PAPUA NEW GUINEA WANTS TO BUY ALL 578,000 RECALLED RAM TRUCKS

An island nation that has among the fewest vehicles per capita in the world is hoping to get a quick boost by buying more than a half-million Ram pickup trucks that Fiat Chrysler has agreed to buy back from owners due to non-repairable steering defects.

Fiat Chrysler spokesperson Lavender Faloney acknowledged today that the automaker is in negotiations with Papua New Guinea–a country of seven million people that occupies half of the island of New Guinea–to purchase the trucks. 

“We are very excited. The only vehicles we have now are some Ford Fiestas and Hyundai forklifts,” said Ficksen Oxlob, Papua New Guinea’s Minister of Transport. 

Even though a photograph of a Ram pickup would have been more applicable to this story, here’s a picture of a Caravan instead.

Oxlob was undaunted by the steering problems affecting the trucks, explaining, “Steering is not necessary here. Perhaps someone drives into the sea; that is all that could happen.” 

The recall and buy back order came after months of negotiations between Fiat Chrysler and the U.S. Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Pickup Trucks.