Chrysler is recalling more than 494,000 Ram medium- and heavy-duty trucks with 6.7-liter V8 engines in them.
Fiat Chrysler is recalling nearly 500,000 medium- and heavy-duty Ram trucks due a water pump issue that could potentially lead to a fire.
The problem affects 2013–2017 model year Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups as well as 3500, 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs. The action covers only trucks with 6.7-liter engines, according to FCA. The problem hasn’t led to any injuries or fatalities, the company noted.
According to reports, the automaker is “aware of a small number of incidents,” that met the “regulatory definition of fire, which includes everything from a burning odor to open flame.” Some of those fires caused damage to the vehicles in the area around the water pump.
The trucks, which no longer use water pumps, will require service depending on which of two water-pump variants is installed in the vehicle. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries to date.
(FCA recalling more than 1.25 million Ram pickup trucks. For the story, Click Here.)
“Customer feedback prompted an FCA US investigation that discovered certain trucks are equipped with a water-pump bearing that, after exposure to certain conditions, may overheat and potentially cause an engine-compartment fire,” according to a release.
“Compromised water-pump function may activate a warning light in an affected vehicle’s instrument cluster. Customers are urged to consult their dealers whenever they observe warning lights.”
(Click Here to see spy shots for the 2019 Ram 1500.)
Affected customers will be notified when service time is available. Dealers will inspect the water pumps and replace them if necessary. The recall affects about 443,712 trucks in the United States, 46,220 in Canada and 4,485 outside North America.
Customer with questions can call the FCA U.S. Recall Information Center at (800) 853-1403. The action isn’t the first one this year involving Ram pickups.
(To see more about GM recalling 800k pickups over a steering wheel issue, Click Here.)
In May, FCA recalled more than 1.25 million late-model Ram trucks for faulty passenger airbag sensors and another 1 million plus Ram trucks in July 2015 for airbags that could inadvertently deploy.