- stellantis is recalling 212,373 u.s.-market ram pickups to fix a problem with the side curtain airbag inflator that could cause the airbag to rupture.
- the issue affects 2015–2020 ram 2500 and ram 3500 pickups along with some ram classic 1500 pickups, also from 2015–2020. no current-generation ram 1500 pickups—which started being built in 2019—are involved with this problem.
- the problem is also unrelated to the massive and well-publicized takata airbag explosion recalls of the past; those airbags had ammonium nitrate, which the ram airbags do not, stellantis said.
stellantis has issued a statement saying it will voluntarily recall 212,373 ram pickups to replace defective side curtain airbags. the inflators in the airbags were "contaminated by moisture" during manufacturing, the company said, which could cause the airbags to rupture even in the absence of a crash or airbag deployment. if that happened, stellantis said, debris could explode into the passenger cabin.
the recall includes 2015–2020 ram 2500 and 3500 pickups, 3500 cab-chassis trucks, and previous-generation ram 1500 pickups, known as the ram classic. the current-gen 2019–2021 ram 1500 is not included.
stellantis said there has only been one report of a rupture, and no injuries resulted.
the company said the supplier of the inflators was also involved in a recall by "another automaker." the detroit free press noted that gm recalled more than 400,000 chevy silverado and gmc sierra pickups over the same issue earlier this year and that those inflators were produced by joyson safety systems in mexico. the paper also reported stellantis's statement that the ram's air bags do not contain ammonium nitrate, the ingredient in the takata airbag inflators that have been part of a massive recall.
owners of potentially affected ram trucks can contact ram by phone at 800–853–1403 or check the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) recalls site for further information. owners will be contacted and the airbags will be replaced at no charge at an unspecified future date.