Convincing a pickup truck driver to visit his local dealer is a tall order, but convincing diesel owners to get an update to the emissions software they already hate? That’s even harder. Still, it’s a challenge the Environmental Protection Agency is forcing Cummins to take on. The result is an extensive campaign that includes incentivized owner testimonials, paid advertising on multiple social media platforms, free extended warranties, and yes, even a few sick goodie bags to sweeten the deal.
You may remember the massive $2 billion settlement between the EPA and Cummins last year. We talked about it at length and detailed how the federal government accused the engine manufacturer of violating the Clean Air Act. The EPA says Cummins installed illegal emissions control devices on approximately 630,000 Ram trucks built between the 2013 and 2019 model years, adding that the OEM also failed to disclose additional emissions control devices on another 330,000 Ram picks -ups from 2020-2023. As part of the settlement, the EPA required Cummins to update the emissions software on 85 percent of affected trucks within three years or face additional fines.
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Clearly Cummins doesn’t want that. The country is already paying the largest civil penalty ever imposed under the Clean Air Act. That’s why it’s doing everything it can to get owners into Ram dealers for what it calls Emissions Recall 67A on 2013-2018 Ram HD trucks with 6.7-liter engines. (It appears that 2019 Rams with the Cummins are already covered under Emissions Recall VB6.)
Cummins says the software update will only take an hour and assures owners that no hardware changes will be required. The company has also put together a full FAQ video with Brad Sutton, head of powertrain engineering, explaining that engine performance should not be affected. Additionally, Sutton says there is little to no change in fuel economy depending on the model year of your truck. Drivers who often tow or haul large loads on the highway should apparently see no decrease in miles per gallon.
What the update do The change, however, is the amount of diesel exhaust fluid the truck consumes. I’m pretty sure I just heard every Cummins stock driver sigh because the last thing they want to buy is more DEF. Cummins insists this isn’t a big increase, as the update only changes fluid dosing under certain circumstances. DEF consumption “can be less than 1.5 percent of fuel consumption” when driving empty or lightly loaded, while heavily loaded trucks can consume up to 2.5 percent.
This is where the owner’s testimony comes into play. Cummins filmed a video of Tyler Dawson, a heavy equipment operator who double-duties his Ram 3500 every day (with stick shift!) He admits he was skeptical about the update, but at the end of the video he’s pulling a 17,000-pound trailer carrying a load of hay up a steep hill to show that it is still sturdy. It addresses some factual concerns and actually I think it’s as organic as a paid witness can be.
Cummins offers owners who receive the update extended warranties on all related emissions components. They are given two options: 10 years/120,000 miles from the in-service date or 4 years/48,000 miles at the time of recall. That means if a DEF injection nozzle on a million-mile truck needs to be replaced within four years or 45,000 miles of the software update, Cummins will make the repair at no charge. And even if an owner has paid out of pocket for a repair after a recall that they believe should have been covered by the extended warranty, they can file a claim with Cummins to assess and possibly cover the costs afterwards.
