Environmental Conditions Cause a Recall for FCA

FCA has issued a recall for a large number of Ram trucks due to the environmental conditions caused by a cold winter with temperature and weather mixtures.

In recent years we’ve heard more and more about global warming and the melting of the polar caps that could cause us to have warmer climates around the world. Although this has been the report for the past few years, it seems this past winter has been one of the coldest we’ve had in a long time and one that’s brought the most precipitation as well.

Foul Weather Affects FCA Trucks

This mixture of colder temperatures and snow, ice, rain, and sleet have caused many of the areas of the country to add massive amounts of salt to the roads throughout the winter months. While salt does an excellent job of melting ice and allowing the roads that we drive to clear up, it can wreak havoc on the underside of the vehicles we drive.

Most of the advice we receive regarding the care of our vehicles advise that we have regular washings including underbody cleanings that can help to remove the salt that can build up over time. Even if you carefully ensure your vehicle is always free of salt, the time you spend driving on the roads that have been salted can cause damage that you won’t see.

The Response from FCA

Because of the salt that’s been applied in many of the states across the country, FCA has issued a voluntary recall of over 270,000 Ram 1500 pickup trucks that are registered in the “Salt Belt” states around the country. This recall is issued for trucks from model years 2009-2012 to help ensure these trucks aren’t going to stop performing the way they need to due to salt build-up and rust that can occur to the underside of the truck.

With this recall, FCA will ensure these trucks can continue to operate for many more years. The affected areas of the country are DC, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.

Damage Can Harm the Ram Trucks

The troubles an owner can have with these trucks is the fuel tank brackets can begin rusting and eventually break. This can cause a large amount of damage to a vehicle that has this problem, which is what this recall is issued for.

FCA would like to avoid having this problem and has issued this recall as a preventative measure for customers to bring their vehicles in for service at no cost to them. Signs of a rusting fuel tank bracket include noise from the rear of the vehicle, a hanging fuel tank strap, or a lowered fuel tank.

If you notice any of these things occurring in your Ram 1500 and you live in one of the affected areas, you need to stop by your local Ram dealership right away to make sure you have the repairs completed that need to be done to your vehicle. If you’re not sure if your vehicle is one that qualifies for this recall, contact the FCA recall center and learn more about this recall.