2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

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FCA recalls Ram dualie chassis cabs to recalibrate top speed

If you're one of the 1,771 owners of a 2014-15 Ram 4500 or 5500 chassis cab with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 and a dualie rear axle, you may be hearing soon from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to bring your truck in to your local dealer. The reason, you ask? To have the speed limiter recalibrated. The problem, according to the statement below, is that while some of these trucks are electronically limited to 106 miles per hour, their tires can't safely maintain that speed. As a result, FCA is having dealers recalibrate the limiter to 87 mph. Of course, that's still well above the speed limit in most places, and "FCA believes it is unlikely that these trucks are operated at such speeds," but that it "is acting out of an abundance of caution." In addition to the 1,771 units in the United States, the company is recalling another 169 in Canada. In an unrelated campaign, FCA is also recalling a handful or two of 2015 Dodge Challengers – 72 in the US, six in Canada and three in Mexico – to secure a side-curtain airbag bolt that may have been improperly installed during assembly over the course of a ten-day period. In both cases, FCA says it is unaware of any complaints, accidents or injuries related to these issues. Statement: Speed Recalibration May 15, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 1,771 trucks in the U.S. to recalibrate their maximum speed. The dual-wheel trucks are currently restricted to a top speed of 106 miles per hour (mph), but an internal specification review revealed top speed should be set at 87 mph, in accordance with their factory-equipped tires. The Company is unaware of any related injuries, accidents or customer complaints. Dealers will recalibrate vehicle speed accordingly. While FCA believes it is unlikely that these trucks are operated at such speeds, and that doing so would exceed posted speed limits in nearly every applicable jurisdiction, the Company is acting out of an abundance of caution. The campaign is limited to certain model-year 2014-15 Ram 4500/5500 Chassis Cabs equipped with 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 engines. An additional 169 vehicles are believed to be in Canada. Affected customers will be advised when they may schedule service. Customers with questions may call the FCA US Customer Information Center at 1-800-853-1403. ### Statement: Bolt May 15, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 72 cars in the U.S.

2013 Ram 1500 Black Express is midnight in the garden of good and evil

Building off of the solid base of its 1500 pickup, Ram has announced a dark horse in its stable, the Ram Black Express, which comes equipped with a bevy of features to distinguish it from the regular Express model. (Just don't call it a black sheep.)
The Black Express sets itself apart visually from other 1500s with black 20-inch aluminum wheels, black bumpers, a black grille and front fascia with fog lamps, black Ram's head badges front and rear but no side badges for a clean, shaved look. The premium bi-function halogen projector headlamps with LED running lights, which aren't even an option on the regular Express, come standard on the Black edition.
The 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is unchanged, making 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. Paired with the standard eight-speed automatic transmission, the truck can tow 6,500 pounds. It's on sale starting this month, and the base Black Express can be had for $26,955, just $1,105 more than the base Express 4X2 regular cab. Feel free to peruse the press release below and check out the image gallery below.

Three Ram recalls affect more than a million pickups

Millions of Ram pickups across many of its model lines in the US are in need of recall repairs due to three campaigns by the truck maker. The largest of this trio covers 1.06 million examples in the US of the 2012-2014 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, and chassis cab versions of the 3500, 4500, and 5500 because of potential inadvertent driver-side airbag deployment. In addition to those affected here, there are 235,925 in Canada, 26,543 in Mexico, and 23,635 elsewhere. There are also two related injures from this problem, but no reports of accidents, according to the company. While the recall was mysteriously ignored in the media at the time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced details of this campaign in late July. The next largest among the three covers 188,000 examples of the 2014 and 2015 Ram 1500 Quad Cab in the US because their side-curtain airbags don't fully overlap the C-pillars when deployed, which is in violation of federal rules. Conceivably, rear passengers not wearing their seatbelt could be more likely to be ejected in a crash. Ram's repair for the issue is still being developed, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but the company advises all occupants to be buckled in. The final campaign affects 156,498 the company's heavy-duty trucks in the US, including the 2013 Ram 3500 and 2014 Ram 2500, 3500, and 3500 Chassis Cab. In addition, there are 20,603 in Canada and 3,241 elsewhere. Of the 13,236 in Mexico, a few units of the 2014 Ram 1500 exclusive to that market are also covered. The company found that the welds for some steering parts might have "insufficient fusion." If the part breaks, then vehicles are still controllable but with diminished response. There are no reported injuries but one minor accident. The fix involves installing a reinforcement bracket. Related Video: Statement: Steering-wheel Wiring Harness September 10, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is conducting a voluntary safety recall to inspect and service, as required, wiring harnesses in an estimated 1.06 million U.S.-market trucks. Investigation by FCA US discovered certain trucks may have steering-wheel wiring harnesses that wear because of contact with a spring. Such wear may cause a short-circuit that may lead to inadvertent driver-side air-bag deployment. The Company is aware of two related injuries, but no accidents.