Ram 1500 Recalled Again in Australia: 149 Utes Over a Parking Light and Daytime Running Light Fault

Image credit: Ram Trucks Australia

If you bought a 2026 Ram 1500 recently, there is a second open campaign on the federal Vehicle Recalls register against the DT 1500, and it is a different problem from the seat belt one that was published in August. REC-006740 was first listed on 7 October 2026 by American Special Vehicles, the Ram importer in Australia, and the notice says the parking lights and the Daytime Running Lights may not illuminate as intended because of a manufacturing issue.

The volume is modest. The register puts the count at 149, which is a narrow slice of the 2026 build year rather than the whole run. The notice does not call out a specific cab, bed, grade or engine; under variant applicability it prints "all variants within this model", which is the generic line the register uses when the supplier has given the regulator a VIN list and does not want to carve the campaign up by trim. For an individual ute, the VIN is the only answer, and it sits on the official page linked above.

What the hazard actually is

The notice is specific about the risk. If the parking lights and DRLs do not operate as intended, the vehicle may be less visible to other road users, which could increase the risk of an accident. That is the whole statement. It is a visibility hazard, not a headlight hazard, and the two systems the notice names are the ones that light up as soon as the ignition is on, which is why the register has decided it is worth a formal campaign over 149 trucks rather than a service bulletin.

The notice does not mention any field incidents. It does not tell owners to stop driving the ute, and it does not tell them to park it up. It also does not describe the workshop procedure or print how long the work takes, so what happens when you drop the truck off is a question for the dealer, not for us.

What the notice names, and what it does not

The register prints the model string as DT 1500, which is the current generation of the Ram pickup on sale in Australia. The year range reads 2026, and the variant applicability reads all variants within this model, so no cab or engine is excluded on the face of the notice. Any 1500 outside the 2026 year range is not on it, and the 2500 and 3500 are not on it either.

The 2500 has its own separate open campaign, REC-006701, over a steering column control module issue; it is covered in our earlier Ram recalls piece. That is a different notice with a different supplier reference and a different vehicle list.

Image credit: Ram Trucks Australia

The 2026 Ram 1500s we list, and what they cost

The register names the model, not the grade, so the only way to tell whether a particular 2026 DT is on the list is the VIN. For context, these are the 2026 DT 1500 variants we hold on the directory and the list prices against them, before on-road costs.

Those are the prices held on our own 2026 DT rows. The three grades above all sit in the DT 1500 line that the notice names as a model string, so each one is inside the all-variants scope of the campaign if a particular VIN is on the list. The notice does not clear any of them and it does not call any of them out. For safety ratings on each grade, follow the car page links above.

How this compares to the DT 1500 recalls that came before

This is the second open recall on the 2026 DT 1500 in a matter of weeks, and the two have nothing in common beyond the vehicle and the supplier. REC-006711 is the seat belt one from August: 1,262 vehicles, the second-row centre and left-side buckle anchors not meeting specifications, the seatbelts not operating as intended if an occupant loads them in a crash. REC-006740 is the lighting one from October: 149 vehicles, the parking lights and DRLs not illuminating as intended, the risk being that another driver may not see the ute coming or standing on the roadside at dusk.

Both notices print the same variant applicability line (all variants within this model) and the same year range (2026), and both put the supplier down as American Special Vehicles Pty Ltd on 1300 681 655. The VIN lists do not overlap by definition because a vehicle is listed on each notice individually: a particular 2026 DT could be on one, both or neither. If you own a 2026 DT, the straightforward move is to run the VIN against both pages on vehiclerecalls.gov.au and book whatever comes back.

Where the Ram 1500 sits in our data

Among the full-size American pickups we list, the 2026 Ram 1500 range opens at $141,950 for the Rebel Hurricane and $141,950 for the Laramie Sport Hurricane, before on-road costs, with the Limited Hurricane High Output at $159,950. The 1500 Rebel Hurricane is the volume variant, and it is the one most buyers cross-shop against the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500. For a towing comparison, our TowingSorted tool reads the same stored kerb, GVM, GCM and braked towing numbers that sit on each row.

None of our stored pricing or specification changes because of this recall, so there is nothing to update on the car pages themselves. The CarSorted directory links in this piece are there so you can jump straight to the row for the variant you own and compare it to the rivals that we list beside it.

A 2026 Ram 1500 owner checklist

1. Run the VIN against REC-006740. The lighting notice carries a downloadable VIN list, and that list is the only way to tell whether your DT is one of the 149 included.
2. Run it against REC-006711 too. The seat belt notice is a separate campaign with a different VIN list. A 2026 DT 1500 can be on either or both, so it is worth checking both pages while you are there.
3. Book it in. The notice says owners will be contacted and that the work is free of charge. If you have been contacted or you have come up on the VIN check, call an authorised Ram dealer or the Ram Trucks Australia Customer Centre on 1300 681 655 and book an appointment.
4. Keep the paperwork. Keep the dealer document showing the recall work has been done, and put it in the service file. A VIN check that shows the campaign closed on your truck is also worth saving.

What this means for buyers

If you are shopping a new Ram 1500 Rebel Hurricane, Laramie Sport Hurricane or Limited Hurricane High Output this week, this does not change the price, the specification or the warranty. It does change the checklist at pre-delivery. Ask the dealer in writing whether the VIN on the ute you are being offered is on either REC-006740 or REC-006711, and whether both campaigns have been closed out on the register before delivery. Most dealers will do that as a matter of course, but written confirmation beats a verbal one. Our directory rows for the three 2026 DT grades carry the same stored kerb, GVM and braked tow numbers whatever the lighting status, and the Ram 1500 vs Ford F-150 comparison on CarSorted is the cross-shop that matters most if you are deciding between the two of them.

If you already own a 2026 DT and your truck is on either notice, there is no cost to you and no obligation to wait: ring the dealer, book the ute in, and keep the paperwork. If the VIN is not on either, there is nothing to do, and the Ram 1500 page on our directory will update if the register extends either campaign to cover more trucks.