Stellantis Recalls 1.27 Million Ram 1500 Trucks Over Improperly Attached Seat Belt Anchors

The front end of the Ram 1500 Revolution electric concept pickup truck is shown during a Stellantis keynote address at CES 2023, an annual consumer electronics trade show, in Las Vegas, Nev., on. Jan. 5, 2023. Steve Marcus/ReutersChrysler parent Stellantis is recalling 1,271,294 vehicles that may have improperly installed seat belt buckle anchors that fail to restrain occupants and increase the risk of injury in an accident, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).The recall involves certain 2019–2026 RAM 1500 vehicles with possible malfunctioning second-row seat-belt buckle anchors, the report posted on Aug. 4 by the NHTSA shows.“A seat belt buckle anchor not properly fastened may reduce load management capability and occupant restraint effectiveness,” the report states.Notification letters to owners of affected vehicles are expected to be mailed on Aug. 18. Owners may also contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403, using the recall number 67D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov on Aug. 6.Local dealerships will inspect and attach the seat belt buckle anchor as necessary, free of charge.Chrysler, the North American subsidiary of Stellantis, initially became aware of the issue in January, when FCA Canada Inc. reported a customer concern related to the second-row seat belt buckle anchor, which may not have been securely connected to the body structure. The following month, FCA U.S. opened an investigation.From February through July, the automaker’s engineering and manufacturing teams reviewed the issue and determined that some of the seat belt anchors were improperly installed and could lead to reduced occupant restraint. On July 23, FCA U.S. found that the issue represented a noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.Other major automakers have also issued similar recalls related to seat belts this year.In June, the Ford Motor Company recalled 419,967 vehicles for faulty seat belts that may not retract or extend. As a result, the glitch could fail to restrain an occupant and increase the risk of injury in an accident. This recall involved certain 2018–2022 Expedition and Lincoln models with seat belts in the driver and/or passenger front seats.The NHTSA report indicated a malfunction may have caused the seat belt to lock, preventing either retraction or extension. At the time, Ford was aware of two warranty claims, two field reports, and one injury related to the issue.In April, Hyundai recalled more than 4,000 2026 Palisade models in Canada because of a seatbelt wiring issue that could lead to an increased risk of injury. This recall involved wiring for the third-row driver’s-side seat-belt buckle.The previous week, Hyundai Motor America had issued a recall for more than 46,000 units of its 2026 Palisade models for the same issue.The automaker ultimately issued a “stop sale” for the 2026 Palisade models in mid-March following a fatal incident involving a 2-year-old girl. A company statement reported that the powered second- and third-row seats may not adequately detect an occupant and could continue with power folding operations.