2013 RAM 1500 Steering Problems

Power steering assist failed while driving. Can still be steered manually by force, but no electronic assist. Makes the vehicle unsafe to drive, and thankfully I was able to get safely off the road. When I looked into this, it’s a known issue with rams, and hasn’t been addressed in my year model, 2013. I can’t understand how a safety risk like this is going unaddressed. I was quoted 2 thousand plus dollars by the dealership to fix.

EPS system failed causing loss of power steering. Thankfully I wasn’t going fast when it failed.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while making a left turn, the steering wheel became extremely firm. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the tie rod and the front brakes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact believed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V287000 (Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

While driving on the freeway around 70 mph, the steering on my 2013 Ram 1500 2WD suddenly became extremely stiff and hard to turn. The red steering wheel warning light came on, and I nearly lost control. I’ve already confirmed that the battery, grounds, fuses, and alternator are all good, and this is clearly an EPS (Electric Power Steering) failure. This is a major safety concern — had there been a turn or obstacle, I could’ve crashed. I’ve found other reports online from other Ram 1500 owners with similar issues involving the EPS rack and module. Dodge dealers told me they couldn’t help or open a STAR case unless I contacted Dodge corporate. I believe this is a defect that should be investigated for recall or at least considered for a safety-related goodwill repair, especially since this failure occurred at highway speed. The fact that the entire steering system can...

Have not had any problems until this morning. Started the truck to move it and there was a warning flashing on the instrument cluster of a steering wheel and exclamation point. The power steering is not working at all. I have not been able to bring it to a dealer for diagnostics as it is unsafe to drive and can't afford to tow it at this moment.

I was driving from lunch and slowed to turn when all of a sudden, my steering wheel was jerked from my hands causing me to barely make the turn in front of an 18-wheeler truck. I manual steered it to the parking lot at my job. I immediately call AAA to tow to the nearest shop only to find out cost to repair is $4935.64 quote. I did some research later and found this is a known issue so I called dealership, and they said I cannot be reimbursed for any cost there or any shop. I'm just blessed that I didn't get hurt or killed.

Just on a random restart - all power steering functions lost. DTC code C2217-00. Had to replace steering rack. Entering this as I know an investigation into these failures has been opened.

I am experiencing intermittent and unexpected loss of power steering assist in my 2013 RAM 1500. The issue typically happens suddenly after while driving at low speeds, high speed or during turns, and it makes the vehicle very difficult to steer safely, locked up, especially during tight maneuvers or in parking situations. There are warning light of power steering appears for a second and go away when this happens. The steering suddenly becomes extremely stiff, requiring significant force to turn the wheel. This raises serious safety concerns for both me and other drivers. I have researched the issue and found that similar problems were part of a prior recall (NHTSA Campaign Number: 19E077), but my VIN does not currently show any open recalls. I believe this may be part of the same defect and could affect more vehicles than originally recalled. Request: Please investigate this issue for a possible expanded...

The electrical power steering went out while driving. When searching for a replacement, we were told they weren't even taking orders for the part because of how many failed. Clearly there is a MAJOR issue with the power steering part. It should be recalled so more people can get them fixed without potentially causing an accident at time of FAILURE

Electronic Power Steering failed. Vehicle suddenly became extremely difficult to steer.

Was turning out of parking lot steering locked up and service power steering message came on. After investigation it was determined that the electric power steering quit working.

Steering locked up, service power steering light came on and have no control of vehicle. I was able to pull over and get back home by using every muscle in my body to turn the car. I saw there was an investigation into this mass issue with 2013 ram trucks. There were no indications prior to immediate failure causing a near accident.

On June 26, 2025 my wife was driving our 2013 Dodge ram on a state route at approximately 60 mph. Without warning, the power steering failed to function, causing the vehicle to lose control. My wife was able to bring the car to the edge of the road without crash. The vehicle was then removed to my residence location. The vehicle power steering is totally in operative. A warning light displays on the dash. There appears to be some type of issue with Dodge trucks, electronic power steering for multiple years of manufacturer. Was very lucky that my wife was not injured in this crash. This is a tremendous safety issue, and if affects multiple years should be recalled.

Power steering failed while making a turn. The vehicle oversteered running into a curb. This scraped the wheel and impacted the tire braking the plastic inner wheel well. If the steering fails while turning the wheel the vehicle at slower speeds the vehicle is very hard to control and will force you out of intended trajectory. There are no warnings or messages. There are no fluid leaks. I have researched to find this is a common issue with this vehicle. I do not feel safe driving it to a mechanic. I don't want to pay for repair as this is obviously a know failure which could reoccur.

Electronic power steering has completely stopped all at once. 102000 miles on the truck. It’s also had an issue with the abs brake system.

My truck for several years has intermittently turned off all safety features and steering control, i.e. air bags, traction control, anti lock breaks, and power steering all turn off randomly which in turn disables the cruise control, towing functions, etc. In the past I could turn the truck off then back on and the problems would dissappear, Now the problem has escalated and is occurring at shorter intervals now turning it off doesn't work and its getting dangerous. There is various recalls for these problems with same make and years model trucks, but mine is not included. I've tried contacting the dealer but they basically say sorry we can't help you unless your truck is added to the recall list. It's just not right that 1000's of vehicles the exact same as mine have been recalled for the exact same problems but not mine. Thanks for your time!

Intermittent power steering failure causing dangerous driving conditions

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the steering wheel became very firm. Additionally, the message "Power Steering Service Required" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted after each failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

I’ve owned the truck for about a month with 0 issues up to this point. I was driving home after work on June 17th 2025, when all of a sudden the service power steering light appeared on my dash and my power steering completely stopped working. It became almost impossible to turn the vehicles steering wheel and I almost ran into a building. After doing some research, this issue is apparently a common problem with this year model of ram pickups.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH in the neighborhood, the power steering became inoperable. The contact heard an abnormal popping sound. The steering jolted and the steering wheel yanked her arm. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was stuck in the middle of the road. The contact had to have another person drive the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Action Number: RQ23003 (Steering). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

While operating my 2013 Ram 1500 at approximately 10 MPH, I experienced a sudden and complete loss of power steering without warning. The incident occurred while traveling on a public roadway. There were no dashboard warning lights, alerts, or noises leading up to the failure. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn, requiring significant physical effort to maintain control of the vehicle. The failure appears to have occurred in the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system. This sudden loss of power steering posed a serious safety hazard to both myself and other road users. The unexpected loss of steering assist greatly increased the difficulty of maneuvering the vehicle, especially during turns or emergency avoidance. The vehicle was nearly impossible to steer with one hand and could have led to a crash if more evasive action had been needed. Had this occurred at higher speeds or in heavy traffic, the outcome...

We recently bought the dodge truck from a dealer in Puyallup Washington and noticed it was hard to steer and pulling to the left and right when Turning. It was a hard pull ! Now we can't even drive the truck at all its hard to steer and there's a red light at the bottom of the cluster with a red circle and a exclamation mark.! We don't want to drive it as my husband says it's the electric power steering.the electronic steering does not work at all. We shouldn't be having this problem . As we only had it 5 mos.i don't know the approximate day but started shortly after we bought the truck. Thank you for reviewing our complaint. We are retired and needed a truck for hauling .

I was driving to work and all of a sudden I had no power steering and red light with wheel and ! Came on indicating power steering failure. Confirmed by mechanic and estimated 3-4 thousand dollars , this is a known issue with these trucks apparently as I’m finding out

The Power Steering suddenly failed without warning when starting the truck while parked in a public parking lot. Could not steer the truck and noticed the red warning light was illuminated. I turned off the vehicle and waited a few minutes and then the power steering was working. I drove immediately home. The problem then occurred again when I started the truck up. The truck was not safe to drive. Checked the serial number of my steering rack and it is not included in the recall list for this known problem. I had to replace the steering rack with a new unit. This should be recalled and covered by the manufacturer. Less than 29,000 miles on the truck.

The power steering keeps going out while I’m driving. Sometimes it will reset and work again after restarting my truck but now it’s staying out. This has been a problem for two months now. This almost caused me to crash twice.

Attempted to back out of garage when the steering became very difficult to turn. Could not safely drive the vehicle as the steering was extremely hard to turn. Service steering message appeared on console. Vehicle towed to dealership for repair. Dealer advised this repair will require replacement of the steering rack at a cost of over $3,000.00. While there may not be a specific recall based on my VIN this problem is very similar to other vehicles that have been recalled for this issue. Part is back ordered which indicates they are doing a lot replacements. This should be elevated to a systemic recall. My truck has under 70,000 miles on it and has been well maintained.

Subject: Power Steering Failure – Recall Concern on 2013 Ram 1500 Dear [Ram Customer Care / NHTSA / Dealership Representative], I am writing to formally express my concern regarding a serious safety issue I experienced with my 2013 Ram 1500, which has only 140,000 miles. While driving, I suddenly lost total power steering functionality. Fortunately, I was able to safely bring the vehicle to Piedmont Dodge in Anderson, SC. After paying a $185 diagnostic fee, I was informed that the steering rack and pinion had failed and would require full replacement. I was also told that the necessary part is currently on back order with no estimated time of arrival, which leaves me without a working vehicle and no clear resolution. What is especially troubling is that I’ve learned Ram issued recalls for steering issues on 2013–2016 Ram 1500 models—recall campaigns that clearly acknowledge this as a known and recurring...

Power steering stopped working

Can't turn...steering wheel is very hard to turn....

I was driving on [XXX] on Friday evening ([XXX]) about [XX] near Chattanooga, TN and the power steering quit suddenly (all at once). My speed at time of power steering failure was 65 MPH. No warning lights, messages or symptons at all before complete failure of power steering system. If driving conditions had warranted me to swerve suddenly to avoid a hazard, it would have been impossible and that would have put other's safety and my own safety in harm. Never had any problem before this incident and nothing that would have alerted that power steering was not functioning properly. I think this is a major safety issue and requires further investigation as to why this happened. The problem has been reported to an independent service center and I also plan to contact local Ram dealership in Ringgold, GA Monday morning, May 19, 2025. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM...

Out of nowhere could not turn the steering wheel. It was really stiff. I had my mechanic come take a look and after doing a diagnostic test it was the EPS (electric power system). After looking into it we noticed a recall for the EPS for 2013-2019 Dodge rams which is what we have. We took it to a dodge dealership who also found that out but is saying we are not part of the recall just because our VIN number is not associated to the recall. We could have died with 4 kids in the car and this is what we were told that it would cost a more than 5k to fix. The issue is the same as the recall. There was no warning lamps or messages to let us know something was wrong. Again could have died cause we could not turn the wheel. Our car should...

The contact's son owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her son was driving at highway speeds, the power steering assist failed. Due to the failure, the contact's son used excessive effort to steer the vehicle off to the left shoulder of the highway. The contact's son called for the vehicle to be towed to an independent mechanic. While the contact's son waited for the tow truck to arrive, the "Service Power Steering" message was displayed on the instrument panel while restarting the engine. The vehicle was towed to the mechanic, and the contact was informed that the power steering assist was electrical and that no repairs could be made to the vehicle. The contact was then informed that there was an unknown recall associated with the failure. The contact was then referred to the dealer who informed the contact that there were no recalls on the...

My steering on my 2013 Ram 1500 completely seized while the vehicle was in motion, with no warning. I was leaving a drive through luckily at low speed, I am reporting this because if this had happened 2 minutes later, I would have been on a 55mph 2 lane highway, and possibly caused an accident harming me or other drivers. I had a few mechanics look at it and state they thought it was the steering rack, and how unsafe it was that it seized completely. The vehicle is open to inspection. I hope this at least gets looked into, I don’t want anybody to get hurt.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced a loss of electric power steering functionality. The contact stated that the vehicle later failed to start or unlock. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in an unknown electric power steering recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The steering went out on my 2013 Dodge Ram 1500. I purchased this vehicle used in July 2016 The dealership stated that this recall has already been fixed however if that's the case it wasn't fixed properly and failed again. To fix the problem is thousands of dollars. There was no warning lamps that indicated a problem. It acutely happened.

Steering locked up. Very difficult to steer. Condition remains 4/28/2025 09:00. Dealer approx 30 miles away. Can't afford towing. Low speed (35 MPH) No crash, No injuries. Flashing steering wheel with (!). No other indications. No Codes. NOTE: BASED ON INFORMATION FROM MY TIME IN THE MILITARY AS A HELICOPTER PILOT AND ISSUES WE HAD WITH AIRCRAFT GROUNDS, I REMOVED AND CLEANED ALL TERMINALS ON THE BATTERY AND APPLIED DI-ELECTRIC GREASE. I THEN REMOVED AND CLEANED THE CONNECTORS ON THE ELECTRICAL STEERING UNIT AND APPLIED DIELECTRIC GREASE BEFORE REINSTALLING THE CONNECTORS. I STARTED THE ENGINE WITH NO RESULTS ON THE STEERING ISSUE. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND WAITED 30 MINUTES. UPON RESTARTING, THE ISSUE RESOLVED.

Traveling back from Tennessee I stopped for fuel when I started my truck to leave the warning light was on the dash for service power steering and I had no power steering I have checked the fuse but it does not appear to be bad I will take my truck to the shop tomorrow morning Monday 4/28/2025

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the power steering assist failed to operate as designed. There was no warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle off to the shoulder of the highway. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle to regain power steering assist; however, the failure persisted. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to the residence. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. The dealer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

Steering wheel jerks to center position when making turns and power steering has totally stopped working now

2013 ram 1500 Express, steering will randomly lose all power steering without any warning, and become almost impossible to steer the vehicle. I believe the issue to be related to the faulty rack and pinions installed on the ram 1500 trucks.

The electronic power steering unit completely failed. The power steering system failure dash indicator appeared on the dash information screen. I parked the truck, turned it off, and after I restarted the truck, I no longer had power steering and the truck was nearly impossible to steer. The truck has approximately 171000 miles on the odometer. There are currently no recals. There does not appear to be any physical damage to the power steering unit. The truck is currently being diagnosed by the second mechanic at a Dodge dealership. The initial information from the first mechanic was that his scan tool, a Snap-On Zeus, could not find any specific error codes other than, "Could not communicate with electronic power steering system."

While I was driving my 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 at a low speed through a parking lot the power steering just went out. I have 90k miles on my vehicle and this should not be happening. I was in a parking lot full of parents and children walking to their cars and was turning when this happened. There was no warning and not light on my dashboard until after a few seconds of my power steering being out. After looking online I saw this was a common problem for Dodge. Dodge said they would put another dodge part in it to replace the EPS and I didnt want that so I took it to a private mechanic who fixed it....$3k to fix. This is ridiculous and should be covered by Dodge.

The electronic power steering abruptly failed while driving, because of this failure my safety as well as others safety was put in grave danger. I completely lost the ability to turn the steering wheel which led me to forcefully pull as far over on the freeway that I could to avoid having an accident. Truck was then towed to my home. I had no prior messages or alarms or check engine lights on and the truck had been running in top condition. Suddenly I heard a chime then the steering wheel got stiff and the the “service power steering” message showed on my cluster. The vehicle is available for any inspections needed and has not been repaired due to the cost. The power steering went out on April 9, 2025.

Forward: While pulling out of a mall parking lot my steering failed causing me to momentarily block traffic. There were no warning lights, messages or audible alarms at this time. I was able to safely pull back into the parking spot, turned the vehicle off and turned it back on. Power Steering was restored and no messages/alerts were present. I assumed at that time that maybe the steering wheel lock got hung up. When we got home and went to use the vehicle again the same thing happened except this time it didn’t correct itself and the flashing “Service Power Steering” light came on. The vehicle has not been driven since. After researching this situation I learned that this is a known issue that has not been resolved and I believe this to be a safety impacting defect. (1) Electronic Power Steering (EPS) failure. Vehicle is available for inspection. (2)...

Electronic power steering intermittently fails while driving. This truck has had this issue for months, happens regularly once or twice a week or every 100 so miles. Two repair shops could not replicate the issues. And there is no codes on the scanner. After researching this seems to be a common concern and safety issue on this model/year of ram 1500.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle several times, the power steering became operable. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring an increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The service steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while reversing into the driveway at 10 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering inadvertently, and the steering became significantly difficult to turn. The contact's husband assisted the contact in reversing the vehicle into the driveway. The message "Power Steering Service" was displayed. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19E077000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

Power steering went out while driving and power steering light came on dash.

My 2013 ram 1500 has an electronic power steering system. That unit has completely failed and the steering is locked up. It can't be turned. I was backing out of my driveway when it happened. If I had been going down the road at 60mph someone would have been killed. The truck is unsafe and can't be driven. There is a warning lamp for a power steering issue. Dealer says I have to buy a new steering rack. And that part has been discontinued.