FCA Issues Recall Covering 85,000 2019-20 Ram Heavy Duty Trucks For Transmission Fluid Leak Issue

The recall affects the six-speed automatic transmission

Transmission fluid leaks aren’t something you want in any circumstance, but particularly in your heavy duty truck. Unfortunately, FCA recently issued a recall for its 2019 and 2020 Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks for transmission fluid leaking from the 68RFE six-speed automatic transmission. According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), fluid can be forced out of the dipstick tube due to a buildup of pressure and heat within the transmission.

While a fluid leak can always lead to a transmission failure, that’s not the issue at play in this recall. Instead, the fluid could make its way onto the nearby turbocharger or other hot surface, increasing the risk of a fire.

The transmission fluid leak recall affects 84,978 Ram heavy duty trucks, according to the recall documents. That includes 64,690 Ram 2500 models, and 19,612 Ram 3500 models. Dealers will notify owners of the issue starting March 14. FCA dealers will replace the transmission valve body separator plate and reprogram the powertrain control model to sort the issue. If you’re concerned that the recall affects your truck, you can contact FCA’s customer service line at (800) 853-1403, or contact your dealer. The designation for the recall is W03.

This specific recall only affects the 68RFE six-speed transmission mated to the standard output 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel. The standard eight-speed automatic mated to Ram’s 6.4-liter Hemi gas V8 and the Aisin six-speed automatic attached to the high-output Cummins diesel aren’t involved in this campaign.