NHTSA recall 16V495000
A recall listed here may apply to a vehicle of this year, make and model. Only the manufacturer can say whether it applies to one vehicle: check the VIN with the official lookups.
| Published by | NHTSA (United States) |
|---|---|
| Campaign number | 16V495000 |
| Manufacturer's number | S48 |
| Manufacturer | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) |
| Reported | 2016-07-01 |
| Owners notified | 2016-08-11 |
| Component | POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) |
| Units potentially affected | 889 |
| Report | Quarterly report 6, for 2017 quarter 4 |
|---|---|
| Filed with NHTSA | 2018-01-16 |
| Vehicles in the campaign | 889 |
| Reported remedied | 770 (86%) |
| Reported unreachable | 2 |
| Reported removed | 0 |
These are the manufacturer's totals for the whole campaign at the end of 2017 quarter 4, as filed with NHTSA. They do not say whether one vehicle has been remedied: check the VIN with the official lookups. The reports are from data as of 2026-10-19.
What is wrong
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ram 3500 trucks manufactured July 24, 2015, through January 7, 2016, and 2016 Ram 4500/5500 trucks manufactured July 24, 2015, through October 8, 2015. The transfer case may have been manufactured with a misshapen main output shaft, creating voids that may cause a shaft fracture.
What can happen
If the main output shaft fractures, the vehicle may lose motive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, the driver may be unable to place the vehicle in PARK, increasing the risk of a vehicle rollaway.
The remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transfer case, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S48.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
| 2016 RAM 3500 | Built 2015-07-24 to 2016-01-07. |
|---|---|
| 2016 RAM 4500 | Built 2015-07-24 to 2015-10-08. |
| 2016 RAM 5500 | Built 2015-07-24 to 2015-10-08. |
A vehicle with no link is not in this site's catalog, which covers cars, multipurpose vehicles and trucks by model year. The campaign is from data as of 2026-10-19.
Bulletins for the same vehicles and component
| 08-094-20 | 2020-11-30. Service bulletin. Flash: Drivetrain Control Module (DTCM) Update This bulletin involves reprogramming the DTCM with the latest available software. The customer may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find the following Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) has been set::If the customer has any concerns with the transfer case or if the tech performs any repairs on the transfer case, the software must be updated.C140E - Transfer Case Motor Blocked. If DTC C140E is present, follow normal diagnostic procedures before updating the DTCM.In addition the customer may describe the following:The ?Service 4WD? message/fault is displayed in the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC). Transfer case shift fork tabs broken during range shift. Noisy (clunking/ratcheting) transfer case range shifts. Failure to complete transfer case range shifts. The following software enhancement is available:This update will help reduce premature transfer case failure. |
|---|---|
| 68090604A | 2018-11-26. Service bulletin. Power Transfer Unit Prior to replacing the PTU, please review the following .~ Check if the service 4WD light is intermittent by driving under heavy throttle will produce a C1494-92 DTC, if yes, please call FCA axle engineering and do not replace the PTU. Bruce Michel at cell (248) 260-8641, or Jian Zhu at cell (248) 379- 1132. If neither answers with 15 minutes then proceed with the repair. ~ If the service 4WD light lamp is on steady then replace the Power Transfer Unit. |
A bulletin is the manufacturer's note to its dealers. It is not part of this recall.