A Sweeping Safety Recall Hits Ram and Jeep Lineups
Stellantis is recalling 456,287 vehicles across its Ram and Jeep brands after discovering that a faulty trailer tow module could knock out both trailer braking and lighting systems simultaneously. The recall, filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), covers a broad range of models spanning three model years and represents one of the most significant automotive safety actions so far in 2026.
The affected vehicles include the 2025-2026 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickups, along with the 2025-2026 Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500 cab chassis models. On the Jeep side, the 2024-2026 Wagoneer S and the 2026 Cherokee are also implicated. The Ram 1500 accounts for the lion's share of the recall, with 312,365 units involved. Another 96,890 Ram 2500s and 30,142 Ram 3500 pickups round out the heavy-duty truck numbers. By contrast, only 320 Wagoneer S electric SUVs and 57 Cherokees fall under the recall umbrella.
Every Single Recalled Vehicle Is Believed to Be Affected
What makes this recall especially notable is Stellantis's own assessment that 100 percent of the vehicles in question carry the defective component. That is a striking figure compared with many recalls, where only a small fraction of units are estimated to actually exhibit the flaw. For context, a recent Jeep Grand Cherokee suspension recall estimated that just 0.5 percent of included vehicles had incorrect parts. Here, every owner has reason to visit a dealership.
The trailer tow module in question is responsible for managing the electrical interface between the tow vehicle and whatever it is hauling. When it malfunctions, the trailer loses both its brake activation signal and its running and turn-signal lights. For anyone towing a boat, camper, or loaded utility trailer, the implications are severe: a heavy trailer with no independent braking dramatically increases stopping distances, and the absence of trailer lighting makes the combination nearly invisible to following traffic at night.
Stellantis Aware of Hundreds of Complaints Before Recall
The automaker did not act in a vacuum. NHTSA documents reveal that Stellantis had already accumulated 108 customer assistance records, 107 warranty claims, 101 field reports, and 285 repair orders that could be linked to the defective part before issuing the recall. While the company has not disclosed any crashes or injuries connected to the issue, the volume of reported problems suggests that affected owners have been encountering real-world failures for some time.
The remedy is straightforward: dealers will replace the faulty trailer tow module with a redesigned unit at no cost to the owner. Stellantis expects to begin mailing notification letters by March 24, 2026. In the meantime, owners of the affected models can check whether their vehicle is included by entering their vehicle identification number on the NHTSA recall lookup site.
Why This Matters for Truck and SUV Owners
Towing safety is a domain where regulators and law enforcement take a particularly unforgiving stance. Faulty trailer brakes and missing trailer lights are each independently serious enough to pull a vehicle off the road during a roadside inspection. Combined, they represent a significant hazard on highways where heavy trucks and trailers share lanes with passenger vehicles. For the hundreds of thousands of Ram owners who rely on their trucks for work and recreation towing, getting this fix should be a high priority well before the spring hauling season gets underway.
