Ram Recall 35D: Instrument Cluster Software Update

Which trucks and instrument clusters are involved?

The manufacturer’s April 9 recall filing identifies these six vehicle configurations. Each entry covers certain 2025–2026 models, with its own suspect production period and equipment qualifications.

The filing’s Ram 1500 description includes trucks built or serviced with the suspect 3.5-inch instrument panel cluster, or IPC. It excludes similar trucks with a different supplier’s 3.5-inch cluster, among other exclusions. That makes a matching screen size or model year insufficient to settle inclusion. Do not use a production-date range from one model as the rule for every truck in the table.

The 65,348 figure is the campaign’s potential population. It is not a count of displays that have failed, trucks still awaiting repair or vehicles a dealer currently has in stock.

Why a display failure creates a safety problem

The software condition can leave the cluster inoperative at startup or while driving. The filing identifies information that can disappear: BRAKE, electronic stability control and tire-pressure-monitoring warning lights, plus the gear-selection indicator. Losing that information can increase crash risk without advance warning.

A display that works again does not establish that the campaign was completed. Do not deliberately reproduce a failure on the road. If information is missing, describe the condition to the servicing dealer and ask for instructions for that vehicle. This article does not assess whether a particular truck can be driven safely.

What the published repair calls for

The May 2026 revision of FCA’s dealer instructions specifies reprogramming the IPC with updated software. It requires the dealer’s wiTECH equipment and confirmation of the required calibration. The published remedy is not a promise to replace every cluster, and the procedure is not an owner software-installation guide.

The owner-letter sample included in that packet estimates 30 minutes for the repair, with additional time for check-in, preparation and checkout. Treat that as a documented estimate, not a total appointment duration. The dated instructions also do not establish a particular dealer’s current capacity or an individual VIN’s repair status.

The original May 28 forecast has changed

The April filing planned to begin owner notification around May 28, 2026. The current NHTSA campaign record, checked October 16, instead reports that owner letters were mailed May 5. Those are the original plan and the later reported mailing, not two separate recalls. A mailed notice is not evidence that an owner received it or that the software work was performed.

NHTSA lists the update as free of charge and gives FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Identify both 35D and 26V225000 when discussing this campaign, so a different display-related recall or an unrelated software update is not mistaken for the same repair.

Check the VIN, then the campaign-specific work order

Use the actual 17-character VIN with the manufacturer or NHTSA’s recall lookup. NHTSA explains that its VIN result identifies unrepaired recalls and does not list campaigns already repaired. A general year-and-model search describes campaigns rather than proving a particular truck’s status.

For a truck already owned or being considered for purchase, compare the result with a VIN-matched work order identifying 35D and the completed action. Ask the dealer to confirm completion if the record only says “software update.” The campaign announcement, the service appointment and the recorded completion are separate pieces of evidence.