Dec. 23 (UPI) — Fiat Chrysler announced Friday it’s recalling 1.48 million Dodge Ram pickup trucks over concerns that could lead to a truck moving when it should be in park.
The Italian-American company said in a release that a transmission safety device, known as a BTSI, could be rendered useless if drivers frequently idle their trucks with a foot on the brake. In that situation, trucks may be able to spontaneously change gears out of park, the company said.
That situation could even happen without a key in the ignition, the company said. At least seven injuries are potentially related to the flaw, Fiat Chrysler said, and a small number of potentially related incidents have taken place.
The voluntary recall only affects Ram pickups with shifters located on steering columns. Specifically, the company is asking to fix certain Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks years 2010-2017; Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs years 2011-2017 with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of less than 10,000 pounds and Ram 1500 pickup trucks years 2009-2017.
Most of the recalled trucks, though, are heavy-duty vehicles, the company said. The trucks are in the United States, but the company is also recalling about 250,000 trucks in Canada, roughly 43,000 trucks in Mexico and some 15,000 trucks elsewhere.
“FCA US will restore BTSI function in the vehicles subject to this recall,” Tom McCarthy, Fiat Chrysler’s Head of Safety Compliance and Product Analysis, said in a statement. “Nevertheless, as always, we urge customers to use their parking brakes, as recommended, and to ensure that child occupants are not left unattended.”
