Fiat Chrysler will start recalling more than 1,800,000+ RAM trucks due to a problem with the shift that would potentially release vehicles from the Parking position without pressing the brake pedal. A small number of accidents have been reported involving rollovers of parked vehicles.
Specific Issue: Rollover from "P"
If you have tried to change gears on an automatic vehicle, you will notice that the brake pedal needs to be pressed. The specific issue happens when the transmission shift interlock "fails" to handle this correctly under specific circumstances, resulting in that just by pulling the shift by accident, will move out the gear from the parking position.
In the meantime, it is highly relevant that the parking brake is applied when the shift is placed in the Parking ("P") position. It will ensure to have a double lock, in case that it gets accidentally unlocked.
Covered Vehicles
Around 1.5 Million trucks in the U.S plus 290,000 sold in Canada and Mexico together.
The affected vehicles are presumed to be only the ones with the "steering column mounted" shifter, not the ones with the floor-mounted gearshift. Specifically, variations of the RAM pickups models from 2010 to 2017 but built before December 31st, 2016:
- RAM 1500
- RAM 2500
- RAM 3500
- RAM 4500
- RAM 5500
Trucks built after and including Jan. 1st, 2017 are not covered.
