Chrysler has recalled more than 1.27 million Ram 1500 pickup trucks in the United States because second-row seat belt buckle anchors may never have been properly secured to the vehicle’s body structure during factory assembly, federal regulators disclosed this week.
The action covers eight consecutive model years and ranks as one of the largest single recall campaigns filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2026.
What the defect involves
On July 30, 2026, Chrysler, operating as FCA US LLC and a subsidiary of Stellantis, filed the recall with NHTSA covering 1,271,294 Ram 1500 pickups in the United States. The recall covers 2019 through 2026 model year Ram 1500 trucks. NHTSA said the anchors fail to meet federal safety standards.
The issue traces back to a factory assembly error rather than a faulty part, meaning no new or redesigned component is involved in the fix. The recalled trucks were produced between Feb. 17, 2018, and April 27, 2026.
When the anchor is not properly secured, the seat belt cannot manage crash loads as designed, increasing the risk of injury to second-row occupants in a crash. Chrysler estimates that about 0.1 percent of the recalled vehicles actually have the defect, according to NHTSA. Even so, the sheer population of vehicles covered means tens of thousands of trucks could carry the flaw.
How the problem was discovered
The issue was first flagged in January 2026, when Transport Canada reported a customer concern involving a 2025 Ram 1500 whose second-row seat belt buckle anchor may not have been fastened to the body structure.
Chrysler’s Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance group opened an investigation in February 2026 and worked through the failure mode with engineering and manufacturing teams over the following months.
Beyond the U.S. recall, Stellantis says the issue could also affect 156,138 Ram 1500 trucks in Canada and 15,088 units in Mexico.
The Ram nameplate has already seen several safety actions this year, including a headlamp assembly recall covering approximately 12,592 units of the 2026 Ram 1500 and a trailer tow module recall spanning 456,287 Ram and Jeep vehicles. The seat belt anchor campaign dwarfs both. The Ram 1500 has also been part of multiple pickup safety actions across the industry in 2026.
What owners should do
Dealers will inspect the second-row center and driver-side seat belt buckle anchors and properly attach them to the body structure if necessary, free of charge. Dealers were notified on or about Aug. 6, with owner notifications set to begin Aug. 18.
Vehicle identification numbers included in the recall will be searchable at NHTSA.gov under campaign number 26V495. Owners with questions can contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 and reference recall number 67D. The full NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report is publicly available on the agency’s website.
The recall arrives as full-size pickup trucks remain among the most popular vehicles on American roads. The Ram 1500 competes directly with the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado in a segment where gas-electric powertrains are commanding a growing share of new light-duty sales.
Scale in context
Over roughly the past year, Stellantis has recalled approximately 456,000 Ram and Jeep vehicles over a trailer brake and light failure, and NHTSA has opened a fresh investigation into 1.2 million Ram trucks over a brake rollaway defect that a prior recall was supposed to have resolved.
The seat belt anchor campaign, stretching across nearly a decade of Ram 1500 production, adds significant weight to that cumulative record. VINs became searchable on NHTSA’s site on Aug. 6, 2026, and any owner can check status now using their VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
