Remember when electronic stability control (ESC) systems were new enough to be advertised as a safety feature? ESC has been required standard equipment on all cars for so long—with some being so advanced that they have levels of slip control—that we expect our cars to save our asses when the tires break traction. However, for more than 1.2 million Ram 1500 pickups, that safety net might not be there when owners need it most. Stellantis is recalling 1,227,808 Ram 1500 pickups for ESC failure and 100% of the recalled vehicles are affected.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the issue stems from a software malfunction in the ABS module, which can disable the entire ESC system.
“The suspect period began on October 31, 2017, when the first vehicle was produced, and ended on February 14, 2024, when the updated ABS module software was released. Vehicle production and engineering change records were used to determine the suspect period,” stated the NHTSA in the recall report.
Oddly, the affected model years are 2019 and 2021-2024. Customers with 2020 model-year vehicles seem to miss out on the recall. All engines and trim levels are part of the recall, too, so as long as you have a Ram 1500 in an affected model year, your truck is included.
Driving without ESC is obviously problematic, as it can increase the likeliness of a crash. Thankfully, the remedy is pretty simple. Customers will bring their cars to the dealer, where the software will be updated. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of those recalls that can be remedied over the air. Additionally, if customers paid out of pocket to have their ABS modules updated or replaced to fix faulty ESC within a reasonable timeframe, they should be reimbursed. Notification letters will be sent out on October 3 to affected owners.
Car enthusiasts often talk about disabling traction and stability control systems to allow for some extra tail-out fun. However, that should only be done on track or in a safe environment. Losing ESC on the road in a pickup truck that weighs almost 5,000 pounds in its lightest spec is a pretty scary thought. Thankfully in this case, the fix is simple.
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