Ram 1500 Recall Summary
- Who is affected: 2019-2026 Ram 1500 owners
- What is the defect: The bolts anchoring the second-row seat belt buckles to the truck’s body structure may not have been properly installed at the factory.
- Recall size: 1,271,294 vehicles in the United States; more than 1.5 million worldwide, including roughly 156,000 in Canada, 15,000 in Mexico, and 74,000 in other markets.
- Injuries reported: Stellantis has reported one injury potentially connected to this defect. No fatalities have been reported.
- Safety warning: Stellantis has advised owners not to use the second-row center or driver-side seating positions until a dealer has inspected, and if necessary repaired, the seat belt buckle anchors.
- Fix status: No fix is currently available to owners. Dealers are not expected to be able to perform inspections until VINs become searchable on August 6, 2026, and owner notification letters are not expected to begin mailing until August 18, 2026.
- Check your VIN: Check your VIN through NHTSA’s recall lookup tool, though this recall will not be searchable until August 6, 2026. Until then, contact Stellantis customer care at 1-800-853-1403 (recall 67D). Think you may have a lemon law claim? Contact The Margarian Law Firm
- California owners: If your Ram 1500 has had a loose, rattling, or improperly seated second-row seat belt buckle that your dealer could not resolve, contact The Margarian Law Firm for a free case evaluation
What triggered this recall?
Ram is a truck brand owned by Stellantis, the parent company that also owns Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge. NHTSA’s recall record for campaign 26V495 describes the problem as an assembly-line defect: the hex head bolts that anchor the second-row seat belt buckles to the truck’s body structure may not have been properly attached during manufacturing. That failure means the affected trucks do not meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 210 (FMVSS 210, the federal rule that sets minimum strength requirements for seat belt anchorages).
The anchorage itself is what keeps a seat belt buckle from tearing loose under the force of a crash. If a buckle anchor was never properly bolted down, the second-row seat belt system may not restrain an occupant the way it is designed to, increasing the risk of injury in a collision. Stellantis has advised owners not to use the second-row center or driver-side seats until the anchors are inspected, since those are the two positions affected.
According to Stellantis’s own filings, the defect surfaced when Transport Canada relayed a customer concern in early 2026, and Stellantis’s engineering review continued into the summer before the company determined the vehicles did not comply with FMVSS 210 in late July 2026.
As of this writing, no remedy is currently available to owners. VINs are expected to become searchable in NHTSA’s database on August 6, 2026, and owner notification letters are not expected to begin mailing until August 18, 2026.
Sources: NHTSA | Reuters | FOX2 Detroit | Carscoops
Which vehicles are included in this recall?
- 2019-2026 Ram 1500: 1,271,294 vehicles (United States)
- Total U.S. vehicles affected: 1,271,294
Owners can check whether their truck is included using NHTSA’s VIN lookup tool, though this campaign is not expected to return results until August 6, 2026. Until the VIN tool is updated, owners can call Stellantis customer care directly at 1-800-853-1403 and reference recall 67D to ask whether their specific VIN is affected.
What should Ram 1500 owners do right now?
Stellantis has advised owners not to use the second-row center or driver-side seats until a dealer has inspected the seat belt buckle anchors and made any necessary repairs. Other seating positions are not affected by this advisory.
- Check your VIN once NHTSA’s lookup tool updates on August 6, 2026, or call Stellantis customer care in the meantime
- Contact your dealer to schedule an inspection once appointments become available, and ask directly whether the shop can perform the repair yet
- If your dealer cannot schedule the inspection, or turns you away because parts or trained technicians aren’t available, write down the date, the dealer’s name, and what you were told
- Keep all service records, and put any prior complaints about a loose, twisted, or improperly seated second-row buckle in writing if you haven’t already
- Watch for your owner notification letter, expected to begin mailing on August 18, 2026
For repair scheduling and recall status, contact Stellantis at 1-800-853-1403. This contact is for repair tracking only. For questions about your legal rights, contact The Margarian Law Firm.
Could this recall affect your lemon law rights?
Not every recall directly supports a lemon law claim. It depends on the nature of the defect and what your repair history actually shows. This recall is not a cosmetic or convenience issue. An improperly installed seat belt buckle anchor directly affects occupant safety. For California owners who experienced a loose, rattling, or improperly seated second-row buckle before this recall was announced, and who could not get a lasting fix from their dealer, it may form the foundation of a lemon law claim.
If you have experienced this same issue with your Ram 1500, reach out to The Margarian Law Firm to discuss your options.
Could your Ram 1500 qualify? A quick self-check
- Have you taken your Ram 1500 to the dealer two or more times for the same seat belt, buckle, or second-row restraint issue without a lasting fix?
- Has your vehicle been out of service for 30 or more cumulative days?
- Have you experienced a loose, twisted, or improperly seated second-row seat belt buckle, or related symptoms?
- Did your dealer acknowledge the problem but fail to resolve it?
- Is your vehicle still within the manufacturer’s warranty period?
If you answered yes to any of the above, you may be entitled to compensation under California’s lemon law. Contact The Margarian Law Firm for a free case evaluation.
If your vehicle qualifies, California law requires the manufacturer to pay your attorney fees, meaning representation typically costs you nothing out of pocket.
What California’s lemon law actually covers →
How a lemon law buyback works
The timing of this recall creates a legal window right now
Here is something most recall notices will not tell you, and most law firms will not explain. Right now, there is no remedy a dealer can actually perform. VINs are not searchable until August 6, 2026, and owner notification letters are not expected until August 18, 2026. Until then, dealerships have no way to complete the inspection and repair NHTSA describes, which means any owner experiencing a symptom tied to this defect is living with a documented, unresolved condition that the manufacturer cannot yet correct.
The specifics of how to document that period, and what it might mean for a particular vehicle, are best worked through directly with an attorney rather than guessed at from a blog post. The right time to understand your options is before the fix is available, not after. Talk to a lemon law attorney now to understand what your repair history already shows.
Even once a remedy is released, prior repair attempts remain relevant. If your vehicle was in for related symptoms before this recall was acknowledged, those visits may factor into your claim. The Margarian Law Firm team can review your case and clearly lay out your options.
Get a free, honest case assessment
California Ram 1500 owner?
If you have experienced a loose, rattling, or improperly seated second-row seat belt buckle and your dealer has not been able to fix it, or if you want to understand your rights and what you may be legally entitled to, The Margarian Law Firm can help.
Our firm practices exclusively in California automotive consumer law, including lemon law, dealer fraud, and automotive class actions. That exclusive focus means deeper case knowledge, greater litigation resources, and a track record built entirely on cases like yours. We stay closely attuned to how recalls affect consumers’ legal rights and have the resources to litigate, not just negotiate.
Frequently asked questions
Is my Ram 1500 included in this recall?
The recall covers 2019-2026 Ram 1500 trucks with second-row seating, all built with the affected seat belt buckle anchor bolts. NHTSA’s VIN lookup tool is expected to return results for this campaign starting August 6, 2026. Until then, calling Stellantis customer care with your VIN is the fastest way to check, and The Margarian Law Firm can also help you understand where your truck fits into the broader recall history for the Ram 1500.
Can I still drive my Ram 1500 during this recall?
Stellantis has not ordered owners to stop driving the truck, but it has advised against using the second-row center or driver-side seats until a dealer inspects and, if necessary, repairs the buckle anchors. Other seating positions are not affected by that advisory.
Does this recall mean my Ram 1500 is a lemon?
Not automatically. A recall by itself is not a lemon law claim. What matters is your specific repair history: how many times you brought the truck in for a related seat belt or buckle issue, how long it was out of service, and whether the dealer was able to fix it. The Margarian Law Firm can review your history and tell you honestly where you stand.
What is the seat belt buckle anchor risk exactly?
The bolts that anchor the second-row seat belt buckles to the truck’s body structure may not have been properly installed. If an anchor isn’t properly attached, the seat belt system in that position may not fully restrain an occupant in a crash, which is why Stellantis is advising against using the second-row center and driver-side seats until the anchors are checked.
When will the recall repair be available?
Not yet. VINs are expected to become searchable in NHTSA’s database on August 6, 2026, and owner notification letters are not expected to begin mailing until August 18, 2026. Until dealers can actually schedule and complete the inspection, this recall has no accessible fix.
What if my Ram 1500 was damaged or I was hurt because of this defect? Do I have a legal claim?
Stellantis has reported one injury potentially connected to this defect. If you or a passenger were hurt in a crash and you believe a second-row seat belt did not perform as it should have, that is a matter The Margarian Law Firm can evaluate directly, separate from any standard lemon law analysis.
What if my dealer told me nothing was wrong before this recall?
That happens more often than owners expect, particularly with a defect like this one that has no obvious warning sign before a crash. If your dealer previously dismissed a loose or rattling second-row buckle, or said nothing was found, document what you were told and when. The Margarian Law Firm can help you understand whether that visit counts as a documented repair attempt.
Should I take my vehicle to the dealer now, even if there is no fix yet?
You can still contact your dealer to ask about scheduling, but be aware that inspections are not expected to be available until VINs become searchable on August 6, 2026. If a dealer turns you away or cannot give you an appointment once the recall is live, write down the date and what you were told. That kind of documented, unresolved defect period can matter later, and The Margarian Law Firm can walk you through why.
Standard Legal Disclaimer
The information in this post is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is evaluated on its individual merits, and outcomes vary based on the manufacturer, the defect, repair history, and other factors. Attorney fees in qualifying lemon law cases are paid separately by the manufacturer upon a successful outcome under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (the state law commonly known as California’s lemon law). Contacting The Margarian Law Firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Official sources and further reading
- NHTSA recall record 26V495
- NHTSA VIN lookup tool (not yet searchable for this campaign as of publish; available August 6, 2026)
- Reuters, as reported by FOX2 Detroit: “More than 1.5 million Ram pickup trucks recalled over seat belt issue” (text only, not hyperlinked)
- Carscoops: “1.5 Million Ram Trucks Recalled Because Their Seat Belts Might Let Loose When You Do” (text only, not hyperlinked)
- See all vehicle recalls covered by The Margarian Law Firm