Fiat Chrysler recalls 1.25 million trucks to fix software error

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said Friday it would recall more than 1.25 million pickup trucks worldwide to address a software error linked to reports of one crash death and two injuries.

The error code could temporarily disable the side air bag and seat belt pretensioner deployment during a vehicle rollover spurred by a significant underbody impact, such as striking onroad debris or driving off-road, the Italian-American automaker said.

The company will reprogram computer modules in the affected vehicles to address this error.

The recall covers 1.02 million 2013-16 Ram 1,500 and 2,500 pickups, and 2014-2016 Ram 3,500 pickups in the United States, 2,16,007 vehicles in Canada; 21,668 in Mexico; and 21,530 outside North America, the automaker said.

Fiat Chrysler said the recall would begin in late June.

In the event of the software error code, the problem could temporarily be addressed by turning the vehicle off and then on, the company said.

The automaker told the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration it began investigating the issue in December after it received notice of a suit involving a 2014 Ram 1500 in which the airbag failed to deploy in a rollover crash.