2012 RAM 5500 Recalls — Canada & USA

The 2012 RAM 5500 has 6 recalls, all carrying the same severity rating, with risks ranging from wheel separation and loss of steering to an unintended airbag deployment and a diesel fuel system fire. The fuel system recall involves electrical connectors on the diesel fuel heater that can overheat and cause the heater to leak fuel, raising the risk of a fire. On the steering side, the left tie rod assembly can break, causing an immediate loss of steering control. Two recalls address the same underlying problem with wheel nuts: the owner's and service manuals list the wrong torque specification, leading to over-tightened lug nuts that can crack wheel studs over time and allow a wheel to separate from the truck while moving, with the potential to strike other vehicles or pedestrians. On four-wheel-drive models, the front differential housing can rotate relative to the axle tubes, allowing the front driveshaft to bind and fracture, cutting drive power and potentially damaging surrounding components. There is also an airbag concern: on trucks equipped with an Electronic Vehicle Information Center, the steering wheel wiring harness can wear against the driver airbag retainer spring, causing an electrical short that triggers the airbag without a crash.