• Dodge’s Durango SUV and Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty trucks are being recalled
• An anti-lock braking flaw could lead to a loss of stability control
• A software update should cure most vehicles—for free

The electronic stability control system in 211,581 Dodge Durango and Ram heavy-duty trucks can fail, increasing the risk of a crash and prompting a recall, the NHTSA disclosed Monday. 

The recall encompasses the 2022 Dodge Durango and 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy duty pickup trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 10,000 pounds. The Ram 1500 is not included in this recall. 

The software malfunction can cause the antilock braking system (ABS) to disable the electronic stability control system (ESC). Considered one of the safest car technologies since the invention of the seatbelt and mandated on all new cars sold since 2012, ESC uses wheel sensors to detect when a vehicle is beginning to slide out of control. The control module then sends braking pulses through the ABS to help correct the slide and get the vehicle back on its intended direction. 

In the affected vehicles, there’s a miscommunication between the ABS and ESC modules, and drivers expecting the ESC to kick on may be surprised to learn it may not. A warning light could appear in the instrument cluster to alert drivers.

Owners can expect notification by mail as early as July 26, and they’ll be instructed to take their vehicles into an FCA or Stellantis service center for a software update for the ABS module. It’ll cost owners nothing but time, and reimbursement will be provided with a receipt for owners who have had the work done prior to the recall. 

For more info, contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403 or visit the collective brands’ recall site here.