For a little over a year, Ram has been investigating an issue with a number of heavy duty trucks from the 2021 model year that have experienced engine bay fires. For some reason, even when the engine is off, the solid-state intake heater relay in Ram trucks fitted with the 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel can suffer a short and catch fire. In March of this year, the company planned to recall about 20,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada when it thought the problem was limited to trucks with unprotected relays. In May, Ram discovered the issue occurring even in trucks with protected relays. Now Ram is preparing to recall 131,177 trucks from the 2021 and 2022 model years.
The models in question are:
- 2021-2022 Ram 2500 (DJ) pickups built between August 3, 2020 and October 8, 2021 (67,597 units)
- 2021-2022 Ram 3500 (D2) pickups built between August 5, 2020 and October 8, 2021 (39,324 units)
- 2021-2022 Ram 3500 Chassis Cabs (DD) built between August 12, 2020 and October 7, 2021 (7,317 units)
- 2021-2022 Ram 4500/5500 (DP) Chassis Cabs built between November 13, 2020 and October 8, 2021 (16,939 units)
Ram says it is aware of about 10 engine bay fires, but no accidents nor injuries due to the fires.
The bigger issue for now is that Fiat Chrysler engineers working with the component supplier still haven't been able to find a root cause for the fires. Until they can nail down a cause, Ram recommends parking affected models outside, away from structures and other vehicles.
The pickup maker expects to begin mailing letters to owners on December 3, the same day it informs dealers of the fix for the issue.
Owners with questions can call the Stellantis customer service line at 1-800-853-1403, the automaker's internal code for the recall being Y76. Or they can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153). Or go to www.nhtsa.gov. The NHTSA campaign number is 21V798