Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is recalling a total of 494,000 Ram heavy duty diesel trucks due to a water pump issue. The recall affects roughly 400,000 trucks in North America, 46,000 in Canada and 4,400 in other countries.
Nearly 500,000 pickup trucks and chassis cabs are affected. Ram HD 2500, 3500, 4500 and the 5500 built between 2013 and 2017 with a 6.7 liter Cummins turbo-diesel are susceptible to a fire due to a faulty water pump. In an investigation, FCA found that certain trucks contain a bearing that, if under particular conditions, could catch fire in the engine compartment due to overheating. A Fiat representative stated that the company is aware of few incidents and that in all cases, the fire did not spread beyond the immediate area of the water pump, nor were there any injuries reported.
FCA advised customers to consult with their dealers if they witnessed any warning lights as a faulty water pump is expected to alert the driver on the instrument cluster. A company spokesman also stated that affected customers would be notified when services are available and if necessary, the water pumps would be inspected and replaced. The company no longer uses this model of the water pump on any other models, and no other models have been announced for recall.
