Ram 5500 Fire Truck Brake Lights Turn On Wrongly
medium How serious is it? About this label
Brake lights that turn on by themselves can confuse other drivers, raising the risk of a crash. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.
Key facts
| NHTSA campaign number | 19V359000 |
|---|---|
| Reported to NHTSA | May 13, 2019 |
| Manufacturer | Unruh Fire, Inc. |
| Part affected | Exterior Lighting:brake Lights |
| Vehicles covered | 1 model/year combination, model years 2018 |
| Do-not-drive advisory | No |
| Park-outside advisory | No |
| Repair | Free at any franchised dealer |
What's wrong, in plain English
One Dodge/Ram 5500-based fire truck built by Unruh Fire has brake lights made by Whelen. Depending on how the vehicle's wiring was done, these brake lights can turn on by themselves, even when nobody is pressing the brake pedal.
What you should do
Contact Unruh Fire customer service at 1-800-856-7080 to schedule the repair.
The brake lights will be replaced free of charge.
Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?
Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 19V359000. More in how recalls work.
Affected vehicles (1)
Who to contact
RAM — official RAM recall lookup
Customer service: 1-800-853-1403
The bigger picture
- Ram Exterior Lighting Recalls: Turn Signal and Brake Light Problems · all 5 RAM recalls in this area
Other RAM 5500 recalls
- Apr 9, 2026Ram Trucks Instrument Panel Display Failurehigh
- Feb 2, 2026Jeep And Ram Trailer Tow Module Failurehigh
- Dec 18, 2025Ram 3500, 5500 trucks: airbag and stability flawcritical
- Dec 1, 2025Ram 3500, 5500 Instrument Cluster Display Failurehigh
- Nov 6, 2025Ram Trucks: Driver's Air Bag May Not Deployhigh
- Nov 27, 2024Ram Trucks Brake Control Unit May Failhigh
Official notice
- Component
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
- Summary
- Unruh Fire, Inc. (Unruh Fire) is recalling one 2018 Dodge 5500-based fire truck equipped with Whelen brake lights. Depending on the specific wiring of the vehicle, these brake lights may illuminate when the brake pedal has not been pressed.
- Safety risk
- If the brake lights incorrectly illuminate, it can confuse other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Unruh Fire has notified the owner and will provide replacement brake lights, free of charge. The recall began May 20, 2019. Owners may contact Unruh Fire customer service at 1-800-856-7080.
Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.