Ram recently issued a statement on engine bay fires with the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel.
Stellantis announced it would recall 131,177 heavy-duty Ram trucks built in the 2021 and 2022 model years for potential fire risk. While an exact fix is not available just yet, the manufacturer said it would notify customers on how to proceed by December 3, 2021. After investigating several engine bay fires since at least February 2021, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports, the company notes that a solid-state intake heater relay on Cummins-equipped trucks could short and catch fire, regardless of whether the engine’s running.
For the time being, the automaker urges owners to park affected models outside, away from structures and other vehicles whenever possible.
Specifically, this recall campaign affects the following range of trucks:
- 67,597 2021-2022 Ram 2500 (DJ) trucks built between August 3, 2020 and October 8, 2021
- 39,324 2021-2022 Ram 3500 (D2) trucks built between August 5, 2020 and October 8, 2021
- 7,317 Ram 3500 Chassis Cabs (DD) built between August 12, 2020 and October 7, 2021
- 16,939 Ram 4500/5500 Chassis Cabs (DP) built between November 13, 2020 and October 8, 2021
After October 8, 2021, Stellantis no longer shipped trucks with this exact intake heater relay, and are not included in the recall population. A further 6,769 trucks in Canada and 3,097 outside the North American market are also under this campaign. This recall does not affect trucks equipped with the 6.4-liter gasoline Hemi V8 engine.
Ram says it received one warranty claim potentially related to the issue, and reports of at least seven fires. However, there have been no injuries or accidents related to the problem.
Over the coming weeks into December, you can check the automaker’s recall site or call 1-800-853-1403 for more information. Stellantis’ internal code for this recall is Y76. The NHTSA also has a safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), with its campaign number listed at 21V798. You can find recalls for your specific vehicle through their VIN tool, or search for 2021-2022 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500 or 5500 models.
