- Owners of some Stellantis SUVs and trucks will be affected by the recall
- Affected homeowners should expect notification late next month.
- The news comes days after Stellantis announced the recall of airbags in Europe
Automaker Stellantis is recalling more than 200,000 SUVs and pickup trucks due to a software malfunction that can cause a vehicle’s electronic stability control systems to fail.
The company claims the problem is caused by a faulty anti-lock braking system, which sometimes disables the stability control system.
The affected models are the 2022 Dodge Durango and the 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500.
The Ram 2500 is, by far, the model with the most affected vehicles. Nearly 158,000 of the 2500 trucks will be recalled, while just over 500 Ram 3500s will be affected.
About 53,000 Durangos will be retired.
The recall will affect more than 200,000 SUVs and trucks, whose owners will be notified next month.
The system is an essential automotive safety feature that, in emergency situations, can prevent the loss of steering ability if the driver loses control of the vehicle, as could be the case on flooded roads or in winter conditions.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned last week that driving a car with a disabled or dysfunctional stability system could increase the chances of a crash.
According to several studies, electronic stability control systems, when working properly, reduce fatal accidents, especially single-vehicle accidents and rollovers.
For more than a decade, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has required that all new production passenger vehicles include an electronic stability system.
Customers will be able to bring their cars to dealerships and upgrade their vehicle’s anti-lock braking system at no cost.
The manufacturer said it will begin notifying affected owners at the end of next month.
Customers will be able to bring their cars to dealerships and upgrade their vehicle’s anti-lock brake system at no cost.
News of the recall comes just days after the auto giant announced a separate precautionary recall of vehicles with potentially defective airbags in some of its Citroën and DS models, as well as the Opel brand.
Some 30,000 Opel vehicles with Takata airbags are affected, as are 500,000 Citroën and DS cars circulating in two dozen countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
News of the recall comes just days after Stellantis announced a separate precautionary recall of vehicles with potentially defective airbags in some of its Citroen and DS models.
The chemicals in airbags can deteriorate when exposed to hot, humid weather conditions, so they present a safety risk when activated.
According to a Stellantis spokesperson, the company “is working closely with (the authorities investigating the accidents) to provide all necessary information,” but “is not in a position to comment on the cases.”
Japan’s Takata, once among the world’s top airbag suppliers, filed for bankruptcy in 2017 following mass recalls of its products.
In the years since, about 100 million of its products have been recalled, including millions in the United States.
