Stellantis, the parent company of Ram Trucks, is recalling over 1.2 million U.S.-market Ram 1500 pickups from model years 2019-26 to address an issue with second-row seat belt buckles.
In a statement to the Detroit Free Press, the automakers said that some of those 1.2 million vehicles may have been built without the seat belt buckle anchor (an apparatus beneath the seats connected to the buckle) properly attached to the vehicle's body structure. The issue can be present in either the passenger's or driver's side of the second row of seating.
Stellantis said that in the case of a crash, this error could affect the performance of the seat belts and increase the risk of injury for backseat passengers.
human drivers in study
In total, 1,271,294 Ram 1500 pickups from 2019 to 2026 are affected, as well as another 245,000 or so outside of the United States (about 156,138 in Canada, 15,088 in Mexico and 74,084 outside of North America).
Stellantis will send out notification letters to owners of the affected vehicles. Owners can contact their dealer to schedule an inspection of the seat belt system and, if necessary, properly attach the buckle anchor to the body for free.
Customers can see whether their vehicle is included in this recall by going to NHTSA's website. Stellantis said vehicle owners with additional questions or concerns are encouraged to call customer care at 1-800-853-1403 or visit recalls.mopar.com for more information.
Liam Rappleye covers Stellantis and the UAW for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him: LRappleye@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Stellantis recalls 1.2 million Ram 1500 trucks: See which are affected
