Last week, two of the largest automotive OEMs in the world issued recalls on a couple of their most prominent brands. Chrysler announced the recall affected nearly 1.5 million of their:
- 2016-2017 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings under 10,000 pounds.
- 2011-2017 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles.
- 2009-2017 Ram 1500 and 2010-2017 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks.
It has been reported that pushing the brake pedal for prolonged periods while the vehicle is in Park and running could cause the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) pin to stick in the open position. With this pin in the open position, the vehicle can be shifted out of PARK without pushing the brake or even having the key in the ignition. All of the associated trucks utilize a column shifter.
This could lead to an unintended vehicle rolling away. A fix for the recall, which is expected to begin in early February, is still under development.
Carrying lower personal safety concerns, but leaving the company open to significant legal attacks are less than 1,000 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runners, Tundras, Highlanders, RAV4s, Siennas and Tacomas, as well as Lexus GX460s with incorrect load carrying capacity labels. Without the proper sticker, these vehicles fail to comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110 entitled, "Tire Selection and Rims."
An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash. Toyota is working to notify owners and provide corrected labels by the middle of January.