Some recalls are bigger than others, and Ram’s latest recall is on the bigger side.
Fiat Chrysler issued a voluntary recall for 443,712 examples of Ram pickups in the US. The affected vehicles include the 2013-2017 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups, as well as the 3500, 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs. All the vehicles covered under this recall have Ram’s 6.7-liter engine under the hood.
Running a vehicle without a water pump will cause the engine to overheat and grenade, so, um, don’t do that.
The issue stems from the water pump, which is responsible for sending coolant where it needs to go. Customer reports led FCA to discover a water pump bearing that, in certain conditions, might overheat and cause a fire in the engine compartment. The water pump in question is no longer in use in Ram trucks, and no injuries or accidents have been connected to this faulty component.
Fiat Chrysler notes that, in the event of compromised water pump functionality, an indicator light may appear in the instrument cluster. If an owner sees a light, they should get it checked out at the dealer.
The fix is likely just a replacement of the water pump. It does not appear that all the required replacement parts are in place just yet, because Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that owners would be notified of the recall “when service becomes available.”
