Ram Recalls 27,744 Units Of Its 2022 / 2023 Ram ProMasters For Seat Belts

Stellantis (FCA US, LLC) is recalling approximately 27,744 units of its 2022 to 2023 Ram ProMaster vans for a driver seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, “Occupant Crash Protection.”

Some of the above vehicles may have been built with a driver seat belt buckle with an incorrect switch sense magnet. Suspect vehicles may incorrectly activate the warning system indicating that the seat belt is unlatched when it is latched. Failure to detect whether an occupant is buckled can impede the seatbelt warning system from deactivating when the belt is properly fastened, potentially leading to reduced seat belt use, which can increase the chance of injury in certain crashes.

The suspect period began on March 7, 2022, when buckles with incorrect switch sense magnets were introduced into vehicle production, and ended on August 1, 2022, when buckles with incorrect switch sense magnets were no longer used in vehicle production. The suspect period was determined using supplier and vehicle production records.

Recall Chronology –

• On June 14, 2022, the FCA US LLC (“FCA US”) Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance (“TSRC”) organization was notified of a potential issue related to driver seat belt buckles not properly indicating the latched condition on some 2022 and 2023 MY Ram ProMaster vehicles.
• From June 2022 through October 2022, FCA US TSRC analyzed warranty claims, customer records, and vehicle history to identify incidents of potentially faulty driver seat belt functionality. In parallel, FCA US TSRC held initial meetings with FCA US Restraints Engineering and Manufacturing to review the issue, understand the part design, assembly process, and failure mode.
• From October 2022 through October 2023, FCA US TSRC held initial meetings with FCA US Interior Engineering, and ongoing meetings with FCA US Restraints Engineering and Manufacturing to continue to review the issue and understand the potential consequence.
• From October 2023 through January 2024, FCA US TSRC reviewed supplier and vehicle production records to establish the suspect population.
• On January 24, 2024, the FCA US TSRC organization recognized a vehicle build issue existed on certain vehicles related to potentially faulty driver seat belt buckle switch sense magnets, which may result in noncompliance with FMVSS No. 208 Occupant Crash Protection.
• On February 15, 2024, FCA US determined, through the Vehicle Regulations Committee, to conduct a voluntary safety recall of the affected vehicles.

Dealers will inspect and replace the driver seat belt buckle as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 12, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC’s number for this recall is 02B.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or visit www.nhtsa.gov.