Ram recalled a million pickups. Now regulators are digging into the fix

In July, U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched its new investigation into nearly 1.2 million Ram trucks from model years 2013 through 2018. These trucks were originally recalled in 2017 and 2018 to fix an issue with the brake transmission shift interlock (BTSI) system — a defect that could let vehicles shift out of park without anyone pressing the brake pedal or even having the key in the ignition.

Despite those recalls, NHTSA has received 20 reports suggesting the repairs didn’t fully solve the problem, Bloomberg reports. That includes six incidents where seven people were injured, plus 12 others involving a crash or fire. The investigation covers Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 models that have column-mounted shift levers. This issue doesn’t involve Ram’s rotary dial shifter but affects trucks with the traditional column shifter, where the BTSI locking pin can get stuck and allow the truck to slip out of park unexpectedly.

It’s easy to see why this is a big deal. A heavy truck rolling away on its own is dangerous in any situation, and it’s especially worrying if the engine is off because the power brakes wouldn’t work properly to stop it.

NHTSA is trying to figure out why these roll-away incidents are apparently still happening and if there’s another underlying cause. Ram’s parent company, Stellantis $STLA, says it’s working with regulators as the investigation continues.

This comes just days after NHTSA opened another probe into Dodge Darts over separate post-recall, roll-away problems linked to shifter bushings.

For now, owners of the impacted Ram trucks are being urged to always use the parking brake to reduce the risk of their vehicle moving unexpectedly until a permanent fix is found.