Ram 1500 lemon law in California: eTorque stalling, tailgate, stability control and other recalls

The Ram 1500 is a work truck and a family vehicle at once, so a truck that stalls in traffic, drops its tailgate or loses stability control is more than an inconvenience. If your truck keeps going back to the dealer for the same problem, the Ram 1500 lemon law question is whether those visits add up to a claim under California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, which can require the manufacturer, FCA US (Stellantis), to repurchase or replace a vehicle it cannot fix after a reasonable number of attempts.

This guide focuses on the current-generation Ram 1500, sold from model year 2019, and notes where a recall covers the older-style Ram 1500 Classic instead. It lists documented recalls and NHTSA investigations by system, explains how they count, and covers what to ask the dealer to write down. For Stellantis rulings, its state-certified dispute program and the other Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler models, see our Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge and Ram lemon law guide. This is general information as of October 2026, not legal advice, and it does not suggest every Ram 1500 is defective.

eTorque stalling: a recall and a federal investigation

Many 2019-and-later Ram 1500s use eTorque, a mild-hybrid system with a 48-volt auxiliary battery. Two problems have been documented.

• Recall 23V-265 (April 2023): 131,700 2021 Ram 1500s with the 5.7L eTorque V8. NHTSA's record says powertrain control module software "may cause an incorrect fuel mixture condition in the engine," which can stall it. Dealers update the software.
• NHTSA preliminary evaluation (July 2024): NHTSA opened an investigation into about 80 complaints of 2022 Ram 1500 and 2022 Jeep Wagoneer vehicles with the 5.7L eTorque that shut off while driving, often at low speed, then shift into Park and set the parking brake. Some would not restart and showed battery or low-voltage warnings. FCA told NHTSA the stalls were likely not caused by the over-rich fuel condition behind 23V-265 but by another cause, such as an electrical problem, CarComplaints reported. The Truth About Cars reported the probe could cover up to 150,000 vehicles.
• Recall 19V-142 (February 2019): 2019 Ram 1500 with the 48-volt auxiliary battery; a wire terminal may overheat, risking a fire in the cab.

An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and we have not confirmed how the 2024 probe was resolved. But it matters to owners: if your 2022 truck has stalled more than once, you are describing a problem federal regulators took seriously. An engine that dies in traffic is a strong candidate for the lemon law's two-attempt safety category, discussed below. For engine stalling across brands, see our guide to engine problems and the lemon law.

Tailgate, stability control and steering recalls

Vehicle counts are NHTSA's totals for each campaign. Separately, in 2023 NHTSA opened a recall query into power steering failures on more than 1.1 million older 2013–2016 Ram 1500s, after 380 reports, CBS News reported. Those trucks are a different generation and most are well past warranty, but the report shows how seriously regulators treat steering assist loss.

Airbag, seat belt and other recalls

• Seat belt anchors: 26V-495 (July 2026), 1,271,294 2019–2026 Ram 1500s. Second-row center and left buckle anchors may be improperly installed. Owner letters were expected in August 2026.
• Driver airbag: 25V-765, 2021–2022 Ram 1500 through 5500; the steering column control module may keep the driver airbag from deploying as intended. Dealers replace the module. Also 25V-298, a small 2019–2024 campaign for an improperly connected driver airbag.
• Airbag controller: 19V-407, 2019–2020 Ram 1500; controller memory may corrupt and disable airbags and pretensioners.
• 3.0L EcoDiesel: 22V-767, 2020–2022 Ram 1500 with the 3.0L diesel; the high-pressure fuel pump may fail and stall the engine. Our brand guide covers a later diesel fuel pump recall, 23V-263.
• 4WD transfer case: 20V-080, 2019 Ram 1500 4WD; a misinstalled gear may cause neutral or loss of Park.
• Rear camera: 23V-059, 2021–2023 Ram 1500 with the trailer reverse steering module; the rear image may not display. 26V-560 covers a radio software error on 2025–2026 trucks.
• 2025–2026 trucks: headlight module software that may make headlights inoperative (24V-942), instrument panel displays that may go blank or fail (25V-826 and 26V-225), and a trailer tow module that may cause trailer lights and brakes to fail (26V-059).

Our recall and complaint lookup tool pulls current NHTSA data for your model year, and you can check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How the lemon law applies to a Ram 1500

Civil Code § 1793.2(d) requires the manufacturer to replace a new vehicle or make restitution, at the buyer's choice, when it cannot fix a warranty defect after a reasonable number of attempts. Within the first 18 months or 18,000 miles, Civil Code § 1793.22(b) presumes a reasonable number of attempts after:

1. two or more repairs of a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, with direct notice to the manufacturer at least once; or
2. four or more repairs of the same defect, with direct notice to the manufacturer at least once; or
3. more than 30 calendar days out of service for repair, in total.

Direct notice is required when the warranty clearly discloses it, and FCA's warranty booklet asks owners to notify it in writing, as our brand guide explains. Stalling, loss of stability control, loss of steering assist and a tailgate that opens while driving are the kinds of defects that may fall in the two-attempt safety category; whether one does is a question of fact. See our guide to safety defects and the lemon law.

The presumption is a shortcut, not the only route. A truck past 18 months can still qualify if the defect appeared under warranty and was not fixed in a reasonable number of attempts; our guide on how many repair attempts the lemon law requires explains how. A Ram bought for a small business can also qualify within limits on fleet size and vehicle weight.

Intermittent problems and "no problem found"

eTorque stalls and electrical faults are often intermittent, and dealers may find no stored code or be unable to make the truck stall. A visit where you reported the problem is still a repair attempt if the repair order records your complaint. That is why the paperwork below matters.

What to ask the dealer to write on the repair order

• Your complaint, in the same words each visit: "Engine shut off at 10 mph turning into parking lot, truck went into Park, would not restart, battery warning on."
• How often and when: date, speed, temperature, towing or not, and whether stop-start was on.
• Codes and tests: diagnostic trouble codes, 12-volt and 48-volt battery tests, and any software flash.
• The recall or bulletin number performed, and whether it was a repeat remedy.
• "Could not duplicate," if that is the finding, with your complaint still recorded.
• Dates and mileage in and out, any tow, and whether you got a loaner.

Photograph dashboard warnings when they appear, and keep maintenance receipts, since engine and electrical claims often draw a maintenance defense.

Stellantis's dispute program and next steps

FCA US offers the California Dispute Settlement Program, which the Department of Consumer Affairs lists as state-certified for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram as of June 2025. If FCA gave you proper written notice of it, you generally must use it before relying on the 18-month presumption (Civil Code § 1793.22(c)). You can sue without it, and its decisions do not bind you. Our guide to lemon law arbitration versus a lawsuit walks through the choice.

1. Get open recalls done, and go back each time the problem returns.
2. Open a case with FCA and record the case number. NHTSA's recall records list FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
3. Do not trade in the truck or sign a goodwill release without a review.
4. Do not send a lemon law demand letter on your own. Stellantis (FCA) has been reported among manufacturers that opted in to California's 2025 procedures, which require a specific pre-suit notice to seek civil penalties.

What you can recover and the deadlines

A repurchase generally covers what you paid or owe, including taxes, registration and finance charges, plus incidental costs such as towing and rentals, minus a mileage offset for miles driven before the first repair visit for the defect (Civil Code § 1793.2(d)(2)). If the manufacturer willfully failed to comply, a court can add a civil penalty of up to two times actual damages, and a buyer who wins recovers attorney's fees and costs (Civil Code § 1794). For opted-in manufacturers, a lawsuit generally must be filed within one year after the warranty expires and no later than six years after delivery. Confirm current status on the Department of Consumer Affairs list.

How LaCour handles Ram 1500 claims

LaCour Trial Lawyers handles California lemon law claims statewide, in English and Spanish, with trial counsel leading each case. When a claim succeeds, the law requires the manufacturer to pay the buyer's attorney's fees and costs. Send us your repair orders and recall letters for a free, confidential review.

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information about California and federal law and about public records as of its date. It is not legal advice, and reading it or contacting us does not create an attorney–client relationship. Allegations in lawsuits are claims, not findings. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney advertising.