Dodge Ram recall coming after emissions cheating settlement

Dodge Ram emissions cheating recall overview: 

• Who: More than 600,000 Dodge Ram vehicles will be subject to a mandatory recall as part of a settlement made by Cummins Inc. to end claims it illegally equipped them with emission control software. 
• Why: Cummins was accused by federal and California regulators of installing emission control software in the diesel pickup trucks in order to cheat emissions testing. 
• Where: Complaints against Cummins Inc. were filed in District of Columbia federal court. 

Dodge will recall more than 600,000 Ram vehicles as part of a settlement recently agreed to by Cummins Inc. over claims the engine manufacturer illegally equipped nearly 1 million vehicles with emission control software. 

The recall is part of a record $2 billion settlement agreed to by Cummins in December that puts an end to claims by federal and California regulators that it installed emission control software in an alleged effort to bypass emissions testing, Law360 reports. 

Cummins agreed to pay $1.675 billion in civil penalties as part of the settlement, along with $325 million that will go toward remedies, according to NPR. 

The federal government accused Cummins of failing to disclose that it installed emission control software into hundreds of thousands of Dodge Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 diesel pickup trucks. 

Nearly 1 million Dodge Rams equipped with auxiliary emission control devices, gov’t says 

Among the Dodge Ram pickup trucks, the federal government argued approximately 630,000 of the model year 2013-2019 vehicles and an estimated 330,000 model year 2019-2023 vehicles were equipped with auxiliary emission control devices, according to Law360. 

In a December statement, Cummins said it had done an “extensive” internal review and worked in collaboration with regulators for more than four years, while ultimately finding “no evidence” of anyone acting in “bad faith” and not admitting to any wrongdoing, Law360 reports.  

Complaints and consent decrees outlining the claims and the agreement — which is still subject to court approval — have been formally filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agnecy, the California Attorney General’s Office and the California Air Resources Board. 

A class action lawsuit was filed against Cummins and then-Fiat Chrysler in 2017 over claims the Cummins engines found in Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks were defective and experienced low gas mileage and high emissions. 

Will you be affected by the Dodge Ram vehicle recall? Let us know in the comments.

The Dodge Ram emissions cheating lawsuits are USA v. Cummins Inc., Case No. 1:24-cv-00088, and California Air Resources Board, et al. v. Cummins Inc., Case No. 1:24-cv-00090 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. 

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