At the beginning of December, Stellantis had to recall some 2019 and 2020 Ram pickups, including the 1500, 2500, and 3500, over an airbag problem that could send metal shrapnel flying through the cabin. And now, as the month draws to a close, Ram is being forced to recall its biggest pickup trucks for airbag problems once again, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This time around, there’s a single malfunction that could result in three different and dangerous problems, with the airbags, seatbelts, and electronic stability control system all potentially failing to work as intended. And this time, the recall impacts every class of Ram truck but the smallest (the 1500).
More Than 52,000 Ram Pickups Being Recalled
Stellantis
According to the NHTSA recall report, 52,565 examples of the 2025 Ram 2500, 3500 Pickup and 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis are potentially impacted by a software error in the occupant restraint controller module. The vehicles, produced between July 18, 2024, and May 22, 2025, have modules “which may go into an offline state while driving,” and if this happens, it could not only mean a faulty driver’s side airbag, but also a faulty seatbelt pretensioner and a disabled electronic stability control system. As winter is officially upon us, this is particularly worrying. Not only could these drivers of these trucks be at a greater risk of losing control of the pickups and crashing, but they might not be adequately protected when they do. And there’s another problem.
Sorry, Ram Owners, but This Recall Requires a Dealer Visit
Stellantis
Although this is a software-related issue, much like the problem that caused a recall of 72,000 Ram pickups earlier this month for faulty instrument clusters, it cannot be resolved with a simple over-the-air update, and owners will have to visit the dealer for a reflash of the occupant restraint module. And although dealers have already been informed and VINs are searchable on nhtsa.gov, the remedy notification program is only planned for January 15 and 16, 2026, so owners will have almost four weeks of waiting before their pickups are deemed safe again. With these heavy-duty trucks used for a variety of purposes nationwide, including as tow trucks, snow plows, flatbeds, and dump trucks, this isn’t good news. The one upside is that the problem isn’t deemed serious enough to warrant a Do Not Drive warning. Hopefully, the midsize Dakota will be more reliable when it returns in 2028.
