Ram will replace the steering column control module free of charge on certain 2026 Ram 2500 pickups, under a recall that FCA, the maker of Ram trucks, filed on October 6, 2026. The part can cause a loss of electronic stability control, the system that helps keep a truck under control in a slide. Owner letters are expected to be mailed November 24.
A stability-control fault in a heavy-duty pickup
FCA says in NHTSA campaign 26V651000 that some 2026 Ram 2500 pickups have steering column control modules that can cause a loss of electronic stability control. The trucks therefore fail Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 126, the federal rule for stability control.
The consequence NHTSA lists is short: a loss of electronic stability control increases the risk of a crash. The component is filed under electronic stability control, control module. The record contains no instruction to park the truck.
This is the second round for the same part. An April 16, 2026 recall, 26V244, covered 6,605 Ram 2500 pickups with the same module problem, and owner letters went out May 7. The October filing says it expands that earlier recall.
Is a truck fixed in the spring covered again?
The new filing does not say whether trucks repaired under the April recall are in the expanded group, or how many trucks were added. Only a VIN search settles it. FCA’s recall number is 90D for this campaign and 36D for the earlier one, and a dealer can see both.
Owners have a head start on the mail. NHTSA says VINs became searchable on its site on October 13, 2026, six weeks before the letters are due. Owners can enter the 17-character VIN, found on the lower left of the windshield, at NHTSA’s recall lookup today.
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FCA customer service takes calls about the recall at 1-800-853-1403, and the record lists no deadline for the repair. Having the VIN and the recall number ready when calling a dealer’s service desk is the practical step. Owners of more than one truck can check several VINs in one search.
The free module swap and the dealer’s bill
The remedy is a swap. Dealers will replace the steering column control module free of charge, according to the NHTSA record. Neither FCA nor NHTSA puts a price on the part, so the amount an owner avoids paying is not in the filing.
The letters are expected November 24, 2026, about a month away. NHTSA says manufacturers must notify registered owners by first-class mail within 60 days of telling the agency about a recall decision, and must fix the defect by repair, replacement or refund. The mailing is a courtesy copy of a right owners already have.
The record says nothing about repaying owners who already paid for work on a stability-control warning light or a steering module. Owners in that spot should know that NHTSA’s brochure for vehicle owners allows reimbursement of certain costs when they can be proved. Receipts from earlier shop visits are the proof.
The brochure puts limits on that. Eligible repairs run from the earlier of the day NHTSA opens an engineering analysis or one year before the manufacturer told NHTSA about the defect, and the window closes 10 days after the last owner notices are mailed.
What the expansion changes for owners
A recall that grows after the first wave can reach owners who assumed the matter was closed. A truck whose owner never saw the May letter, or one that changed hands since, is still checked by VIN. The lookup does not depend on having received any mail.
The two recalls ran on different clocks. The April report on April 16 was followed by owner letters on May 7, 21 days later. The October report on October 6 is followed by letters expected November 24, 49 days later, so owners on the expanded list wait more than twice as long for mail.
If a Ram dealer refuses to do the work in line with the recall letter, the brochure says to notify the manufacturer immediately. It adds that manufacturers’ contracts require dealers to honor a recall and fix the defect at no extra charge. FCA’s number for that call is 1-800-853-1403.
Age rules do not get in the way. The brochure says a free remedy is owed on vehicles not more than 15 years old, counted from the first sale, and every truck in this recall is a 2026 model. The record sets no mileage limit on the replacement, and a dealer cannot charge for the module.
The short list for Ram 2500 owners: run the VIN, call the dealer about parts, keep earlier invoices and expect the letter around November 24. The question left for anyone who paid for steering or stability-control work earlier this year is whether that bill is part of this recall.
Paid for stability-control work on a Ram 2500 already?
A shop invoice for steering or stability-control work, filed nowhere, is a refund question nobody gets to ask. The recall settles one household cost, and other costs, from Medicare premiums to heating bills, are covered by programs that pay only after an application.
The Benefits Checklist runs through 11 benefit programs retirees most often miss, with the 2026 income limits beside each. It includes a 50-state phone directory for the offices that take the applications and a printable tracker that comes with the download.
Match a household to 11 benefit programs with the Benefits Checklist tracker →
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
