T51 Recall notification

[Road King]

Got the following message in my monthly Ram-VHR email report:

"URGENT: You have 1 recall that requires immediate action. Call your dealer now to schedule your FREE repair."

Checking the recall site, my truck now has the T51 Recall listed (water pump). But they don't have any fix yet apparently...

T51 Recall

 

[MADDOG]

It will be at least 4 more months before they get the parts according to my dealer. Had the same thing happen on my SRT with respects to the Takata airbag recall.

In the meantime, if my truck catches fire and burns to the ground while I am waiting on FCA to follow through with the repairs, they'll replace it.

 

[Cummins Dog]

I got mine in the mail today too. Kind of strange they don't have the parts yet. This has been known for at least a couple months, I've seen it posted a couple places for a couple months and have been checking for the recall by my vin for a while. (It was finally posted to the recall website Nov. 1st). Were they just waiting until the "official" notice was mailed out to start stocking up on water pumps?

 

[BossHogg]

It was the same with the T05 recall, I waited five months for a new SCR.

Suppliers are geared up to make what is needed and every once in a while will run production for the parts and service operations. Remember, automotive is just in time manufacturing.

If RAM is right, only 1% affected which equates to less than 5,000 water pumps needed for the recall.

 

[Ratket]

My buddy has this recall, his water pump started leaking, they just put the original model in for now until the new one shows up.

 

[tdeperte]

I got mine in the mail today too. Kind of strange they don't have the parts yet. This has been known for at least a couple months, I've seen it posted a couple places for a couple months and have been checking for the recall by my vin for a while. (It was finally posted to the recall website Nov. 1st). Were they just waiting until the "official" notice was mailed out to start stocking up on water pumps?

They knew about this problem for over a year. FCA did controlled testing in their labs and failed to replicate the problem (leaking AND fire). They did have pumps that leaked in testing. Around Aug or Sept 2017 they finally duplicated the fire event and began to initiate the recall. Only because they were able to verify that a fire event was a possibility with leaking water pumps. If not for the fire event this would have fallen to failed pumps replaced under warranty. The bad pumps don't have a vent hole at the 11 o'clock position. Not to be confused with the weep hole at 6 o'clock. The new pumps will have a vent hole at 11 0'clock and the delay is do to their manufacture in sufficient quantities to satisfy the demand.

 

[Ratket]

Does everyone know what “Fuels “ the fire or triggers the fire to start?

 

[tdeperte]

Does everyone know what “Fuels “ the fire or triggers the fire to start?

Heat. They weren't able to replicate the fire event until they conducted the testing in hot summertime temperatures.

 

[mtofell]

It's great that recalls are required and vehicles are really safe. I think the chances of most recalls actually happening to you (if you weren't to fix it) are like getting struck by lightening and mauled by a bear in the same day.

 

[Cummins Dog]

I heard (or read somewhere) that only 1% of the water pumps actually need the recall, which translates to around 5,000 give or take. Seems they could do a recall just to inspect them and eliminate the ones that don't need it (so they could get on with their lives). When they find one that does need the water pump they could tell them to come back for replacement when the water pumps come in.

 

[tdeperte]

I heard (or read somewhere) that only 1% of the water pumps actually need the recall, which translates to around 5,000 give or take. Seems they could do a recall just to inspect them and eliminate the ones that don't need it (so they could get on with their lives). When they find one that does need the water pump they could tell them to come back for replacement when the water pumps come in.

Problem with this scenario is it is hard if not impossible to determine which pump is going to fail by conducting a visual examination. Pump could pass a visual only to fail 30 days down the road. With FCA knowing that the failure can result in a fire, they have no choice but to perform a full recall.