Quality and supply problems have been plaguing the rollout of the redesigned 2019 Ram 1500. The issues have affected FCA's ability to ramp up production to expected levels and have forced the automaker to spend $300 million in order to rectify the issues. During FCA's earnings call last week, company boss Sergio Marchionne said that the Ram 1500's Sterling Heights Assembly plant is "probably running today at 60 percent of cycle. That's not where we need to be."

Sergio also conceded that the conundrum poses a huge threat to the company, as the new Ram 1500 is integral to the company's aggressive 2018 financial targets. Sterling Heights Assembly began building the new trucks in January and is currently cranking them out at a clip of 1,000 per day, but multiple factors have been keeping things from progressing further. According to Automotive News, some workers still need further training to build the trucks, and the factory's upgrades are reportedly still under construction. It's the new mild hybrid versions that seem to be causing most of the issues as dealers have yet to receive any of the 3.6-liter V6 or the 5.7-liter V8 versions equipped with a 48-volt mild hybrid system.

The latest Ram is as much as 225 pounds lighter than the outgoing truck. Powering the standard variant is a 3.6-liter V6 with 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, while the V8 makes 395 hp and 410 lb-ft. Part of the problem is the company's reliance on the previous-generation Ram 1500, which will continue to be built through 2018 and possibly into 2019. Allegedly, some suppliers are having trouble staying on top of producing two versions of the Ram 1500 simultaneously.