NHTSA Complaint #11696908 — 2017 RAM 1500

My 2017 Ram 1500 suffered a complete failure of the electronic power steering (EPS). The truck became unsafe to drive — steering assist cut out suddenly, and warning lights appeared. A professional mechanic removed the rack-and-pinion and found it completely filled with water and mud, despite no external damage. This is a sealed electronic unit — contamination like this points directly to a manufacturing defect. FCA issued Recall S19 (NHTSA 16V-167) for this same EPS failure in 2015–2016 models, yet they refuse to help because my VIN isn’t “covered.” This is unacceptable. Same part, same failure, same safety risk. The truck only has 63k miles, and an active NHTSA investigation (2023) and recent class actions (2024–2025) confirm this is a widespread problem. I’m asking NHTSA to push for a full recall expansion and hold FCA accountable. This is a serious safety issue with real consequences. My steering wheel completely locked up while I was driving with my 5 year old daughter in the truck on Christmas Day no less. It could have been much worse.