Ram is having a bit of a problem with the rear seat belts in its half-ton pickups, and it’s been going on for a while. The automaker has just announced a recall of 1.3 million Ram 1500 trucks because of a possible issue with seat belts for the rear seat. The good news is that there isn’t a physical issue with the belts. The bad news: they might not be properly attached to the truck.
This is a problem that has taken a very long time to come to light. In documents filed with the NHTSA, Ram said that it first learned of a possible problem in January 2026, but applies to trucks as far back as 2019. And Ram first learned of the problem from safety regulators in Canada rather than the US.
Two Of Three Rear Seat Belts Might Not Be Attached
2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten interior rear seatsStellantis North America
The problem isn’t with just one of the rear belts. It has been found with both the center rear seat and the one behind the driver. While most recalls are caused by parts that fail down the road, this one is an installation error. The automaker has found that the seat belt buckle anchor might not be properly attached, meaning they could pull loose in a crash and increase the possibility of an injury.
If you buckle the belt, it will feel fine. But the buckle may not be fully bolted to the truck’s cab, and that’s where the problem lies.
Most recalls explain how the problem happened, and drill down to a root cause. In this recall report, Ram does not. Instead, the report is vague, stating that the company “recognized a vehicle build issue existed on certain vehicles related to a condition that can lead to reduced occupant restraint performance of the second-row seat belt buckle.” There is one hex head bolt listed in the documents, suggesting it may not have been properly tightened.
It’s a simple installation error that could cost the company millions. The total number of trucks covered under the recall is 1,271,294, and includes Ram 1500 half-ton pickups from model years 2019 through 2026. To be more specific, Ram says they were built between February 17, 2018, and April 27, 2026. The automaker believes that only 0.1% of the trucks involved will actually have the problem, but it will check them all to be sure.
How Do You Fix A Phantom Seat Belt?
2025 RAM 1500 IIHS Moderate Overlap CrashIIHS
Owners will be notified by mail starting this week, and a second notice detailing the fix is expected later this month. That fix, which can be done by FCA US dealers, is to inspect the seat belt buckle anchor to make sure it is properly attached to the body. And if it isn’t, the dealer tech will attach it properly.
In the filing, Ram did not say if it was aware of any injuries resulting from this problem. Normally, a statement is part of the recall that either says how many times the company knows there was an injury or that the company is not aware of any. That’s another way this recall is unusual.
If you have one of the affected trucks, you can search for your VIN with the NHTSA or through Ram directly. Owners can contact Chrysler US customer service with recall questions or issues, or the NHTSA. In the meantime, you might want to have your passengers sit on the passenger side until your dealer can take a look.
