Careful, Your 2019 Ram 1500 Pickup Could Lose Power Steering

The new generation Ram 1500 has been subjected to a recall, announced by FCA’s U.S. arm, over a possible power steering loss.

Discovered during an internal investigation, the problem is blamed on a battery ground-circuit fastener, which may have not been secured properly.

If the connection comes loose enough to create an open circuit, then the vehicle could lose power assistance. In this case, the inconsistent steering feedback could lead to understeer or oversteer, thus increasing the risk of an accident.

The automaker estimates that 159,740 units of the new 1500 might be affected by this condition in the United States, out of which almost one third are still at dealer lots. Additionally, 18,682 vehicles will be subjected to the recall in Canada, alongside 407 in Mexico and 3,409 outside the NAFTA region. All of them were assembled until October 25, 2018.

For now, the company didn’t say when owners will be contacted and informed that they will have to schedule an appointment with authorized dealers by contacting them directly at 1-800-853-1403.

Unveiled one year ago, the 2019 1500 has already been involved in three previous recalls, according to the NHTSA. Those campaigns addressed vehicles for certain issues, such as failing rear axles due to not having enough oil, cruise control systems that couldn’t be cancelled, and seat track position sensors that couldn’t detect if the seat is in full-forward position.