Ram truck recall: Air bags may explode

If you own a Ram pickup from model year 2018, this recall deserves your immediate attention. Federal filing shows Chrysler (FCA US/Stellantis) has issued a safety recall for about 1,761 Ram trucks. The recall is due to a possible side-curtain airbag malfunction.

No accidents have been reported at this time. However, inflators from a limited production run may corrode and rupture when they deploy. This would potentially send sharp metal fragments into the truck’s interior. This is the same kind of failure that made airbag recalls so serious in the past, and the government and Stellantis are treating it as a safety priority.

Investigators traced the problem to a batch of side-curtain airbag inflators that may have been exposed to moisture during supplier manufacturing. Over time, this moisture can cause internal corrosion and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in the inflator housing.

If an inflator cracks and ruptures during deployment, compressed gas and fragments could be forced into the passenger compartment, risking injury. The inflators implicated in this campaign were made by Joyson Safety Systems and were used in a brief window of production.

Which trucks are affected?

The recall targets select 2018 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks built between May 21, 2018, and June 26, 2018. Total U.S. vehicles potentially involved are about 1,761 units (roughly 666 Ram 1500, 870 Ram 2500, and 225 Ram 3500). These are specific VIN batches from the 2018 production run. The recall does not affect every Ram 2018 on the road.

Is your truck included?

The fastest, official way to determine if your truck is included is to use NHTSA’s recall lookup by VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls or the SaferCar/VIN lookup tool. You just need to enter your 17-character VIN.

Stellantis has also told NHTSA it will make affected VINs searchable and will notify owners by mail. The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 25V592000.

If you prefer phone help, you can contact Stellantis/FCA customer service or call NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for guidance.

Here’s what to say (if you call Stellantis/FCA customer service): Tell the associate you’re calling about NHTSA recall 25V592000 for certain 2018 Ram 1500/2500/3500 side-curtain airbag inflators. Give your VIN, request to have the VIN checked, and ask when the replacement parts and appointments will be available. Ask whether the dealer has any temporary safety guidance while you wait.

Do the VIN check as soon as you can. Recall VIN lists may be updated in NHTSA’s database shortly after the recall filing.

The fix

Dealers will replace one or both side-curtain airbag modules (inflators), as needed, using parts produced outside the suspect lot. The repair will be performed at no charge to owners for parts or labor.

Stellantis planned to begin dealer notifications and to make VINs searchable in mid-September. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed in early October.

If your tow vehicle or daily driver is one of the affected VINs, schedule the free dealer repair as soon as an appointment is available. While waiting for the repair, check official guidance for any consumer advisory. NHTSA filings for similar airbag inflator issues have sometimes included stronger “do not drive” or “park outside” advisories for the highest-risk vehicles. The best advice is to follow whatever Stellantis or NHTSA instructs for your VIN.

Avoid relying on social posts alone. A VIN check at NHTSA or direct dealer contact is the definitive way to know if your truck needs the remedy.

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