Stellantis is recalling more than 72,000 Ram pickup trucks in the United States after discovering that their digital instrument panels can suddenly go dark, stripping drivers of critical information at highway speeds. The defect turns a routine commute into a guessing game about speed, warning lights, and vehicle status, and it is now the latest reminder that software glitches can be just as dangerous as mechanical failures in modern trucks.
I see this recall as part of a broader shift in auto safety, where dashboards have become complex computers and a single coding error can trigger a nationwide repair campaign. For Ram owners, the immediate questions are straightforward: whether their truck is affected, how serious the risk really is, and what Stellantis and regulators are doing to keep those vehicles safe on the road.
What Stellantis is recalling and why it matters
Stellantis is pulling back a specific batch of Ram pickups after identifying a defect in the digital instrument cluster that can cause the display to fail while the vehicle is in motion. At the center of the action is a group of U.S. trucks, described as Ram Vehicles Over Instrument Panel Glitch, that together total exactly 72,509 units. When the screen goes dark, drivers can lose access to the speedometer, warning lights, and other key readouts, which raises the risk of a crash if they misjudge their speed or miss a critical alert.
The recall is not about a loose bolt or a worn-out part, it is about software and electronics that sit at the heart of the modern cockpit. Stellantis Recalls are increasingly focused on these digital systems, because a failure in the instrument panel can undermine every other safety feature in the truck. If a driver cannot see a check engine light, a brake warning, or a stability control alert, then even a well engineered pickup becomes harder to control in an emergency.
How the dash display defect shows up on the road
From the driver’s seat, the problem surfaces as a sudden blackout of the instrument cluster, either at start up or while the truck is already moving. Reports tied to the recall describe the digital display failing to illuminate, then sometimes returning, which means a Ram owner might see the gauges flicker or vanish entirely without warning. In the worst case, that blackout could occur at highway speeds, leaving the driver unsure of how fast they are traveling or whether any warning lights have come on, a scenario that directly increases the risk of a crash according to Chrysler recalls 72K Ram pickup trucks over instrument display failure.
Because the defect is intermittent, it can be easy for owners to dismiss the first incident as a fluke, only to have the display fail again at a more dangerous moment. The fact that the issue can appear both when the truck is started and while it is already in motion complicates diagnosis and heightens the stakes, since a driver might not realize anything is wrong until the cluster suddenly goes dark on a busy road. That unpredictability is exactly why Chrysler and Stellantis are treating the glitch as a safety defect rather than a minor annoyance.
How many trucks are affected and who is responsible
The scale of the campaign is significant, with Stellantis acknowledging that 72,509 U.S. pickups are affected and tying the problem to specific Ram Vehicles Over Instrument Panel Glitch in its internal documentation. That precise figure, 72,509, underscores that this is not a small batch of outliers but a broad slice of the Ram lineup that will now need inspection and repair. Chrysler, which is part of the Stellantis group, is the entity formally recalling the trucks in the United States, and it is coordinating with regulators to manage owner notifications and dealer repairs.
Responsibility for the fix ultimately rests with Stellantis, which oversees the Ram brand and must ensure that every affected truck is brought up to standard. The company’s role is not limited to software patches, it also includes making sure dealers have the right diagnostic tools, replacement clusters, and procedures to verify that the defect has been fully addressed. By framing the campaign as a Chrysler recall of Ram pickups, Stellantis is acknowledging both the brand level impact and the corporate obligation to remedy a safety related failure in its trucks.
What the repair involves and how dealers will fix it
For owners, the practical question is what happens once a truck is in the service bay. The remedy centers on the instrument panel itself, with dealers instructed to inspect the cluster, update its software, and, if necessary, replace the entire unit. The repair roadmap mirrors guidance that has already been laid out for similar issues, where technicians are told that to fix the issue, dealers will inspect and update the instrument panel software or replace the instrument panel cluster, a process detailed in coverage of 72,500 Ram Trucks Recalled for Instrument Clusters.
Because the defect is rooted in electronics and code, the fix can range from a relatively quick software flash to a more involved hardware swap if the cluster itself is faulty. Dealers will also be responsible for confirming that the updated system behaves correctly under different conditions, including repeated start ups and extended driving, to ensure the blackout does not recur. Owners should expect the repair to be performed at no cost, as is standard for safety recalls, and they will be notified by mail with instructions on how to schedule the work once parts and software updates are fully in place.
How this recall fits into Ram’s broader safety record
This is not the first time Stellantis has had to call back Ram trucks for software related problems, which suggests a pattern that goes beyond a single faulty component. Earlier campaigns have targeted other electronic systems, including the powertrain, where incorrect software behavior can affect how the truck accelerates, shifts, or manages torque. In one such case, Stellantis initiated a recall of more than 131,000 pickups after identifying a powertrain software issue in Ram 1500 models, a problem that required a coordinated response from Ram and its parent automaker Stellantis.
Those earlier efforts show that the company is already familiar with the logistics of large scale software recalls, from pushing updated code to thousands of trucks to managing dealer workloads. They also highlight how central electronics have become to Ram’s safety profile, since a glitch in the powertrain control module or the instrument cluster can have real world consequences for braking, acceleration, and driver awareness. When I look at the new instrument panel campaign alongside the powertrain software recall, it is clear that Stellantis is still working through the growing pains of building highly computerized pickups at scale.
What Ram owners should do right now
For drivers who rely on their Ram as a daily workhorse, the first step is to confirm whether their truck is part of the affected group. The most direct way to do that is to use the vehicle identification number, or VIN, to search the federal recall database, which lists open campaigns and required repairs for specific vehicles. Owners can enter that VIN on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s official recall portal at NHTSA recalls and see immediately whether their truck is covered by the instrument panel defect.
Once a recall match appears, the next move is to contact a Ram dealer and schedule an appointment, even if the dash has not yet gone dark. Waiting for the cluster to fail on the road is a gamble, especially when the fix is free and backed by the manufacturer. I would also encourage owners to keep a written record of any display problems they have already experienced, including when the blackout occurred and how long it lasted, so they can give technicians a clear picture of the symptoms when the truck is in for service.
How and when owners will be notified
Stellantis and Chrysler are required to notify every affected Owner by mail, and those letters are a key part of the recall process. The notices typically explain the defect in plain language, outline the potential safety risks, and provide instructions on how to arrange a repair at an authorized Ram dealer. In a recent powertrain software campaign, for example, Owner notification letters were scheduled to go out on a specific date, and the same playbook is being used here, with Stellantis coordinating the timing so that dealers are ready to handle the influx of trucks once the letters land in mailboxes.
For those who do not want to wait for the mail, Ram and Stellantis also provide customer service phone lines where drivers can ask questions about the recall and confirm eligibility. In the earlier powertrain case, owners were told they could contact Ram parent automaker Stellantis at a dedicated number that began with 80, and similar contact details are expected to be included in the new instrument panel notifications. I see these channels as more than a formality, they are a way for Stellantis to reassure drivers that the company understands the disruption a recall can cause and is prepared to walk them through the fix.
Why digital dashboards keep triggering recalls
The Ram instrument panel glitch is part of a broader trend in which digital dashboards have become a recurring source of safety problems across the industry. As automakers replace analog gauges with fully electronic clusters, they are effectively turning the driver’s primary interface into a software product, complete with firmware, updates, and the potential for bugs. When that software fails, the consequences are immediate, because the cluster is the one place where speed, engine status, and warning lights all converge, and any blackout can leave the driver flying blind.
In my view, the Ram recall illustrates how the line between convenience features and safety critical systems has blurred. A digital display might start as a way to offer slick graphics and customizable layouts, but once it becomes the only source of core driving information, it is every bit as important as the brakes or steering. That is why regulators and companies like Chrysler are treating instrument display failures as safety defects that warrant large scale recalls, rather than as cosmetic glitches that can be quietly patched during routine service visits.
What this means for Stellantis and Ram’s reputation
Every recall carries reputational risk, and a campaign that touches more than 72,000 pickups is bound to raise questions about quality control at Stellantis and Ram. Some buyers will see the instrument panel failure as a sign that the company rushed complex electronics into production without fully testing how they would behave in real world conditions. Others may simply be frustrated by the inconvenience of scheduling repairs for a truck they rely on for work, especially if they have already dealt with earlier campaigns like the powertrain software issue.
At the same time, the decision to recall the trucks and offer free repairs is a necessary step in rebuilding trust. By publicly acknowledging the defect and working with regulators to fix it, Stellantis is signaling that it understands the stakes when a safety related system fails. In the long run, I think Ram’s reputation will depend less on whether problems like this arise and more on how quickly and transparently the company responds when they do, and the current recall is an important test of that commitment.
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