Ram is checking tire pressure sensors on 16,385 2026 1500 pickups because the low-tire warning may not light

FCA US is recalling 16,385 of its 2026 Ram 1500 pickups because the tire pressure sensors may not catch a low tire. The Ram 1500 TPMS recall covers trucks whose sensors may fail to detect low pressure or fail to light the warning lamp on the dash. As a result, a driver could keep going on an underinflated tire without being told.

Dealers will inspect the sensors and replace them as needed. The work is free, and owner letters are due to go out on October 27, 2026.

This is a half-ton campaign only. It isn’t the Ram 2500 steering module recall that FCA filed in October, and it doesn’t cover earlier Ram 1500 model years.

Which trucks the Ram 1500 TPMS recall covers

A 2025 Ram 1500 Rebel from the rear, the same DT-generation truck named in the Ram 1500 TPMS recall
Image Credit: Kevauto – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s record for campaign 26V623000 lists only the 2026 Ram 1500. FCA, the Stellantis arm that builds Ram trucks, filed its report on September 29, 2026. The agency counts 16,385 potentially affected pickups.

NHTSA’s acknowledgment letter, dated October 7, 2026, adds the paperwork details. FCA tracks the campaign as recall 51D. In addition, the affected VINs became searchable on NHTSA’s website on October 6, 2026.

The build window is about eight and a half months. According to Pickup Truck Talk’s report on the filing, the suspect period runs from July 1, 2025, to March 17, 2026. Trucks built outside that window aren’t included, the report says.

What a TPMS does and what can go wrong

A tire pressure monitoring system, or TPMS, uses a sensor in each wheel to watch air pressure. When a tire runs low, the system lights a warning on the instrument panel. That way, the driver knows to stop and check the tires.

On these trucks, NHTSA says the sensors may fail to detect low tire pressure. They may also fail to turn on the warning light as intended. Consequently, the trucks don’t comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 138, the federal rule for tire pressure monitoring systems.

NHTSA explains the risk in one line: a warning light that fails to notify the driver of low tire pressure increases the risk of a crash. Neither the agency’s record nor the outlets that covered it list any crashes or injuries. Likewise, no source gives a count of failed sensors.

How FCA traced the problem

Pickup Truck Talk links the problem to a process change in tire and wheel assembly. That change began on July 1, 2025, and was updated on March 17, 2026, which is why the window ends there. However, the outlet notes that the NHTSA notice itself lists no cause.

According to the same report, FCA’s Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance team opened an investigation on March 17, 2026. Over the following months, it reviewed the issue with engineering and supplier quality staff. Then, on September 16, the team recognized a vehicle build issue. Finally, FCA’s Vehicle Regulations Committee decided on September 22 that a noncompliance existed.

Pickup Truck Talk adds that FCA identified the affected trucks from supplier and production records. Trucks with tire and wheel assemblies from a different supplier aren’t part of the campaign, it reports.

The fix: inspection first, new sensors if needed

The remedy doesn’t automatically mean four new sensors. Instead, NHTSA says dealers will inspect the tire pressure sensors and replace them as necessary. Owners won’t pay for either the inspection or any parts.

FCA expects to mail owner letters on October 27, 2026. Dealers were to be notified on or about October 6, Pickup Truck Talk reports. So owners don’t need to wait for the letter to book a visit.

NHTSA’s record doesn’t tell owners to stop driving or to park outside. Even so, a quick check with a tire gauge costs little while the truck waits for its appointment.

What Ram 1500 owners should do

First, find the 17-character VIN on the registration, the insurance card or the driver-side dashboard. Next, enter it at NHTSA’s recall lookup. If the truck appears, a Ram dealer can schedule the sensor inspection.

Owners can also call FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403 and mention recall 51D. Alternatively, NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline is 1-888-327-4236, according to the agency’s letter.

The campaign also showed up in the Vehicle Service Pros roundup of NHTSA recalls for October 5–9, with the same count, standard and remedy. Separately, FCA’s Ram 2500 recall, campaign 26V651, covers 8,329 2026 Ram 2500 pickups with a steering column module fault, according to the same outlet’s October 19–23 roundup.

For half-ton owners, the record is simple. NHTSA counts 16,385 2026 Ram 1500 pickups in the Ram 1500 TPMS recall, and owner letters for recall 51D are due October 27, 2026.

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