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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Recalls 1.25 Million Ram Pickup Trucks

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will operate a global recall for 1.25 million Ram pickup trucks that focuses on a software error that may lead to a safety issue.
2015 Ram 1500 1 photo
Photo: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
The vehicles in question are 2013-2016 Ram 1500 and 2500 models, along with 2014-2016 Ram 3500 pickup trucks. Models exported to other markets, but initially sold in North America will also have to stop by an FCA dealer for a reconfiguration of the airbag control unit.

Canada has received an estimated 216,007 affected units, Mexico’s roads have about 21,668 trucks with the issue, and 21,530 of the 1.25 million potentially defective pickups were sold outside the NAFTA region.

Apparently, a software error in the described electronic component could lead to the temporary disabling of the side airbag and seat belt pre-tensioners.

These two safety elements, vital in any modern vehicle for the protection of its occupants in the event of a crash, might not act accordingly in the case of a collision of a particular type.

While the airbag’s function is clear to almost everyone, the pretensioners have the role of reducing slack in a seat belt to prevent injury and control the position of an occupant’s body in the event of an impact.

They work with a small explosive capsule that is deployed at the same time of the airbags, and these devices limit the amount of force subjected by the belts on the occupants to limit injury.

According to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the problem may manifest itself in the event of a rollover, or if a “significant underbody impact” takes place before the crash.

Apparently, the use of particular types of sensors may cause the airbag control unit to erroneously believe that the parts have failed, leading to the deactivation of those components to prevent injury.

Deployment suppression is a safeguard in most modern vehicles, and it appears if a sensor fails, which is not the case for these pickup trucks.

Instead of a fault, the problem comes from a software error that leads to a warning light in the instrument cluster, which accompanies the temporary disengagement of the side airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners for that ignition cycle.

Two injuries, two accidents, and a fatality have been linked to this problem. FCA urges its clients to follow the instructions of their recall notices. Customers are asked to wear their seat belts every time they are operating or riding in any motor vehicle.

Until the units get fixed, users can restore the function of their side airbags and seat belt pretensioners like they would with a personal computer.

The vehicle must be stopped, and its ignition must be placed in the “Off” position. From there, the users must set it in the “On/Run,” and they can verify that the safety devices are working through the absence of the mentioned warning light.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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