The Ram 1500 4x4 faces recall.

Chrysler Group is recalling more than 45,000 Ram 1500 pickup trucks due to a problem with their electronic stability control system.

It’s an ironic turn of events as the full-size Ram pickup was today given a “Recommended” rating and named the top truck by Consumer Reports magazine – a coveted endorsement, especially for a carmaker that has been having its problems with safety related recalls lately and one that has been struggling to reverse a long-standing reputation for quality and reliability issues.

According to Chrysler, the recall is the result of a software glitch that could cause the vehicles’ electronic stability control system to fail when the pickups are started up. The technology is used to monitor how a vehicle is behaving on the road and can prevent a skid or rollover.  As a result, a disabled stability control system could cause a crash following an aggressive maneuver or due bad weather and road conditions.

The maker says it began investigating the problem after receiving warranty complaints but adds that it has no record of accidents, injuries or fatalities related to the problem.

The recall covers some of the earliest vehicles produced after Chrysler launched production of an all-new Ram truck for the 2013 model-year. The safety campaign covers only Ram 1500 4×4 pickups produced between June 26, 2012 and February 5, 2013.

(Ram 1500 named top truck by Consumer Reports. Click Herefor the story.)

The maker will directly notify owners in August and will make repairs at no charge.

The Ram 1500 has been widely hailed for its 2013 redesign, winning the North American Truck of the Year award early this year, and then receiving the Consumer Reports imprimatur this week.

The magazine rated the big pickup above all competitors, including the segment best-seller Ford F-150 as well as imports like the big Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra. CR editors noted that the Ram 1500 has had a good record of reliability and has done well in federal and insurance industry crash tests.

The recall is a particular black eye for Chrysler which recently announced five recalls in one day covering 840,000 vehicles. Just weeks earlier it reversed its initial position and agreed to recall 1.6 million Jeeps federal safety regulators claimed were prone to catching fire in rear-end collisions.