Right on the heels of GM (General Motors)’s large-scale recall affecting 3.5 million vehicles, which we reported on yesterday, FCA has announced it is recalling 694,181 pickup trucks, including 220,317 models in Canada.
Most troubling about this latest recall is that it involves a problem that is proving extremely persistent. In 2018, the company issued a first recall of 1.1 million trucks, and this past May it expanded the recall to include another 410,000 vehicles. This new recall brings the total to some 2.2 million.
The problem at the heart of it all has to do with the tailgates that are equipped with a locking mechanism. That component is vulnerable to breaking, which could result in the tailgate falling open without warning. That could mean while the truck is in motion, creating the potential for objects falling onto the road and creating a risk of an accident.
Among the new models being recalled are 2013-to-2018 editions of Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 trucks.
Owners will be contacted by the manufacturers beginning next month, at which point they will be asked to visit their dealership to have the locking mechanism inspected by a technician. If found to be defective, it will be replaced free of charge.
FCA is also encouraging Ram owners who had their trucks repaired for this issue prior to the new recall campaign to take steps needed to get refunded.