Heads up: If you drive a Ram truck from the past three years, you might want to keep the bed clear. Ram’s parent company Fiat Chrysler is recalling 2015-2017 Rams due to a faulty tailgate lock.
An internal FCA study has revealed that a mechanical part of the power lock actuator can fail earlier than expected. This can cause the tailgate to drop unexpectedly.
An estimated 1.1 million trucks are part of the recall, most of which are in the US, Canada and Mexico. Affected trucks include the 2015 to 2017 year models of the following pickups:
- Ram 1500
- Ram 2500
- Ram 3500
Trucks with eight-foot beds and manually operated tailgates are not included. Newer models such as the 2019 Ram 1500 are also not affected, thanks to a new tailgate locking design.
While no cargo drop incidents have been recorded so far, FCA is urging all affected owners to take precautions. This includes keeping the bed clear when possible (which kind of defeats the purpose of a pickup truck), or to keep cargo tied down securely.
Owners will receive a notification once service becomes available from their local dealer. Those with further inquiries can contact FCA’s customer care hotline at 1-866-220-6747.