way too long for the risks presented by those missing sensors.
If the B-pillar impact sensors are indeed missing, the airbags may not deploy in case of a crash. FCA US LLC also notes that missing sensors are joined by a message in the instrument cluster, informing the driver that the airbag system needs to be serviced. Supplied by Robert Bosch, the acceleration sensors in question may not have been installed in 37 trucks produced for the 2022 model year in the period between April 11 to April 13, 2022.
The automaker is currently aware of 13 warranty claims related to this problem, as well as zero field reports and no customer assistance records whatsoever. Dealers will be instructed on June 2 to inspect affected vehicles and – if missing – install the required B-pillar sensors that plant workers should have installed in the first place. Owner notifications will be mailed on June 2 as well.
Unfortunately for said owners, FCA US LLC didn't offer a list of vehicle identification numbers. The owners, therefore, should be heading over to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website to run the VINs through the federal watchdog's lookup tool.
The fifth-generation Ram 1500, codenamed DT, entered production in 2018 for the 2019 model year. The half-ton pickup isn't available with the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 anymore, and the North American half of Stellantis will be pulling the plug on the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 as well.
Going forward, the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 with eTorque mild-hybrid technology will be joined by the 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo I6. Currently available in standard- and high-output flavors in the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, the six-cylinder lump is manufactured at the Saltillo plant in Mexico alongside the 5.7-, 6.4-, and supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8s.
For the 2023 model year, the DT-series Ram 1500 is joined by the previous-gen DS in half-ton attire as well. The old 1500 soldiers on as an alternative to mid-size pickups from rival automakers. Although Ram could have used the Jeep Gladiator as the basis for a brand-new Dakota, the midsizer sadly failed to materialize.
Marketed as the 1500 Classic, the DS currently retails at $30,695 sans destination charge for the Tradesman Regular Cab 4x2 with the 8-foot bed and 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 without eTorque mild-hybrid assistance. The DT is a whopping $37,410 at press time for the Tradesman Quad Cab 4x2 6'4" and eTorque'd engine.
If the B-pillar impact sensors are indeed missing, the airbags may not deploy in case of a crash. FCA US LLC also notes that missing sensors are joined by a message in the instrument cluster, informing the driver that the airbag system needs to be serviced. Supplied by Robert Bosch, the acceleration sensors in question may not have been installed in 37 trucks produced for the 2022 model year in the period between April 11 to April 13, 2022.
The automaker is currently aware of 13 warranty claims related to this problem, as well as zero field reports and no customer assistance records whatsoever. Dealers will be instructed on June 2 to inspect affected vehicles and – if missing – install the required B-pillar sensors that plant workers should have installed in the first place. Owner notifications will be mailed on June 2 as well.
Unfortunately for said owners, FCA US LLC didn't offer a list of vehicle identification numbers. The owners, therefore, should be heading over to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website to run the VINs through the federal watchdog's lookup tool.
The fifth-generation Ram 1500, codenamed DT, entered production in 2018 for the 2019 model year. The half-ton pickup isn't available with the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 anymore, and the North American half of Stellantis will be pulling the plug on the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 as well.
Going forward, the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 with eTorque mild-hybrid technology will be joined by the 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo I6. Currently available in standard- and high-output flavors in the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, the six-cylinder lump is manufactured at the Saltillo plant in Mexico alongside the 5.7-, 6.4-, and supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8s.
For the 2023 model year, the DT-series Ram 1500 is joined by the previous-gen DS in half-ton attire as well. The old 1500 soldiers on as an alternative to mid-size pickups from rival automakers. Although Ram could have used the Jeep Gladiator as the basis for a brand-new Dakota, the midsizer sadly failed to materialize.
Marketed as the 1500 Classic, the DS currently retails at $30,695 sans destination charge for the Tradesman Regular Cab 4x2 with the 8-foot bed and 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 without eTorque mild-hybrid assistance. The DT is a whopping $37,410 at press time for the Tradesman Quad Cab 4x2 6'4" and eTorque'd engine.
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