Chrysler recalls 8,329 Ram 2500 pickups for possible loss of electronic stability control

Here’s the short version: if you own a 2026 Ram 2500, your truck’s stability control system may not work when you need it most, and Chrysler is pulling back more than 8,300 of them to fix it.

That’s not a minor bulletin. Electronic stability control is one of those systems you never think about until the truck starts sliding and the computer quietly saves you. When it’s not working, you don’t get a warning light of comfort — you get a heavier, less predictable truck in exactly the moment you can’t afford one.

What’s actually failing

The recall covers certain 2026 Ram 2500 pickups built with a faulty steering column control module. That module is tied into the vehicle’s electronic stability control. When it misbehaves, you can lose stability control entirely.

Here’s why that matters mechanically. Stability control uses wheel-speed sensors and steering input to figure out whether the truck is going where you’re pointing it. If it senses the back end stepping out or the truck plowing wide in a corner, it brakes individual wheels and can cut power to pull you back in line. On a heavy-duty 2500 — a truck that’s often towing, hauling, or running empty with a stiff rear end — that intervention is doing real work.

Lose the module’s input and you lose that safety net. No automatic braking at the corner you misjudged. No correction when a trailer starts to sway or a wet off-ramp gets away from you. The federal filing is blunt about the risk: a loss of electronic stability control increases the risk of a crash.

The other piece here is legal. These trucks are listed as non-compliant with FMVSS No. 126, the federal safety standard that governs electronic stability control systems. That standard exists because ESC is proven to cut crashes, especially rollovers in tall, heavy vehicles. A 2500 is exactly the kind of truck that standard was written for.

What the filing says

Chrysler is recalling 8,329 of the 2026 Ram 2500. The recall landed the week of Oct. 19, 2026, and was covered in NHTSA’s commercial vehicle recall roundup reported by Truck Parts & Service and in the RV recall coverage from RVBusiness.

If you want to check your own truck, the VINs became searchable on NHTSA.gov on Oct. 13, 2026. FCA’s internal number for this campaign is 90D, which is the reference you’ll see on dealer paperwork.

That’s the extent of what’s confirmed in the filing. I’m not going to guess at a remedy or a root cause beyond what’s stated, because the facts don’t spell those out yet. What’s clear is the part, the system it affects, and the risk.

What this means if you own one

1. Run your VIN now. Go to NHTSA.gov, enter your 17-character VIN, and see if your truck shows under this campaign. The VINs have been searchable since Oct. 13, 2026, so there’s no reason to wait. You can also check the 2026 Ram 2500 hub to keep track of what’s tied to this model year.

2. Watch for stability control warnings. If your ESC light comes on, or the system throws a fault, don’t write it off as a glitch. On a truck this heavy, that system is doing more than you think. Treat a warning as a reason to get it looked at, not a reason to keep driving and hope.

3. Be careful how you drive until it’s fixed. This isn’t a recall where you can just assume the computer has your back. Give yourself more room on wet roads, take off-ramps slower than you normally would, and be extra deliberate if you’re towing. You’re the stability control until the module is sorted.

4. The repair is free. Know that going in. A safety recall repair doesn’t cost you anything at the dealer. If a service writer tries to attach a charge to fixing a recalled component, that’s a conversation to push back on. Bring the campaign reference — FCA’s number is 90D — and the NHTSA listing.

5. Document everything. Keep your VIN check, any dealer paperwork, and the dates. If you’ve had a stability-control symptom already, write down when it happened and what the truck did. That record protects you if anything comes of it down the road.

6. Wait for the official notice, but don’t sit on your hands. Chrysler and NHTSA will send owner notifications. You don’t have to wait for the letter to call your dealer and ask whether the fix is available and whether parts are in. Getting in the queue early beats waiting behind everyone who ignored it.

My take

This is a serious defect on paper, but it’s also the system working the way it’s supposed to. A safety standard caught a non-compliant part, and the trucks are being recalled before anyone’s build quality turned into a crash report. That’s the good version of a recall.

The thing I’d stress to any 2026 Ram 2500 owner: don’t let the fact that your truck drives fine today lull you into ignoring this. Stability control is invisible when it’s working and invisible when it’s broken — right up until the moment you need it. The whole point of the system is to be there for the emergency you didn’t see coming. If yours might not be, run the VIN, get it scheduled, and drive like the net isn’t there until you’ve confirmed it is.