Ram bulletin 21-039-26
What it saysReplace K1 Clutch / Input Shaft Assembly Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must exhibit/set the following Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC): P0731-00 - Gear 1 Shift… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ram filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 8, 2026, received May 13, 2026, about the power train — 2 documents under this number. It names 15 model years (2019–2023). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
Replace K1 Clutch / Input Shaft Assembly Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must exhibit/set the following Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC): ● P0731-00 - Gear 1 Shift Incorrect Ratio (This DTC will set during a key cycle and shifting into Drive). Customers must also comment on the following: ● The transmission will not shift into or out of 1st - 4th gears. 5th and reverse gears are still available This bulletin involves replacing the K1 clutch and possibly the K1 input shaft drum sub-assembly. These repairs are to be performed only if the vehicle is inoperable due to K1 clutch failure
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21-039-26 | Service bulletin | May 8, 2026 | 11032827 | |
| 21-039-26 | Service bulletin | May 8, 2026 | 11032650 | not found |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 68637534AA | K1 Clutch Kit, Automatic | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68637535AA | K1 Clutch Kit, Automatic | — | eBay Motors → |
| 06511777AA | Bolt, Hex Head-M12 X | — | eBay Motors → |
| 06508406AA | Bolt, Torque Converter to | — | eBay Motors → |
| 06506497AA | Bolt, Front Or Rear | — | eBay Motors → |
| 06509166AA | Bolt, Front Or Rear | — | eBay Motors → |
| 05019061AB | MOPAR® High Temp | — | eBay Motors → |
| 05189966AD | ASRC ATF (Quart) See Caution | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68085955AA | Gasket, Drain Plug | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68253940AA | Ring, Oil Seal | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68244579AA | O-Ring | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68244638AA | Gasket, Oil Pump | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68456960AA | K1 Clutch Hub Replace Only If | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68253813AB | Race, K1 Thrust Bearing | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68253770AA | Roller, K1 Thrust Bearing | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68254056AB | K2 Clutch Hub Replace Only If | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68253772AA | K2 Thrust Bearing | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68253814AA | Race, Selectable Thrust | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68253815AA | Race, Selectable Thrust | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68253816AA | Race, Selectable Thrust | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68269548AA | Race, Selectable Thrust | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68269549AA | Race, Selectable Thrust | — | eBay Motors → |
| 68269550AA | Race, Selectable Thrust | — | eBay Motors → |
Labour operation and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 21-00-01-69 | DEF Equipment 2500-3500 4x4 pick-up only | 0.1 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (13 pages), read Sep 29, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Ram’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2019 Ram 4500; 2020 Ram 4500; 2021 Ram 4500; 2022 Ram 4500; 2023 Ram 4500; 2019 Ram 5500; 2020 Ram 5500; 2021 Ram 5500; 2022 Ram 5500; 2023 Ram 5500.
A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 5 model years this bulletin names have filed 521 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 166 of them name Power Train — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2022 Ram 3500, the 13 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 16,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The transmission lost gears 1 through 4 on the freeway in traffic. We were going approximately 25mph in the fast lane when it happened. We were lucky enough to have enough speed to make it to the shoulder, but were left stranded on the shoulder. Truck is at dealer needing a transmission replacement that can't be ordered at this time
2022 Ram 3500 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Feb 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V835000 (Power Train) and 23V060000 (Electrical System) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs.
2021 Ram 3500 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA May 2, 2023
This surging can cause a loss of control in winter conditions (snow/ice). Additional EPA concern being the engine light stays on which hides any emissions equipment failures. To date chrysler has not been able to provide an eta for the needed engine control software fix needed
2019 Ram 3500 · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 11, 2020
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the power train
Source: same model, same component group57 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ram models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ram list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 114739 | Service bulletin | Sep 24, 2026 | TRANSMISSION KIT - WITH TORQUE CONVERTER |
| 08-302-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2026 | Flash: Electronic Shift Module (ESM) Updates Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must… |
| 18-067-26 | Service bulletin | Jul 14, 2026 | Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle mus… |
| 18-066-26 | Service bulletin | Jul 8, 2026 | Seed Request Denied During Technicians may experience the following: SYMPTOM: ● The scan tool displays the message "Seed Request denied" whe… |
| 9100841 | Service bulletin | Jun 25, 2026 | HD Front and Rear Prop Shafts Increase U-Joint Usage If customer concern diagnosis leads to suspect u-joint issue or failure with the prop s… |
| 18-002-26 REV. B | Service bulletin | Jun 24, 2026 | Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle may… |
| 21-029-26 REV. A | Service bulletin | May 1, 2026 | Flash: Transmission Control Module (TCM) Updates Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle m… |
| 21-028-26 REV. A | Service bulletin | May 1, 2026 | Flash: Transmission Control Module (TCM) Updates Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle m… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ram, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ram 21-039-26 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the 21-039-26 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does 21-039-26 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 15 model years: 2023 Ram 3500, 2022 Ram 3500, 2021 Ram 3500, 2020 Ram 3500, 2019 Ram 3500, 2019 Ram 4500 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: built on or before 1 Dec 2022 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.