Fiat Chrysler recalls 500,000 pickup trucks over fire risk

Fiat Chrysler issued a recall for around 500,000 pickup trucks over a possible fire risk. The company said on Tuesday that some Ram trucks may come fitted with a water-pump bearing that could overheat and possibly cause a fire in the engine compartment. The water-pump malfunction could cause a warning light to light up, and worried consumers should let their dealers know if they notice the signal, the company said.

According to the Fiat investigation, Ram 2,500 and 3,500 pickup trucks with 6.7 litre engines from model years 2013-2017 might be affected. The recall also includes, the company’s 3,500, 4,500 and 5,500 chassis cabs with 6.7-litre engines.

According to the car company, it does not use the water-pumps in question any longer and no other vehicles are being recalled at this time.

Fiat said it was not aware of any related injuries or accidents from the estimated 443,712 trucks in the US, about 46,220 vehicles in Canada and another 4,485 outside North America.

The said trucks are Fiat Chrysler’s medium and heavy-duty trucks.

This is not the first time Fiat has alerted consumers to possible safety concerns. In May, the company recalled 1.3 million pickup trucks due to a software problem that might be tied to at least one death and two injuries.

"Customer feedback prompted an FCA US investigation that discovered certain trucks are equipped with a water-pump bearing that, after exposure to certain conditions, may overheat and potentially cause an engine-compartment fire," the voluntary recall order read.

The total number of affected vehicles has been estimated at roughly 494,000.