Ram Truck Diesel Engine Recall Issued Over Engine Stall, Accident Risks

A defective fuel pump can introduce metal shavings into the fuel system, causing wear and damage.

A defective high-pressure fuel pump has led to the recall of more than 200,000 Ram Heavy-Duty trucks, due to a risk that the diesel engines may stall if the pump fails, increasing the risk of a car crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the Ram pickup truck recall on November 12, impacting Heavy Duty and Chassis Cab trucks from the 2019 and 2020 model years.

The recall comes after a review of 22 complaints and two field reports by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). The complaints included reports of stalling and loss of power resulting from failures in the high-pressure fuel pump. An ODI investigation from October discovered speeds above 25 miles per hour could result in permanent damage to the affected Ram heavy-duty trucks.

A defect in the construction of the high-pressure fuel pump can lead to unintended wear on the mechanical components. This wear can result in metal shavings being introduced into the engine’s fuel system, potentially leading to “fuel starvation.” This fault could then cause the engine to stall if the vehicle is running or result in a failure to start.

In November of 2019, Stellantis, the parent company of Ram, Dodge and Chrysler, was aware of the possible issue and issued a warranty bulletin asking dealers to collect, monitor, and correct quality issues with the trucks’ high-pressure fuel pumps. This was the result of Ram engineers noticing an increase in warranty claims citing problems with the high pressure fuel pump. According to the NHTSA there were 495 customer assistance records and 6,399 warranty claims potentially related to this issue as of October 27, 2021.

The recall will affect the following vehicles with the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine:

• Model Year 2019-2020 Ram 2500 Pickup Truck
• Model Year 2019-2020 Ram 3500 Pickup Truck
• Model Year 2019-2020 Ram 4500/5500 Cab Chassis
• Model Year 2019-2020 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis

A total of 222,410 vehicles manufactured between October 11, 2018 and November 13, 2020 are affected by the recall, according to the NHTSA.

Recall notices will be sent to owners of the affected Ram heavy-duty trucks after January 1, 2021. Stellantis is expected to replace the defective high-pressure fuel pumps, update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software and inspect and, if needed, replace additional fuel system components at no cost to the consumer.

Owners of Ram trucks with questions can contact Stellantis’ customer service at 1-800-853-1403.