Dodge Ram Fire Hazard

Nowadays, we have a myriad of automobiles and vehicles to choose from, and there are dozens of different manufacturers that come up with new designs and advanced features to ensure a smooth and comfortable drive to consumers. However, it can be a nightmare for consumers when the brand new vehicle they buy suddenly catches fire.

When it comes to reputed automotive manufacturers, Chrysler/FCA is a name that you wouldn’t miss. Chrysler/FCA owns the line of Ram Trucks that were earlier sold as the Dodge Ram until 2010. The reason why we are mentioning this specific vehicle is because Chrysler/FCA is forced to recall hundreds of thousands of their Ram Trucks, because of the fire hazard that they impose.

In the past few years, several vehicles from different automobile manufacturers have caught fire, and this has been quite alarming for them. Moreover, it also endangers the life of passengers and also causes them financial damages, which can be a source of mental disturbance and trauma for them as well.

When Did It Start?

The Ram trucks that were manufactured between 2013 and 2021 are known to have faulty components that cause a fire in the vehicle. This was brought to the company’s notice when several cars around the United States, and a few in other locations, suddenly caught fire while they were being driven or parked.

Incidents of the Ram trucks catching fire first started back in 2013, and although these were isolated and one-off incidents, it led to consumers claiming that the company is doing nothing to alleviate their concerns and find the root cause of the problem.

Eventually, Chrysler/FCA had to intervene and identify the cause of fire in their line of Ram trucks. There were several problems identified in different model years, which prompted a recall of more than half a million Ram trucks, which started in 2017 and is still going on. As you read this, several Ram truck owners are waiting for their truck to get recalled, and most of the trucks have caught fire even during the waiting period.

When Did Stellantis Take Action?

2017 was the first time when Chrysler/FCA was alerted about the issue of their Ram trucks catching fire spontaneously, and they started investigating the cause of the fire immediately. By September 2017, it had already announced a recall of approximately 495,000 medium and heavy-duty Ram pickups worldwide.

The company decided to recall the Ram 2500 and 3500 variants of the vehicle line, which were specifically manufactured between 2013 and 2017. Later on, it was decided that the Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500 chassis cabs built in the same timeframe would be recalled. It was reported that there had been no fatalities until this time, which was a relief.

After the vehicles were recalled and the problem solved, consumers started driving their Ram trucks, and the vehicle line was also continued in the years after that. However, it seems that Chrysler/FCA was unable to live up to the quality standards of production that it was supposed to maintain, because people who bought the Ram trucks after 2018 also complained of their cars catching fire.

As a result, Chrysler/FCA recalled nearly 20,000 of its 2021 models of the Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500. Recently, it has announced a recall of more than 130,000 vehicles due to the fire hazard, which has become an even more alarming problem.

Last year, people who claimed their Ram trucks caught fire also filed a class-action lawsuit against Chrysler/FCA for knowing that its vehicles had faulty components that could cause fires, but not rectifying the issue proactively. The lawsuit also added that the manufacturer did issue a recall of more than a hundred thousand trucks by 2019, they denied several customers’ claims in it.

What Caused the Fires?

In the first episode, the Ram trucks manufactured between 2013 to 2017 caught fire, and the problem was attributed to a faulty water pump that overheated and caused the fire to spread throughout the engine. The problem was only limited to the trucks which had the 6.7L Cummins Turbodiesel I-6 engine, which is why select models of the Ram truck were recalled, and the recalled vehicles amounted to almost 500,000.

During the second episode, the 2019-22 models of the Chrysler Ram trucks are said to catch fire, and the problem is attributed to a few reasons. One of the reasons was for the Ram 1500 and 1500 Classic trucks, which were fitted with the 3.0L EcoDiesel engine, and manufactured between 2014 and 2019. There was a problem with its exhaust gas recirculation cooler, or EGR. This component leads to sudden power loss in the engine, which leads to a fire.

The other issue happened in the 2021-22 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks, as well as the Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500 cab chassis vehicles that came with the Cummins 6.7L Turbodiesel I-6 engine. A short circuit in one of the relays inside the engine caused a fire that quickly engulfed the entire engine and spread to the rest of the car, in several cases.

What’s Next?

Currently, Chrysler/FCA is trying to identifying the problem completely, and also develop a permanent solution that solves the problem for good. So far, it has advised Ram truck owners to park their trucks in open spaces and away from their homes. According to recent updates, owners are awaiting notification letters from the company, which will be sent in by December 2021. RAM truck owners should reach out to see how they can get out of their vehicle.

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