2013 RAM 1500 Steering Problems

Electronic power steering (EPS) will fail when exposed to moisture. When EPS fails all power steering is lost resulting in extremely hard steering and possible loss of vehicle control.

I was driving down S. South Danville Rd. in Abilene, Texas, and it was raining and all of a sudden my steering wheel just jerks to the right and then my steering is now real hard to turn real hard to steer, and I almost crashed into another vehicle which would’ve not only hurt me but my daughter so I need to figure out what we need to do about this all of this happen without any type of warning

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving out of a parking spot, the steering wheel inadvertently jerked to the center position on several occasions. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that when the vehicle was restarted, the steering wheel became very stiff. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the power steering unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Power steering went out when i try to turn on car I get a red steering wheel with “!” Signal next to it and I am unable to use steering wheel

1. The component that fails is the EPS System and yes it is available for inspection. 2. My safety was put as risk because the wheel would not turn while driving home and I was almost involved in a crash. 3. No, the problem has not been reproduced due to the wheel not turning efficiently and it happened for the first time today while driving. It has not been inspected 4. No it has not been inspected. The wheel will not turn efficiently. 5. The steering wheel warning lamp turned on suddenly when I went to turn into my neighborhood and could not turn the wheel. It was very scary and I could not make the turn.

eps sudden failure on a busy road nearly causing an accident.

The EPS (electronic power steering) has failed completely, making the pickup truck nearly impossible to steer at slower speed.

Sudden loss of powering steering

Service Power steering warning message popped up while driving and lost all control of steering in vehicle. Very dangerous situation while moving

To whom it may concern, I'm currently experiencing an intermittent flashing red steering column and exclamation point on my dash as well as the power steering disengaging, forcing me to manually wrestle with the steering wheel while trying to control the truck without crashing and potentially killing myself as well as others. I googled this issue and came across the instructions on how reset the EPS by resetting the system by turning the truck off, then back on and turning the steering wheel fully to the left and holding then to the right and holding. This was just a temporary fix until it happened again. Then I reached out to the dealership and they suggested that I reach out to Ram Customer Care. In the process I also found a FCA Equipment Safety Recall VB9/ NHTSA 19E-077 Electronic Power Steering Gear that covered my year and model truck. Ram Customer...

The vehicle steering locked up doing 65 mph, this could have potentially caused an accident. It would not turn after several attempts. The power steering rack and pinion had malfunctioned after careful diagnosis.

Power steering failure - unexpected. Made vehicle difficult to drive

While driving the Electronic Power Steering Rack stopped working. I pulled over and inspected to see if there was any damage to it. Everything looked good, but the power steering was still not working. I turned vehicle on and off a couple times until the Electronic Power steering Rack started working again. This put me and other drivers in danger as I could not steer my vehicle freely without using excessive force to turn the wheel and pull over. Since then the power steering rack works sometimes and sometimes I have to turn my truck on for at least 20 to 30 minutes until the truck heats up and then turn and turn it off a couple of times until the electrical power steering rack starts working. I do not drive it anymore as I am scared that if I am on the highway it might turn off again and...

The contact's father owns a 2013 Ram 1500. While the contact's father was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to steer in the intended direction. In addition, the contact stated that the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with an unstated computer failure. In addition, the independent mechanic stated that power steering fluid was needed. The independent mechanic then became aware that the vehicle was equipped with electrical power steering assist. The contact was then advised to take the vehicle to an alternate independent mechanic who was familiar with electronic power steering failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not made aware...

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. In addition, the service steering unit warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was almost uncontrollable. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with an internal fault of the EPS module. The contact was informed that the EPS module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Electric Power Steering / Rack and Pinion unit suddenly stopped working and there is a warning light on the dash board.

Power steering maintenance light comes on and power steering is lost. This happens intermittently. Vehicle can be turned off, error goes away, and vehicle regains power steering and can be driven.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS module had failed. The vehicle then taken to an independent mechanic, who confirmed the ABS module failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost and due to parts being on backorder. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed on a separate occasion, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering wheel had failed due to the ABS module failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was no longer driven due to safety concerns. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance...

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH in rainy weather, the steering wheel became difficult to turn to the left or the right. The ESC warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull into the parking lot, and a day later, the vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to another local independent mechanic, where it was determined that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall, and that the warranty was invalid. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign: 19E077000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure...

Complete loss of steering with only 26,000 miles on vehicle.11

The electronic steering unit quits without warning ; if you can even get it to work.Chrysler has acknowledged this problem with other model years and they are aware of the problem in the 2013 model year ; but claim there's not enough of them to worry about

On Thursday, October 30, 2025, while driving the truck in Gulfport, MS, the power steering locked up several times. I was able to get the vehicle home. On Monday, November 3, I took the truck to Mandal, Dodge Chrysler, in D'Iberville, MS. Upon doing a diagnostic test, Mandal informed me I would need to have new rack and pinion system with the cost being $4500. I refused the repair work. My research pursuant to this issue shows that there is an ongoing investigation into this matter for many similar complaints. There was a partial recall on Dodge Ram 1500's that did not include my vehicle. Dodge Chrysler should be responsible for this repair.

While driving the "Service Power Steering" light came on. Made it very difficult to pull to the side of the road because the steering was very stiff

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V347000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES) and 17V821000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that while moving the gear shifter out of park(P), the gear was stuck in park(P). The contact opened the door and rocked the vehicle back and forth, then closed the door and moved the gear shifter out of park(P). The contact moved the gear shift lever. A dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was part of the inheritance his father left. The contact's father had experienced the same failure. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, after the vehicle was started, the power steering failed to function as intended and locked up, and the contact was unable to maneuver the steering wheel. The contact used force...

Tough steering. Very difficult to correct steering after a turn. Consistently happening.

Loss of power steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH on the highway, the steering wheel locked, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact pulled over to the side of the road while waiting for his son to arrive. The “Service Steering Soon” message was displayed. An independent mechanic or dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the cost for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was 186,468.

Power steering went out while driving steering became very hard to move the wheel

Power steering light came on when I went to start vehicle in morning

While driving my truck lost all power steering. The truck was controllable but with a LOT of force. My wife would not have been able to steer had she been driving. I understand that this is not an uncommon failure. My trunk is a 2013 model but only has 10,770 mile, and was always garaged. I am a retired auto mechanic and a friend that is still active inspected the truck and said it was the steering module. that is not replaceable separately the entire steering assembly must be replaced. I noticed the steering warning after the failure. I am not sure if it was on before the failure. * note * at low speed it was all I could do to turn the wheel, and I am 6'1" and 205 lbs.

Electric Power Steering Module went bad causing loss of steering assist.

Component or system that failed / malfunctioned The brake system (pads, calipers, hydraulic fluid) failed three times in less than 90 days. The right-side tie rod end also separated from the steering assembly. Both components are available for inspection upon request. How safety was put at risk The brakes repeatedly lost all stopping power while driving, with the pedal going to the floor and the reservoir emptying within minutes. On one occasion, the brake pads and caliper fell off the wheel assembly, confirmed by the dealer’s own shop manager. The tie rod failure caused uneven tire wear and a highway blowout, forcing an emergency tow. These issues placed me, my child, and other drivers at risk of a serious crash. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center? Yes. Premier Auto (the dealer’s affiliated garage) confirmed and attempted repairs three times. On the third visit,...

I experienced total failure of the power steering system during a low speed turn in heavy traffic. Thanks to the quick response of another driver no accident occurred. There's several other complaints about the power steering failure on the 2013 RAM 1500. This should be looked at for a recall. Had my daughter been driving she and others may have been injured. RAM dealerships refused to acknowledge any problems.

On Thursday, September 18th 2025, I was driving out of a local Publix parking lot and the power steering on my 2013 RAM 1500 locked up and the dashboard alerted me with a "Service Power Steering" message. I had almost no control over my vehicle at that point and managed to use all my strength to keep the truck straight until I was in a safe place to park it. However, my wife also uses my truck and if this happened while she was driving, the safety failure could've resulted in an accident, causing injuries to her and others. Almost immediately, I called the local Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM dealer in town to make an appointment. After it was towed to the dealer on 22 Sep, I gave them the details of what happened. After a couple hours, the Service Advisor called me and told me the diagnosis was a...

C2217-00 ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MODULE INTERNAL. Completely lost power steering could not steer vehicle. The vehicle has not had power steering since repair facility attempted to diagnose and clear code. diagnosed as faulty power steering control module. Code could not be cleared. There was no prior warning to loss of steering. Had to have towed to repair facility could not steer still remains there parts not available.

In my 2013 Dodge Ram, after 12 years of running and driving practically perfectly, my Electrical Power Steering failed in June 2025 and lost power steering. My wife could have gotten into a collision. Even though this issues is part of a general recall issue for RAM during 2013-2016 models about, my RAM dealer has instructed me that VIN # is not part of the recall I had to pay out of pocket to repair. Not sure exactly why my vehicle was not included even though we had the same problem it appears. My understanding is that the NHTSA has been investigating this since 2023 but I don't know if there has been an outcome. Do you know? My understanding RAM doesn't even make new parts for this but instead a used refurbished part (RAM Part #R8573449AA). The offical RAM part is out of stock so my dealer replaced it...

One night I was out and stop to get gas then out of no where I turned my truck back on and my steering locked up.Ive been told I need change out the whole rack and pinion. I’ve looked online for answers and all I see is recalls for EPS on these trucks.

On a cold morning in February of 2025, i was going to get my wife and me a biscuit and sausage for breakfast. I went to the garage, cranked my truck and noticed the steering wheel would not move. I also noticed a steering wheel light with an exclamation running through it on my instrument panel. I shut it down and went inside to tell my wife. She did a search on the internet and found that others were having this same problem and that dodge had a recall for vehicles with this problem. I called dodge's home office where they checked my vin number and said that my vehicle did not have any recalls. I told her that maybe she should add my truck to the recall list as I was having the same steering problem as many others. I got NO satisfaction from her and after reading information...

While performing a left-hand U-turn across three lanes and into the far right-hand 4th turning lane, at less than 15mph my 2013 Ram 1500's power steering failed and jerked the wheel out of my hands back towards the neutral position. This action forced me across all the lanes and into the curb on the right edge of the 4th lane which was the turning lane that I was trying to reach. When I finally got the vehicle off the curb and was able to get the vehicle into the parking lot I was originally going to, the power steering seamed to operate breifly as long as the wheel was turned slowly and under speeds less than 10mph, so I limped it home. This however was short lived by the end of the next day I had totally lost all power steering assist and had to fight the wheel to turn...

It has, with more frequency as of late, become hard to turn the steering wheel both while driving as well as stationary. It is approximately 75% of them time currently, it started out being a now and then thing, but with more driving, it has become more frequent. There have been no warning lights to signal an issue, but the problem is continuously getting worse and more frequent.

power steering stopped working

Electric power steering gear stopped working

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to turn to the right, the steering wheel seized. The contact used excessive force to maneuver the vehicle. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired and remained at the residence. The contact called and notified the manufacturer of the failure. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19E077000 (STEERING). However, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

I've had no previous problems with this but I just started my truck and a warning light came on saying service power steering and when I tried to turn the steering wheel, I had no power steering. I checked the fuses and they are good.

I was driving long distance down an interstate and my electric power steering locked up. I wasn't able to steer. Got a tow to nearest gas station. After sitting for about 30 minutes a started the truck back up and the steering work surprisingly.

The power steering rack failed on my 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 with only 36,000 miles. It is at the shop right now, waiting for the new power steering rack to come in. The power steering completely failed, as I was driving home from an appointment...making the truck extremely difficult to steer. The failure was diagnosed and confirmed by a service center (Golden Auto)They stated the entire power steering rack must be replaced at a cost of approximately $4,100. The vehicle has been inspected by an independent service center. The manufacturer has not yet inspected it. The warning light came on AFTER the power steering failed. There was absolutely no warning/symptoms of any kind before it happened.

Borrowing this truck from my father. I turned the key off a week ago when everything was working fine. When I went to start it today it gave me a power steering failure warning and the steering wheel was impossible to turn. From what I understand, this is a common problem with this year model and line of Rams. I am glad this happened while I was parked. Otherwise it could have been disastrous for me. As it is. I am looking at a very expensive repair on a loader vehicle.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring an increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the Electric Power Steering Gear Assembly. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19E077000 (Steering); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the steering wheel seized. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road using excessive force on the steering wheel, ran into a culvert, then ran over the culvert into a driveway and crashed into a trash can, where it came to a stop. The driver-side and passenger-side air bags did not deploy. The contact suffered no injuries. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired and remained at the residence. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,359.

The power steering on my truck randomly went out this week, after working forever without any kind of issues. After doing a bunch of research and looking into the issue, I have tried to troubleshoot this in every way possible. I've looked at electrical, the belt inside the Electric Power Steering unit, checked connections and fuses, and I've come to the conclusion that these units are faulty, based on many other anecdotes of this happening, and even recalls from RAM. Except those recalls don't include my year of vehicle for some reason. Dodge/Ram dealers want $4500 to replace this part (which is extremely steep for such a small thing) and I currently don't have the means to pay for it. I have also seen that in September of 2024, a class action lawsuit was filed against Stellantis for this exact reason. So I want to file this complaint in hopes...