When you purchase or lease a new vehicle, you expect all components to be in safe, working order. Unfortunately, many vehicles leave the production line with defects that can pose a severe safety risk for drivers, passengers, and other motorists. If you are the owner of a 2019-2020 Dodge Ram 1500, your vehicle could be one of the 295,981 trucks that have been slated for recall due to airbag malfunctions. Read on to learn more about what consumers need to do to protect themselves.

What is the Problem with the Dodge Ram 1500 Airbag?

The issue that prompted the Dodge Ram 1500 recall is a problem with the occupant restraint controller’s (ORC) flash memory. It was discovered that the flash memory could become corrupt, thus disabling the truck’s airbags and seat belt pretensioners. In the event of a crash, non-deployment of the airbag and lack of seatbelt tension to hold passengers in, can cause serious injuries.

What Consumers Need To Do

If you own a 2019-2020 Dodge Ram 1500, it’s Chrysler’s responsibility to inform you if your vehicle is included in the recall. It is also their responsibility to replace or repair the defective part. In this case, Chrysler dealers will replace or reprogram the ORC free of charge. If you haven’t received notification of a recall for your truck, you can visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A simple entry of your VIN number will populate all recalls related to your vehicle.

Learn Your Rights Under Lemon Law

California’s lemon laws are in place to protect consumers’ rights on purchased or leased vehicles. If you have returned your truck to a Dodge dealership for repair of the ORC and the problem still persists after multiple attempts to fix the issue, you may be entitled to compensation under California’s lemon law.

Mr. Taylor wrote the book on Lemon Law. To find out if you qualify for a buyback or significant cash on your defective Dodge Ram 1500 contact Norman Taylor & Associates today at (818) 244-3905 for your free case evaluation.