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I’ve got an interesting pickle for y’all today. Stellantis knows that its building has broken Ram 1500 trucks, but keeps them rolling off the assembly line. At least they’re fixed before going to dealerships, but this is leading to profit loss and delays. 

Stallantis is building broken Ram 1500 trucks 

Shout out to Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, for staying cool while facing a variety of fire storms. It’s no secret that Stellantis has been on the struggle bus for a while as even the Jeep Wrangler faces declining sales. 

Stellnatis has 14 automotive brands, and Carlos is attempting to clean up tons of issues. One of which is the fact that the Ram 1500 has a direct run rate (DRR). 

The DRR is the number of vehicles that are approved by the quality control team to be shipped to a dealership without needing any repairs. 

So basically, Carlos is upset because too many broken Ram 1500 trucks are coming off the assembly line due to the poor quality at the Sterling Heights plant in Michigan. 

As a result, these trucks have to be repaired before they can be shipped out. This increases manufacturing costs and leads to delays.

The 2025 Ram 1500 off-roading in sand
2025 Ram 1500 | Ram

Plus, there is the potential for other problems to occur if the trucks are not properly fixed. Needing to work on a freshly built truck can have a detrimental impact on the automaker.  

On a positive note, quality has been improving but the process has been painful. Also, supply chain disruptions have slowed production. 

During the first half of 2024, Stellantis sales were down by 18%. This is primarily due to a Ram 1500 sales decline. 

But a mid-cycle refresh just launched, so some of the delays can be attributed to preparing the factory to produce updated models. 

Carlos shared that Stellantis had poor timing with the more expensive trim levels. Lower trim levels with higher rates of demand should have been built instead of luxury models. Production needs to align with customer demand. 

It’s unclear what parts of the new trucks are needing repairs. However, at least they’re being fixed before reaching dealerships. Stay tuned for updates.

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Staff Writer

Allison Barfield

Allison Barfield joined MotorBiscuit in 2020 and covers all things trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps. Having grown up on a farm in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she’s no stranger to the “Best in Class” truck and SUV debates; people in her hometown were always gathering to help work on vehicles together, and deliberation would naturally arise.

Allison graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Media Arts. She has helped bring awareness to issues Women In Trucking face and has promoted Truckers Against Trafficking, an anti-trafficking NGO.

A fan of creatively dark literature, Allison appreciates the works of Shirley Jackson and Emily Dickenson. She lives in a mountainous area of the country and enjoys off-roading and camping. Her dog, Bruce, often joins her in testing trucks and SUVs for our site.