Ram recalls 12,000 2500 HD pickups

A pickup recall for being “too fast” sounds goofy at first. But the real issue is simpler and more serious — some Ram 2500 heavy-duty trucks got software that can let them go faster than their factory tires are rated to handle. Stellantis filed the recall with NHTSA on May 7, covering 12,736 trucks from the 2023 through 2026 model years. The fix is just a software update, but the safety risk is old-school: push a tire past its speed rating and you raise the chance of failure. ### Which trucks are involved? The recall covers certain Ram 2500 pickups from model years 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. Stellantis says the affected vehicles were built between June 21, 2022 and April 14, 2026. The company’s internal estimate is 12,736 trucks, and it treats the whole population as potentially defective. (static.nhtsa.gov) ### What actually went wrong? The problem sits in the powertrain control module — basically the software brain that helps govern vehicle behavior. In these trucks, the vehicle speed calibration was set in a way that can exceed the tires’ maximum speed rating. So this is not a case of the wrong tires being bolted on at the factory. It’s the truck’s electronic speed limit not matching the tires fitted to it. (static.nhtsa.gov) ### Why do the tires matter so much? Tires come with speed ratings, and those ratings are not decorative. They’re the tested maximum speeds the tire is designed to sustain under specified conditions. Reports on this recall point to R-rated tires on the affected trucks, which are rated to 106 mph. If the limiter lets the truck go beyond that, the risk is tire degradation or failure — and once a heavy-duty pickup loses a tire at high speed, control can go with it. (static.nhtsa.gov) ### How was the issue discovered? Turns out this did not start with a crash. Stellantis says its technical safety and regulatory compliance group opened an investigation on March 24, 2026. The chronology in the recall filing says the company reviewed vehicle records, warranty data, and other field information before deciding a safety defect existed and issuing the recall. The filing says Stellantis was not aware of any related injuries or accidents when it submitted the report. (abit.ee) ### What’s the fix? Dealers will update the powertrain control module with the correct speed calibration. That repair is free. In other words, the truck does not need new tires, new hardware, or a mechanical teardown. It needs the software to stop promising more speed than the tires can safely support. ### When will owners hear about it? (static.nhtsa.gov) The recall filing lists owner notification letters as scheduled to be mailed on June 5, 2026. Owners can also check by VIN through NHTSA’s recall lookup or Ram’s recall tools before that date if they want to know sooner. ### Why is this worth paying attention to? Because it’s a very 2026 kind of defect. (static.nhtsa.gov) Nothing snapped. Nothing wore out. The truck’s code and the truck’s tires just disagreed about what “safe” meant. Modern recalls keep landing in that zone — software-defined behavior creating a very physical risk. ### Bottom line This recall is small by industry standards, but it’s a clean example of how software now sets real-world safety limits in trucks. (static.nhtsa.gov) If you own a 2023-2026 Ram 2500, the smart move is simple: check the VIN and get the module reflashed if your truck is included.