NHTSA Complaint #11279749 — 2013 RAM 1500

UPON STARTING ENGINE AND BACKING FROM CARPORT I NOTICED STEERING WAS STIFF AND 'SERVICE POWER STEERING' NOTICE AND SYMBOL WERE DISPLAYED ON DASH. ABSOLUTELY NO ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST. TRIED RESTARTING ENGINE BUT PROBLEM PERSISTED. I HAD NO WARNING SIGNS WHATSOEVER, AS THE POWER STEERING HAD BEEN OPERATING EXACTLY AS USUAL THE EVENING BEFORE. THANKFULLY THE FAILURE HAPPENED AS I STARTED THE VEHICLE INSTEAD OF NEGOTIATING A CURVE OR DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. THIS FAILURE HAPPENED WITH APPROXIMATELY 46,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THESE MILES WERE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY NORMAL HIGHWAY MILES ON GOOD, POTHOLE AND CONSTRUCTION FREE ROADS. A PART AS INTEGRAL TO THE SAFETY AND OPERATION OF A VEHICLE AS THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK SHOULD NOT FAIL WITHIN 46,000 MILES WITHOUT SOME RESPONSIBILITY SHOULDERED BY THE MANUFACTURER, IN MY OPINION. THE STEERING RACK ALONE WAS $1875.00 NOT INCLUDING LABOR OR TAXES.