Chrysler Recalls 242,000 Trucks

Chrysler Group LLC is recalling 242,000 Dodge Ram pickups in the U.S. to replace a steering component that could break and increase the risk of a crash, the automaker said Wednesday.

The recall also includes about 35,000 in Canada and 8,500 in Mexico and the rest of the world, spokesman Vince Muniga said.

This is Chrysler's second recall since December covering Dodge pickups to replace a left outer tie rod, reported The Detroit News. Muniga said "misalignment … could cause wear and result in a weakening and fracture of the left tie-rod end."

"A few" low-speed accidents and one minor injury have been attributed to the problem, he added. Chrysler was unable to provide more specific details.

The Auburn Hills automaker said in documents posted Wednesday on a government website that the recall is to replace the left outer tie rod and perform a front-end alignment as needed.

The condition tends to occur during low-speed, parking-lot type maneuvers when the driver is making a tight turn, the company said.

The new recall covers 168,458 2008-11 Ram 2500, 3500, 3500 4x4 and 3500 Cab Chassis 4x2 models, along with the 2008 Ram 1500 Mega Cab 4x4 and 74,322 2003-08 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 vehicles that received the part in service.

"It's a fairly hefty number of trucks," said analyst Bill Visnic of Edmunds.com.

"It primarily affects the medium-duties. That's not really a consumer truck, so that may not be something that moves the needle that much with the man in the street."

But it could hurt the company's reputation with the commercial customers who usually buy such vehicles — often in significant numbers.

In February 2008, the 2008 Ram steering system was changed to a "cross car" linkage with a reverse pin tie rod. The new linkage also was used for service for 2003-2008 vehicles.

Chrysler said in December it is calling back 22,274 2008-11 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 trucks that might experience a loss of steering because of a weakening or cracking of the left outer tie rod.

The automaker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration initially it didn't think the 2500 and 3500 needed to be recalled because the steering linkage was a different design.

But in March, Chrysler said the issue needed further study because of an increasing number of 2500 and 3500 owners reporting similar problems to the owners of the 4500 and 5500 trucks.