I haven't really followed this issue very closely, but I'll give you my $0.02 worth. If Fiat-Chrysler has agreed to do the buybacks then they have exhausted all their appeals and have decided it's a losing proposition. If it's only the NTSHA saying this is what will happen and FC has not had their "day in court" then it's a ****shoot. I'm guessing it's the former.
Unless I have missed something, (and like I said I haven't followed this), I have not heard what the "real" problem is. Is it the overall design is too weak, bad ball joints, bad springs, bad tie rod ends, bad steering box, bad steering linkage, bad seals, rims, wheels, spindles, or what? Some of these things are very dangerous, some bad but not catastrophic. And seeing as I haven't noticed these Ram's upside down in the ditches along the road by the hundreds, it seems to me to be blown a little out of proportion right now.
So I don't have an answer, but just out of curiosity I will be following this thread hopefully for some enlightenment myself. Because in reality, this probably could happen to Ford, GM, or Toyota just as easily.