Ram is recalling approximately 2,500 heavy-duty pickup trucks because a software glitch can silently disable electronic stability control, stripping away a federally mandated safety system without any dashboard warning. The recall targets Ram 2500 models equipped with the 6.7L Cummins turbo-diesel engine from the 2023 and 2024 model years, according to a Part 573 safety recall report the manufacturer filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in early 2025.
For owners who use these trucks to tow trailers, haul heavy loads, or navigate mountain roads, the stakes are significant. Electronic stability control, or ESC, is the system that automatically applies individual brakes and reduces engine power when sensors detect a vehicle is starting to skid or slide. Without it, a loaded Ram 2500 rounding a rain-slicked curve or swerving to avoid debris behaves like a truck built before the technology existed.
What the defect does
The problem lives in the software that controls the anti-lock brake module. Under certain conditions that Ram parent company Stellantis has not publicly detailed, the software fails and the ESC system shuts down entirely. What makes the defect especially dangerous is the silence: no warning light illuminates, no chime sounds, and no message appears on the driver information display. The driver has no indication that a critical safety layer has disappeared.
That silence puts the truck out of compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 126, the regulation that has required ESC on all light vehicles sold in the United States since the 2012 model year. FMVSS 126 does not just recommend that stability control work most of the time. It sets specific performance benchmarks and requires the system to remain active unless the driver deliberately switches it off. A truck whose ESC can vanish without notice falls outside those legal boundaries, which is why the manufacturer’s own filing frames this as a federal compliance failure, not merely a product flaw.
Which trucks are affected
The recall covers 2023 and 2024 Ram 2500 pickups powered by the 6.7-liter Cummins inline-six diesel, a popular powertrain choice for buyers who tow fifth-wheel campers, gooseneck trailers, and commercial equipment. The approximate count of 2,500 vehicles comes from automotive safety trackers that have reviewed the NHTSA filing; the agency’s public database may refine that number as the campaign progresses.
Exact production date ranges and VIN boundaries have not been fully detailed in the public-facing recall records available as of May 2026. Owners who are unsure whether their truck is included should not wait for a mailed notice. NHTSA’s online recall search tool allows anyone to enter a 17-digit VIN and see every open recall tied to that vehicle.
The fix and what owners should do
The remedy is a software reflash of the anti-lock brake module, performed at a Ram dealership at no cost to the owner. The update is designed to prevent the ESC from shutting down unexpectedly and to ensure that any future malfunction triggers a proper dashboard warning so the driver knows the system is offline.
Software reflashes are typically quick service visits, often completed in under an hour, though scheduling availability will vary by dealer. Owners of affected trucks should call their local Ram dealer to set up an appointment, particularly if the vehicle is used regularly for towing or highway driving where stability control matters most.
Until the update is installed, drivers should be aware that their truck may not provide the electronic safety net they expect during an emergency lane change, a sudden swerve, or hard braking on a slippery surface. There will be no warning light to signal the gap.
No crashes reported, but questions remain
NHTSA’s public records do not show confirmed crashes or injuries tied to this specific defect as of the recall’s filing date. That is not unusual for recalls caught early through internal quality monitoring rather than field complaints, but it does not rule out unreported close calls.
Several technical questions remain unanswered. Stellantis has not explained publicly whether the software failure stems from a coding error introduced during production or from an interaction between the braking software and the Cummins diesel’s electronic engine controls. That distinction matters because it could indicate whether similar brake module software runs in other Ram models or engine configurations. The company has also not clarified whether the ESC shutdown occurs only under rare combinations of speed, steering input, and braking force, or whether it can happen during routine driving.
Ram and its parent company Stellantis have faced a string of large-scale recalls in recent years across multiple vehicle lines, drawing scrutiny from both regulators and consumers. This latest campaign adds to that record, even though the vehicle count is relatively small.
How to check your truck right now
Owners of any 2023 or 2024 Ram 2500 with the 6.7L Cummins diesel should take three steps:
- Locate the vehicle’s 17-digit VIN on the driver’s side dashboard plate or the vehicle registration.
- Enter it into the NHTSA recall lookup tool to confirm whether the truck is covered.
- If it is, contact a Ram dealer to schedule the free software update as soon as possible.
Stability control is one of the most effective crash-prevention technologies ever mandated for passenger vehicles. NHTSA has estimated that ESC reduces single-vehicle crashes by roughly one-third for passenger cars and even more for SUVs and light trucks. When that system goes dark without a word, the margin for error on a wet highway or a gravel shoulder shrinks fast. Getting the fix is not optional maintenance. It is restoring a safety system the truck was required to have from the factory.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
