A Major Recall Hits the Road
Stellantis, the automaker behind Ram trucks, has announced a recall affecting approximately 1.5 million Ram 1500 pickup trucks in North America. The issue centers on a seat belt buckle anchor in the second row of the truck that may not have been properly secured to the vehicle's body structure during manufacturing.
Which Trucks Are Affected
The recall covers Ram 1500 models built between 2019 and 2026. Specifically, the concern involves the second-row center seat belt buckle anchor and, in some cases, the second-row driver-side anchor. If either anchor wasn't properly fastened to the truck's frame during assembly, it could compromise the seat belt's ability to restrain a passenger in a crash — a serious safety risk for anyone riding in the back seat.
Why It Matters for Ontario Drivers
The Ram 1500 is one of the best-selling trucks in Canada, and that popularity extends well beyond rural and industrial use — plenty of Ontario households, contractors, and small businesses rely on them as daily drivers. With a recall of this scale, it's likely thousands of the affected trucks are currently on the road in Ontario, whether parked in driveways in the suburbs or working job sites across the province. Anyone who owns a Ram 1500 within the affected model years should treat this as a priority to check.
What Owners Should Do
Stellantis is expected to notify affected owners directly by mail, but drivers don't need to wait for a letter to act. Owners can check whether their specific vehicle is included in the recall by looking up their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) through Transport Canada's recall database or directly through a Stellantis-affiliated dealership (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, or Ram). Repairs for recalls like this are performed free of charge, typically involving an inspection and, if necessary, reinforcement or replacement of the seat belt anchor hardware.
In the meantime, if you're unsure whether your seat belt anchors are secure, it's worth having a dealership take a look sooner rather than later, especially if you regularly carry passengers in the back seat.
The Bigger Picture
Recalls affecting seat belt components are treated with particular urgency by regulators because they go directly to occupant safety in the event of a collision. This isn't the first safety-related recall for the Ram lineup, and with production spanning nearly a decade of model years, it underscores how a single manufacturing oversight can ripple across millions of vehicles built over a long production run.
For now, the advice from safety officials is straightforward: check your VIN, book an inspection if you're affected, and don't ignore the recall notice when it arrives.
Source: CBC News
