Automaker Stellantis recalls 317,000 Ram trucks over faulty ABS

Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Stellantis has recalled more than 317,000 of its Ram pickup trucks due to potentially deadly brake problems, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced.

Safety regulators issued the recall after learning that hydraulic control units installed on some of its Ram vehicles may fail.

The recall affects the 2017-2018 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500 and 5500 models due to concerns that a defective part could cause failures in the anti-lock braking, electronic stability control and traction control systems.

"A loss of anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control or traction control can increase the risk of a crash," a release from the NHTSA said.

Regular braking functions remain unaffected, the company said.

Dealers will replace or repair the affected parts free of charge, federal safety regulators said. Notification letters are expected to be mailed to owners in early January.

This is the latest in a series of Stellantis recalls. Last month, it recalled 207,000 Jeep and Dodge SUVs in the United States due to a computer issue that can disable ABS and ESC safety features.

The company expanded its recall efforts globally in September, addressing a software problem affecting nearly 1.5 million Ram pickups that could also disable the ESC system.

Stellantis is also suffering from falling sales, a 27% drop in net revenue, layoffs and excess inventory on car lots.