Ram Recalling 228,508 Trucks For Brake-Shifter Interlock Failure

TopSpeed

By Mark McNabb

Published Feb 20, 2018

Safety device keeps transmission in park until the brake is applied

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is voluntarily recalling roughly 228,508 Ram 1500 and Heavy Duty pickups due to an issue with the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock on trucks with a column-mounted shifter. The system keeps the shift level from leaving Park without the vehicle’s key in the ignition and the brake pedal depressed.

The problem occurs when the BTSI system overheats, potentially occurring when the brake pedal is held for an extended time while the transmission is in Park. Once overheated, the BTSI system fails to keep the shift lever in Park without the brake depressed and ignition on. This means the at even without the key inserted, the truck could be shifted into gear or neutral, causing an unintentional roll-away.

Continue reading for more information.

FCA’s voluntary recall covers 180,975 Ram trucks in the U.S., 42,045 trucks in Canada, 4,066 trucks in Mexico, and another 1,422 in locations around the globe. Thankfully, no injuries or accidents have been reported due to the BTSI issue.

The majority of truck affected by the recall are 2017-2018 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups, and certain 2017-2018 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs. There are also a number of 2017-2018 Ram 3500 chassis cabs with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of less than 10,000 lbs. To a lesser extent, a certain 2017-2018 Ram 1500 pickups are also included in the recall campaign, but FCA says heavy-duty trucks represent the majority of affected vehicles.

As with any recall, the automaker will repair the issue at no cost to the owner.

Ram’s Previous BTSI Recall

Ram’s February recall of BTSI systems in 2017-2018 trucks follows a similar recall in December for trucks from the 2010 – 2017 model year. They include the same group of Ram Heavy Duty trucks and a small number of Ram 1500 trucks, all equipped with the column-mounted gear shifter.

The recall included roughly 1.48 million trucks in the U.S., 249,520 trucks in Canada, 42,747 trucks in Mexico, and roughly 14,950 trucks outside the NAFTA region. Unfortunately, as of December 2017, FCA was aware of seven “potentially related” injuries and a “small number of potentially related accidents” with the BTSI in question.

All new vehicles manufactured after September 1, 2010 are required to have a BTSI.