Not so Ram tough in some cases…
Chrysler Group is recalling 2012 and 2013 Ram trucks for three different safety defects, according to NHTSA documents just made public. The recalls are for defective headlamps and taillights, as well as a bad weld affecting the front driveshaft.
The latest safety defects come shortly after Chrysler Group refused a NHTSA request to recall almost three million Jeeps for an allegedly defective fuel tank design.
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Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks manufactured in January and February of 2013 with optional premium headlamps have headlamp shutters that may not operate properly in high-beam mode. In the latest automotive software glitch, dealers will reprogram the Central Body Controller, free of charge as required by U.S. safety regulations.
In another software error, 2013 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks with optional premium tail lamps have a turn signal indicator that may not flash at a double rate to alert the driver of a turn signal malfunction. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108, “Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.”
Finally, 2012 RAM 4500 and 5500 trucks have a defective weld on with the front axle carrier. As a result, the front driveshaft may fracture, causing a sudden loss of power, as well as damage to surrounding components if the shaft continues to spin.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
