FCA US recalls nearly 1.3 million Ram pickups after discovering that second‑row seat‑belt buckle anchor bolts may not have been properly torqued during assembly, a condition that could reduce restraint effectiveness in a crash.
Scope of the recall and affected models
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) listed the recall as covering 1,283,000 Ram 1500 trucks from model years 2019 through 2026. Production dates range from February 2018 to April 2026, and the recall specifically targets the second‑row driver‑side and center‑position seat‑belt anchors.
Only about 0.1 % of the vehicles in the recall pool are believed to have the bolt‑torque issue, according to the agency’s estimate. Nevertheless, the agency required FCA US to act because the anchors must endure thousands of pounds of force to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
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Dealers will receive the affected vehicles, inspect the anchor bolts, and torque them to the correct specification at no charge to owners. Notification letters are slated to begin mailing on August 18.
Investigation timeline and regulatory response
The problem first surfaced in Canada earlier this year. On Jan. 20, Transport Canada alerted FCA Canada to a customer complaint involving a 2025 Ram 1500 where the second‑row seat‑belt buckle anchor appeared improperly installed.
Following that report, FCA US’s Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance group opened its own investigation on Feb. 26. The inquiry examined trucks from the 2019‑2026 model years and involved engineering and manufacturing teams to pinpoint the failure mode.
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By July, the team concluded that the assembly issue could impair the performance of the second‑row seat‑belt anchors. The Vehicle Regulations Committee approved the recall on July 23, and the NHTSA issued its official notice shortly thereafter.
The automaker emphasized that the issue does not stem from defective parts but from installation lapses at the factory. It has already dealt with other Ram 1500 safety concerns this year, including a February recall of 456,000 trucks for faulty trailer‑tow modules and an April recall of 65,000 vehicles for instrument‑panel display failures.
For owners, the practical impact is straightforward: a free service visit to a dealer will verify that the seat‑belt anchors are secured correctly. This step restores confidence that the restraint system will function as intended if a collision occurs.
