2013 RAM 1500 Steering Problems
569 NHTSA complaints on file
All Steering Complaints — Page 4
While driving my steering column locked up and I was unable to steer, luckily I was on a side street with little to no traffic and was able to eventually make it to my driveway but with a lot of resistance in turning and the steering warning indicator lit up. While parked in my driveway the steering column locked up on 6 of the 8 times I started the vehicle while also displaying the steering warning indicator. I had my vehicle towed to the local RAM dealership to investigate and perform the necessary repairs. The RAM dealership informed me that they seen the 7 times the steering column locked up via the computer.
Power steering went out completely. At the beginning it work properly for 1 day and then not. At this time it is not working. When turning it is hard to turn, when it did work, you could be driving down the road and it would just stop working. I took it in to a mechanic and he said it was the power steering ....replace rack and pinon from salvage yard. Dealer is not responsible. No messages appeared before Power steering went out.
ABS light would come on when driving periodically on and off. for a few months it felt like brakes were locking up, Steering was very difficult and hard like the steering wheel was locked making it difficult to turn the steering wheel. dashboard components would periodically turn off and restart. when driving it would make a grinding noiselike the brakes were locked, this would occur with the abs light on and off. the major incident when driving on the freeway. the speedometer completely failed, the digital and needle both were not working. the abs light and warning came on, i pulled over because the speedometer was not working at all, but i was able to drive. the abs warning kept beeping. i was able to pull off of the highway into a parking lot, and the truck shut off and locked. unable to restart the truck at all.
On August 19, 2024. I was backing out of the driveway when the steering locked up and the power steering light came on. I was unable to turn the wheel. The truck only has 49,357 miles I am the original owner. It was taken to a repair shop and they determined the electronic power steering had failed and needed to be replaced. Since then the dealer has told us the parts are unavailable and not being manufactured. The truck is now undrivable, cannot be repaired and I am without a vehicle. While researching online their are hundreds of reports of the same issue with this truck. I just returned from a cross country trip and this could have been deadly if it had gone out while I was traveling.There were no prior signs of steering issues before the complete failure.
I was driving on the highway when the power steering suddenly, without any warning, stopped working. The steering wheel jerked and lost all maneuverability. It took every ounce of strength I had to steer it to the side of the road. This could’ve resulted in a horrible crash. This is deadly and should be recalled. The service power steering light came on. The dealer wants $3000 to replace the electronic steering system.
I have bought this truck used and have had problem after problem but as I replace parts the steering one day just stop working and aggressively the steering wheel yanks hard the opposite direction that I am going then it started working for a day and then it stopped working altogether then it will work and not I have looked all through the web to find some kind of answer to this problem and ask several shops if they have had any thing like it and one told me to go to y’all’s website and check for recalls but I have not found anything on my truck but I displays the same kind of symptoms as the recall for the 2013-2016 Ram trucks also it al stop working when I’m on the highway and going the speed limit of 65 -75 even as low as 10 MPH it feels like...
Loss of power steering due to faulty power steering module. Loss of power steering is intermittent. Loss of steering in a turn is very dangerous. 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 Big Horn edition5.7 litre 4x4 crew cab. Dodge no longer makes the part needed to correct the problem and will not treat this safety issue as a recall, even though many Ram trucks have this issue.
A complete loss of power steering assist occurred while driving and has not returned. Vehicle can no longer be driven, unsafe to drive. Without power assist the front wheels are extremely difficult to turn. This is the second time this has happen to me, first time the electronic steering rack needed to be replaced and was not covered by any warranty or recall. This is now the second failure on my truck which will require another replacement steering rack.
Went from having power steering instantly loosing it with out warning no accidents occurred
The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel seized with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle off to the side of the road. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with an electrical power steering gear failure. The independent mechanic contacted several local dealers and was informed by each dealer that the part for the repair was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
As i was coming off the highway my powersteering went out. I was able to pull over and stop prior to hitting the car infront of me. I called the local dealer/repair shop and they said the power stearing rack is discontinued and they were unable to help me.
The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The dealer made the contact aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V812000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Was turning onto the access road of a highway and the steering went out. No warning lights were active until it went out. Was traveling around 40 mph and was able to wrestle the truck through the turn and stop in a safe parking lot. Turned the truck off and restarted it. Warning light went away. Started to drive home and steering went out again permanently. I will be getting the truck inspected by a mechanic to confirm it is the EPS module that hast failed.
Power steering failed while driving. Stopped vehicle and restarted, power steering seemed fine then. Power steering failed intermittently a few times and now has doesn’t work at all. First failure was unsafe as I was traveling at highway speed when it stopped working.
The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving out of a parking lot at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power steering functionality. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact was able to drive to the residence, where the contact inspected the vehicle, but could not determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the power steering became functional the following day; however, the failure recurred while driving 10 MPH. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,000.
On October 1, 2024 I was driving home. I stopped at a stop sign and went to turn right. (EPS light comes on.) I didn't have any power steering at all. Very hard to turn. When I pulled up to my house, I turned off the truck. Then, I restarted vehicle and power steering worked, so I went down my street and turned around. Power steering went back out as I approached my driveway. Now when, I start the Ram truck, as soon as I try to turn the steering wheel. The EPS error pops up saying ("Service Power Steering").
On my way to work 09/30/2024. At light, message appeared service steering assembly. Power steering stopped working. Hard to negotiate travel to work. Fortunately traffic was manageable @ 0400 am. Eight hours later started truck steering works till first turn, then stopped working, unable to find parts. Vehicle out of service.
I was driving my truck down some windy roads and all of the sudden the power steering stopped working. This is an electronic power steering system so when it stopped working it completely stopped. It was extremely difficult to keep it on the road and I had to overpower the servos and the whole system to be able to steer the truck. If someone was not strong, they could have easily wrecked and possibly suffered serious injury or even death.
Lost power steering while driving.
EPS red light came on and lost power to control vehicle. Managed to get to side of road and turned vehicle off for a few minutes and started it up again turned around and it was fine. Turned truck around and drove back home to park it. Got almost home and EPS red light came on again lost power to control vehicle. Had to have it pulled home because trying to control it manually was too hard and too dangerous luckily when it first happened there was no oncoming traffic. I was told there was a recall on my year model truck for faulty EPS but when w called the Dodge house was told there were no recalls for EPS on any year models vehicles.
Driving to work. Sudden loss of steering. Power steering went out making it dangerous to steer and drive. Service power steering light came on for first time. Luckily driving slow near home. Known problem with ram electric power steering rack.
I had a total loss of power steering while driving. It started as intermittent. Now there is no power steering at all.
My husband was driving home from work around 2 am when the steering wheel jerked then tighten up thankfully no one was on the road. There was no issues before it happened . The check engine light is showing EPS failure code and a few others also a blinking steering wheel and the abs and traction control and the brake light is on the dash
The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 45MPH, the steering wheel seized, and the contact depressed the brake pedal because the steering wheel could not be turned. The vehicle was turned off and restarted; however, the steering functionality had not returned. The steering assist fault message was displayed. The contact towed the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall on the VIN for the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
I am a 40 year tech. The electronic steering rack failed while driving with no warning. These steering racks are impossible to replace and are 3000 dollars. Even the used parts yards don't have any. This is rediculous I have a mint condition truck that's unfixable. It's a nation wide issue, everyone knows about
My electronic power steering went out on my vehicle the steering is extremely hard.
The EPS Rack and Pinion on my 2013 Ram 1500 is failing intermittently. There is a recall on many of the 2013 trucks but not mine for some reason. Why is the intermittently defective part on my any different than the ones being replaced on these others? Numerous times in the last two months, I have been turning when the PS failed and nearly caused a wreck. The truck has less than 70,000 miles on it. Because Ram has had so many go bad I can't get a replacement.
The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 5 MPH leaving a parking space, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that extra effort was needed to steer the vehicle in either direction. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stopped and turned off and restarted the vehicle several time however, the power steering functionality had not returned. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the electric power steering assist gears and sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the independent mechanic had related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.
Total loss of power steering.
While I am driving straight everything is fine. As soon as I begin to make a turn my steering wheel will lock up and force itself straight. I was told it was the steering rack and I did my research and found that my year model had recalls for the steering rack but for some reason my truck does not. I have almost ran off the road a few times simply because my steering wheel will force itself straight every time I try to make a turn
While driving in my neighborhood, I was making a right turn on my block and the steering wheel suddenly appeared to lock up and the vehicle began to move in a straight direction instead of turning in the direction I wanted to go. Then, just as suddenly as it locked up, the steering came back and I was able to maintain the turn. As I made the next turn, the same thing happened.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The electronic power steering almost completely went out. Yes it is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? While driving on a busy road the wheel hardened and took an extreme amount of force to safely get off the road. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The problem is still on going. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The power steering light did not turn on until the next day when turning the truck on and barely touching the steering wheel. No other symptoms appeared prior to...
Power steering Complete loss of power steering while driving 55-60 mph. Steering wheel is almost impossible to turn. If I was not traveling in a straight line and been in a turn, almost certainly would have crashed. Warning light came on when it happened. Have not taken it anywhere to be looked at. Vehicle is not drivable in this condition.
The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact depressed the brake pedal because the steering wheel could not be turned in either direction. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and the steering failure message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The approximate failure mileage was 47,256.
My 2013 ram 1500 head total power steering failure. Thank God I just started my vehicle and started driving when it went. I was supposed to be on a highway at that time. If I was doing a fair rate of speed I could've crashed. this is a continuing problem with Rams. I have found out online and should be a recall With and the only parts you can get for this are manufactured because nobody has any because Ram stopped making them last year and they are in demand because of this continuous problem. The repairs are very expensive. I have not had a truck for over three weeks and the part won't be in for till the end of September the cost was well over $1500.00 without somebody even putting it in, I think you should look into it because it is a safety situation that keeps happening...
I was driving my 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 and while I was turning a corner the power steering went out and I barely made the turn. If anyone had been near me, I am sure there would have been a wreck. No prior warning or anything to prepare me this was going to happen. I shut the truck off and started it again and the power steering was then working. No issues for a few days and then a warning message showed up stating Service Power Steering and then it happened again with no power steering. I have called around and it is going to cost $3,000 to fix it, if they can even get the parts.
Power steering completely went out and no parts available to fix it.
Electronic power steering system completely went out leaving my vehicle unable to turn the wheel an inch to the left or the right. Luckily this happened in my driveway and not while I was on the roads. Had to have the truck towed to my local dealer and it ended up taking over 2 weeks to fix and cost $4k.
As I was driving the steering wheel started getting hard and couldn't really turn as easily. Luckily I was able to make it home, couldnt park it in ny driveway because i coupdnt turn anymore so I only made it to the curb, but I have not been able to move my truck since then due to the steering wheel almost being impossible to turn. Tried to put power steering fluid only to come and fined out it's electrical
2013 Ram 1500 four wheel drive,crew cab .Basically my steering locked up on me while driving,I turned right on to my mothers road and as I completed the turn it wouldn’t let me turn the wheel after that.i had it towed to a garage thats well known nationally and they diagnosed the electronic power steering needs to be replaced,I’m grateful that I wasn’t going at a high speed in traffic on a highway when it failed.Ive been told from my local Dodge Ram dealership ship that my truck has no open recalls on it,I’m currently in the process of purchasing a refurbished rack and pinion due to the fact that the manufacturer has discontinued the part, they are extremely expensive and most don’t come with a warranty
The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the "Power Steering" message was displayed and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the EPS module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was contacted and informed that the EPS module was on backorder and not available. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 165,000.
Vehicle says service power steering but will intermittently go in and out upon starting/turning off vehicle. Didn't have any issues and seems that there was a recall for this but for only specific VINs. Not sure why the vehicle is doing this as it was working fine ever since I bought it and never experienced any issues ether leading up to the "failure". Just one day it started saying "Service Power Steering" and will go in and out by toggling the start of the vehicle. Fuse is working as designed as I have replaced it and still nothing different. Jumping the electronic component will allow it to work as well. Must be a faulty code because it will work correctly sometimes.
Was making a turn and my power steering cut out forcing the wheel forward causing me to run off the road, turned truck off and then back on and power steering was working perfectly fine after.. still cuts in an out whenever it wants to
Power steering intermediate lost the total lost today 8/31/24
The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, causing the steering wheel to become difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the power steering control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Power Steering is not working. At times it works fine, then sometimes it is hard to turn, and other times it stops working all together where I cannot move steering wheel at all. This has caused issues when driving on Highway and City streets as I am unable to safely maneuver the vehicle. I have narrowly avoided 2 accidents. I attempted to add power steering fluid and then learned this vehicle has electric power steering; which does not require steering fluid. There is no warning as to when the power steering will work or fail.
Power steering assist drops out periodically making it impossible to steer. I was told by dealer that they do not service vehicles over 10 years old even though my truck only has 70,000 miles on it. I was told by a repair shop that the part can not be found. I called Dodge corporate and was told that the part has been discontinued. This leaves me without a safe vehicle to drive but I have to have a vehicle so I continue to drive it. I can't believe that they can not furnish a part and apparently its a common failure. Can anything be done?
Sudden loss of power steering. Waiting for mechanic to diagnose problem. No warning.
Intermittent loss of power steering then a few days later complete loss of power steering the electronic power steering module short circuited due to contamination the fix cost over $2000 and can not afford to fix this is a safety issue. Truck only has 120,000 miles on it. I can hardly turn the wheel and when it snows i definitely wont be able to drive it due to no control of steering.
The electronic assist power steering stopped working in a turn which kept me from making the turn, which made me cross into oncoming traffic and run off the road. I almost hit head on to another vehicle. The other swerved to avoid me and landed in the ditch on the other side. After getting pulled out the power steering started working again and within a few miles of driving it went out again. The truck is now parked being to dangerous to drive.
Other 2013 RAM 1500 Problem Areas
Electrical System
208 complaints
Engine
120 complaints
Air Bags
92 complaints
Power Train
80 complaints
Service Brakes
63 complaints
Unknown Or Other
48 complaints
Suspension
43 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control
35 complaints
Structurebody
34 complaints
Fuelpropulsion System
33 complaints
Exterior Lighting
28 complaints
Electronic Stability Control Esc
17 complaints
Seat Belts
15 complaints
Visibilitywiper
14 complaints
Fuel System Gasoline
12 complaints
Wheels
12 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulic
8 complaints
Seats
6 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling
5 complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking
5 complaints
Latcheslockslinkages
5 complaints
Steeringrack And Pinion
5 complaints
Structure
5 complaints
Tires
5 complaints
Equipment
3 complaints
Equipmentelectricalradiotape Deckcd Etc
3 complaints
Exterior Lightingheadlights
3 complaints
Latcheslockslinkagestailgatelatch
3 complaints
Electrical System Instrument Clusterpanel
2 complaints
Electrical Systemignitionswitch
2 complaints
Electrical Systeminstrument Panelspeedometerodometer
2 complaints
Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systemmanifoldheadermufflertail Pipe
2 complaints
Lane Departure Assist
2 complaints
Service Brakes Airantilockabs Warning Light
2 complaints
Steeringelectric Power Assist System
2 complaints
Air Bagsfrontalsensorcontrol Module
1 complaint
Electrical Systemhorn
1 complaint
Electrical Systemstarter Assembly
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust System
1 complaint
Exterior Lightingbrake Lights
1 complaint
Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control
1 complaint
Fuel System Gasolinestoragetank Assemblymounting
1 complaint
Interior Lighting
1 complaint
Power Trainautomatic Transmission
1 complaint
Power Trainaxle Assembly
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulicantilocktraction Controlelectronic Limited Slipabs Warning Light
1 complaint
Steeringhydraulic Power Assistpower Steering Fluid
1 complaint
Steeringlinkagestie Rod Assembly
1 complaint
Steeringsteering Control Module
1 complaint
Structurebodydoor
1 complaint
Suspensionfrontspringsair Suspension System
1 complaint
Tirestreadbelt
1 complaint
Traction Control System
1 complaint
Vehicle Speed Controlcruise Control
1 complaint
Visibility
1 complaint
Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac System
1 complaint
Visibilitypower Window Devices And Controls
1 complaint
Visibilityrearview Mirrorsdevices
1 complaint