Ram 1500 Exhaust Manifold Recall: Truth Behind The Hemi Tick

Hear that cold-start tick-tick-tick that fades as the Hemi warms? That’s not lifter chatter. It’s exhaust slipping past a warped manifold or a broken stud, a problem that’s dogged Ram 1500 owners for years.

Most call it a recall. It isn’t. The real NHTSA recall (19V-757) covered EcoDiesel EGR coolers, not the Hemi’s leaking manifolds. The tick gets handled through TSBs like 09-011-22 and 09-019-23, meaning you’re on your own unless your VIN still sits under warranty.

This guide separates myth from metal, what’s recalled, what’s not, what fails, and how to fix it right the first time.

1. What’s recalled and what isn’t

Why everyone calls it a recall

Owners hear a cold tick, and a quick search pulls up recall headlines, but the Hemi manifold leak isn’t covered by a broad safety campaign. The true Ram 1500 recall in play, 19V-757, targets EcoDiesel EGR coolers on many 2014–2019 trucks for fire risk, not gas escaping at the Hemi’s flange.

The ticking leak gets routed through Stellantis service paperwork, specifically 09-011-22 and 09-019-23, which tell dealers to verify the noise and replace manifolds and hardware. Coverage depends on your VIN and warranty window, so repairs happen when you complain, not by automatic mailer.

Where your effort actually pays off

Start with your VIN in the dealer system, since that is where TSB/CSN eligibility and failure codes live. If your truck runs the 5.7L Hemi MDS VVT (EZH) or the 5.7L Hemi eTorque (EZL) and the tick is repeatable cold, the dealer procedure calls for new Mopar manifolds and hardware.

The common kits are 68591572AC right and 68591573AC left, and the job often needs separate tie bars 68408129AA and 68408130AA that are not always in the box.

Out of warranty, plan for broken-stud extraction time and decide now if you want heavy-duty manifolds and stud kits, since opening it once is cheaper than paying twice.

2. Model years, engines, and the paperwork that actually exists

How the timeline really breaks down

You keep hearing “recall,” but the safety campaign many Ram 1500s carry is 19V-757, and it targets EcoDiesel EGR coolers, not Hemi manifold leaks.

The ticking leak lives in TSB/CSN land, mainly on 2019–2022 5.7L trucks with EZH or EZL. Lawsuits widen the picture to earlier Hemis, which is why paperwork from 2014–2020 shows up when owners search invoices and legal dockets.

Campaign landscape you can actually use

Why those codes matter when you book the job

EZH and EZL are the sales codes dealers search to match the bulletin to your truck. The bulletin set spells out manifolds, gaskets, and hardware, then ties parts to VIN eligibility.

If your service sheet lists 09-011-22 or 09-019-23, the store is following the official flow, which is the fastest way to get the right kits on the counter.

3. Field identification that saves you a wild goose chase

The cold start sound that outs the leak

Cold morning, you fire it up, the tick rides rpm then softens as heat builds. That rhythm comes from pulses escaping at the head-to-manifold seam, usually louder near the rear cylinders.

It returns on the next cold cycle because the flange relaxes as it cools. Lifter noise lives under the intake and blurs with oil pressure changes; a manifold tick sits at the outer edge and times perfectly with exhaust pulses.

Clues under the hood and on trims

A leak upstream of the front O₂ sensor drags short-term fuel trims positive at idle, then enriches as the ECU chases a fake lean signal. You may catch a faint exhaust smell near the firewall, light sooting at a port, or hairline cracking around the collector.

Extended rich operation heats the catalysts and can shave mileage while the tick keeps returning cold. On many Hemis, the visible giveaway is a stud head missing at the upper outboard or rear locations.

How to verify it without tearing the truck apart

Start stone cold and listen along the flange with a mechanic’s stethoscope or a 60 cm length of hose. A light-gloved hand near each port can feel crisp pulses on a cold leak; step back once the manifolds get hot.

If trims calm after warmup but the tick repeats every morning, you are chasing a sealing issue, not valvetrain chatter. Shops confirm by smoke at the ports during a brief low-pressure test or by UV dye heat marks after a road run.

What it is not when the tick tries to fool you

An injector click is faster and lighter, and it does not fade warm. A collapsed lifter knocks under the intake valley, louder with load blips, and it will not map to one flange location.

Heat shields rattle on bumps and at specific rpm bands, not just cold idle. Manifold leaks track cylinder pulses, quiet with thermal expansion, and leave smell or soot where the gasket should seal.

4. Why these manifolds warp instead of sealing

Heat cycles twist the casting

Cold iron meets hot exhaust, and the manifold grows unevenly. Thicker ribs and thin runners expand at different rates from idle to 800 to 1,000°F, so the flange bows away from the head.

Rear ports see the worst gradients, especially after highway climbs or towing. Once the flange distorts, the gasket loses crush, and a leak path opens on the next cold start.

The hardware turns into the weak link

Clamp load falls as the flange walks, so studs carry bending and shear they were never meant to hold. Heat cycling work-hardens the threads, then the fastener snaps, often flush with the aluminum head, where heat and salt live longest.

The remaining studs stretch to cover the gap, which warps the flange further and accelerates the failure. On some trucks, the collector starts hairline cracking after the first stud lets go.

The leak grows exactly where the sound points

Outboard uppers and rear positions fail most because they ride the steepest temperature swings. Soot trails and pale burn marks trace the path from the port to the shield edge.

The tick tracks rpm at cold idle, then softens as the flange expands and temporarily reseals. Each cycle leaves a little less clamp load behind, so the tick lasts longer every week.

Engine management chases false air and heats the cats

A leak before the upstream O₂ sensor admits oxygen and fakes a lean mix. Fuel trims swing positive and enrichment follows, which burns more fuel and raises converter temperature.

Long drives with a hot leak can push catalyst cores toward meltdown and set the stage for readiness failures in strict states. Fixing the seal restores trims and protects the converters from that heat soak.

5. Stellantis paperwork and the repair it locks in

What the bulletins actually say

Stellantis routes the tick through TSB paths, not a safety recall. 09-011-22 and 09-019-23 tell dealers to confirm a cold-start ticking at the head flange on 5.7L Hemi trucks, then replace the affected manifold, gasket, and hardware.

Applicability keys off VIN and engine sales codes EZH and EZL, so the advisor checks your build data before ordering parts. The procedure targets verified leaks, which is why the noise must be present and documented.

The parts that land on your invoice

The common Mopar manifold kits are 68591572AC for the right side and 68591573AC for the left. These kits fit EZH and EZL and are often paired with separate tie bars 68408129AA and 68408130AA, which some catalog entries note are not included.

Shops add new gaskets and OE fasteners, then follow the bulletin torque pattern to restore clamp load. If a stud is already missing, the work order expands to extraction before the new parts go on.

Labor book times and the catch

Dealers claim time using the bulletin’s op codes. The numbers below reflect a clean job with no broken fasteners, which is not always how these trucks arrive.

Seized or snapped studs can double real bay time. Extraction adds heat cycles, weld-a-nut attempts, and careful thread recovery on an aluminum head, which is where out-of-warranty invoices climb fastest.

What the factory fix does well and where it stalls

The OE path restores a tight seal, quiets the cold tick, and protects the cats by bringing trims back in line. Geometry and material remain close to original, so trucks that see frequent towing or long grade climbs can reintroduce flange distortion over time.

If the job already involves extraction, many owners weigh heavy-duty manifolds and stud kits now, since opening the bank a second time costs more than the parts delta.

6. Costs, coverage, and where the bill grows

What coverage looks like at the counter

There is no safety recall for the manifold tick, so dealers follow TSB/CSN rules tied to your VIN. If you fall inside warranty or an active CSN window, the store installs Mopar kits and claims the bulletin time.

The advisor checks engine codes EZH or EZL, logs the cold tick, and orders parts under 09-011-22 or 09-019-23. Outside coverage, the same procedure applies, only you pay the tab.

Price math when you are footing it

Base quotes assume every fastener comes out clean, which is not how most Hemis arrive. Broken studs add bay time fast, because extraction on an aluminum head is slow, hot work. If both banks tick, labor stacks, and the second side often reveals the real fight.

Why extraction wrecks the estimate

Rear and upper outboard fasteners see the worst heat swings, so they snap flush where a socket cannot grab. Techs cycle controlled heat, weld nuts to stubs, and walk the threads out without chewing the head.

Miss the centerline with a drill, and the repair shifts from a manifold job to head repair, which is why shops price extraction as open-ended time.

When leaks burn money downstream

A leak ahead of the upstream sensor drags trims rich, raises converter temperature, and can cook a substrate on long grades.

Fail a visual or readiness check in a strict state, and the repair expands beyond manifolds to emissions parts. Fixing the seal early keeps the invoice focused on iron, gaskets, and labor, not catalysts.

7. Repair strategies that stop the tick, not just hide it

OEM swap when the VIN covers it

If your truck qualifies under TSB/CSN, the clean move is the factory swap. Dealers install Mopar kits 68591572AC right and 68591573AC left, add new gaskets and the required tie bars 68408129AA and 68408130AA when the catalog calls for them, then torque in sequence.

Geometry and material track the original parts, so the seal returns and trims settle, which is all most owners need while coverage pays the bill.

Durability parts when you are paying the bill

Out of warranty, the smart play is solving clamp loss and heat growth together. Heavy-duty manifolds use thicker, straighter flanges and higher nickel content to resist bowing, which means the gasket keeps crush through repeated heat cycles.

Pair that casting with a premium stud kit that holds preload under temperature, and the flange stops walking, which keeps rear ports quiet on the next cold start.

When the upgrade math wins

Extraction turns any job into a labor bill, so spend parts money where it prevents a second tear-down. If a side already needs weld-a-nut work, the price gap between OE and heavy-duty manifolds shrinks in the real world.

Tow rigs, long-grade commuters, and trucks that have already repeated the leak benefit most, because lower flange distortion preserves clamp load and protects the converters from rich trim heat.

8. Broken fasteners and the hidden labor they create

Where the studs surrender first

Most broken studs appear at the rear cylinders and upper outboard corners, the hottest zones of the bank. Those fasteners take the brunt of flange warping, cycling from ambient to over 900°F every drive.

When the manifold flexes, those bolts bend slightly, then fatigue through shear. Once one snaps, the next few around it stretch harder, and failure spreads along the row. By the time the tick gets loud enough to chase, at least one stud usually sits broken flush with the head.

How extraction actually happens in the bay

Technicians start by applying localized heat to soften the oxide layer and break the bond between the stud and aluminum threads. Welding a nut to the remnant adds two advantages: grip for a wrench and heat flow directly into the fastener core.

Once the nut cools slightly, the stud backs out clean if the threads survive the first turn. When access is limited, techs angle small MIG tips through the wheel well, sometimes using mirror placement to line up the weld.

If that fails, drilling begins, and the risk climbs sharply. A misaligned bit or too-deep pass can cut into the aluminum seat and force head removal for repair.

What turns a repair into a teardown

The job escalates when corrosion has eaten the threads or the stud fractures below the surface. Extractors rarely hold on high-heat hardware, so technicians alternate between heat, weld, and shock cycles. Each failed attempt scars the hole slightly, tightening the next.

If one bore loses its threads, a helicoil insert might save the head, but a cluster of damaged holes can make replacement the only option. That’s why most shop estimates include “variable extraction time”; it’s not padding, it’s survival against seized steel in aluminum.

How upgraded hardware prevents the repeat

Premium stud kits use high-tensile alloy or stainless material that resists fatigue under thermal swing. With proper torque and anti-seize, they hold preload through thousands of cycles without stretching or binding in the head.

Pairing those fasteners with flatter, thicker-flanged manifolds stops the shear stress that started the chain in the first place, letting the next cold start stay quiet without another trip to the welder’s bench.

9. Emissions and MPG when a leak fools the ECU

How the sensors read the leak

A gap before the upstream O₂ pulls in fresh air at idle and light load. The sensor sees extra oxygen, then reports a lean mix that is not real. Short-term trims climb positive, long-term trims follow, and the ECU treats a sealed engine like it is starving for fuel.

What the control unit does next

Commanded enrichment arrives to chase that fake lean signal. Fuel use rises at cruise, idle smooths only because the trims are covering the leak, and convertor temperature creeps up on long drives. Keep driving like this, and the substrate runs hotter than it should, which shortens catalyst life.

Where inspections start to fail

Shops in strict states check for leaks ahead of the first O₂ and watch trims on a warm engine. A cold tick with rich trims after warmup can block readiness or trigger a visual fail even without a lamp on.

If the leak persists, catalyst efficiency can drop enough to push you into an emissions repair instead of just a manifold job.

Why towing makes it worse

Towing or long grades raise exhaust gas temperature, then the warped flange cycles harder on every heat soak. The ECU keeps adding fuel to satisfy the skewed sensor, so the converter runs hotter while the leak grows.

Fixing the seal brings trims back to normal, which cools the converter and protects it from repeat heat stress.

10. Verification that gets the right repair on the first visit

Bring proof the bay can use

Service writers move faster when you show the pattern, not just the noise. Note how long the cold tick lasts, which bank is louder near the firewall, and any faint exhaust smell under the hood.

Add recent MPG change and any past manifold or catalyst work on the truck. A quick phone clip from a true cold start helps the tech confirm it without guesswork.

Use the VIN tools that actually matter

NHTSA’s VIN page only shows safety recalls like 19V-757, which is unrelated to the Hemi tick. The dealer’s VIN system flags TSB/CSN eligibility and ties it to your build codes, especially EZH and EZL.

Ask them to check 09-011-22 and 09-019-23 against your VIN and to note any internal failure codes on the repair order. That pairing gets the right Mopar kits on the counter the first time.

Confirm the repair with data, not vibes

On pickup, start it stone cold at the store and listen along the flange line. Watch fuel trims on a short scan, near-zero at hot idle says the upstream leak is gone.

No odor and no soot at the ports after a few drives means the gasket is sealing. Tow rigs or grade-heavy routes should plan a quick recheck at the next service to keep clamp load honest.

Final take on the ticking Hemi

The exhaust tick haunting Ram 1500 owners isn’t a recall; it’s a design flaw baked into the 5.7L Hemi’s iron and hardware. The warped flanges and broken studs come from thermal stress, not neglect, and Stellantis addresses it through TSBs and CSNs rather than NHTSA safety campaigns.

That distinction matters because warranty coverage and reimbursement hinge on VIN eligibility, not a public recall notice. The factory fix, Mopar manifolds 68591572AC and 68591573AC with new gaskets and tie bars, solves the immediate leak but keeps the same heat behavior that caused it.

Owners planning to keep their trucks long-term gain more by upgrading to heavy-duty manifolds and high-tensile stud kits that stay clamped through years of hot-cold cycles. The leak isn’t cosmetic; it shifts fuel trims, burns more gas, and shortens catalyst life if ignored.

Whether covered under a CSN or paid from pocket, the right parts and proper torque bring the Hemi back to quiet, sealed, and efficient operation, the way it should’ve left the factory.

Sources & References

1. Hemi Exhaust Manifold Issues – REV Outfitters
2. Fixing the 5.7L Hemi Exhaust Manifold Tick: Causes & Solutions – BD Diesel Performance
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4. Dodge Ram 1500 Exhaust Manifold Replacement Cost Estimate – RepairPal
5. Technical Service Bulletins vs. Recalls: The Difference – Chase Bank
6. Ram Recall: Vaporized Coolant May Combust In The Intake Manifold Causing A Fire
7. Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) – Cold Engine Ticking Noise From Exhaust Manifold Area – NHTSA
8. NUMBER: 09-011-22 GROUP: 09 – Engine DATE: September 3, 2022 – NHTSA
9. 2019-2024 Mopar Exhaust Manifold Kit 68591572AC | OEM Parts Online
10. Lemon Law Issues with the 2019 RAM 1500
11. FCA Dodge Ram Settlement Ends Lawsuit Over Alleged EGR Cooler Defect, Fire Risk
12. 2019-2024 Mopar Exhaust Manifold Kit 68591573AC
13. Fixing the Infamous 5.7 Hemi Exhaust Manifold Broken Bolt Tick on my 2017 Ram 1500
14. Exhaust Manifold Kit [DOES NOT INCLUDE TIE BARS] – Mopar (68591572AC)
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