- Owners of some Stellantis SUVs and pickups will be affected by the recall
- Affected owners can expect a notification by the end of next month
- The news comes days after Stellantis announced its airbag recall in Europe
Automaker Stellantis is recalling more than 200,000 SUVs and pickup trucks due to a software glitch 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 deactivates the stability control system.
The affected models are the 2022 Dodge Durango and the 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500.
The Ram 2500 is the model in which the vast majority of vehicles are affected. Nearly 158,000 of the 2,500 pickups will be recalled, while just over 500 are Ram 3500s.
About 53,000 Durangos will be recalled.
The recall will affect more than 200,000 SUVs and pickups, with owners expected to be notified next month
The system is an essential safety feature of cars that can prevent loss of steering power in emergency situations if the driver loses control of the vehicle, as can 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 otherwise dysfunctional stability system could increase the chance of a crash.
According to a number of studies, when electronic stability control systems work properly, they reduce the number of fatal accidents, especially car wrecks and rollover accidents.
For more than a decade, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has required all newly manufactured passenger cars to have an electronic stability system.
Customers can take their car to dealers and have their car’s anti-lock braking system updated free of charge
The manufacturer said it will notify affected owners by the end of next month.
Customers can take their car to dealers and have their car’s anti-lock braking system updated for free.
News of the recall comes just days after the car giant announced a separate preventive recall for vehicles with potentially defective airbags in some of its Citroen and DS models, in addition to the Opel brand.
About 30,000 Opel vehicles with Takata airbags are affected, as well as 500,000 Citroen and DS cars driving in 20 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
News of the recall comes just days after Stellantis announced a separate preventive recall for vehicles with potentially defective airbags in some of its Citroen and DS models
Chemicals in the airbags can deteriorate when exposed to hot and humid weather conditions, making them a safety hazard when deployed.
According to a Stellantis spokesperson, the company is “working closely with (authorities investigating accidents) to provide all necessary information” but “is unable to comment on cases.”
Japan’s Takata, once one of the world’s largest suppliers of airbags, filed for bankruptcy in 2017 after massive recalls of its products.
In the years since, about 100 million of its products have been recalled, including millions in the US.