2016 RAM 1500 Steering Problems
286 NHTSA complaints on file
All Steering Complaints — Page 3
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering intermittently malfunctioned, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Lost steering will not turn it due to the defect electrical unit
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and turning, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving and turning. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 331,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle the power steering assist had malfunctioned and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. After restarting the vehicle the failure had self-corrected but later reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the Steering Rack and Pinion were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000(Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 50,000.
While driving, dash board alert notice of shifter requiring service appeared. Message states not to take gear out of "D" until reaching desired location or may not be able to use "D" again. Later Engine, power steering, air suspension, anti skid alerts began to appear is sequence. Cruise control and other electrical feature will not work during alert. Last anywhere between 5 and 30 or more minutes. Happened 2 days ago while on vacation road trip to Gulf. In Gulf shores now. Now I get an email from dealer about purchasing car insurance repair plan. Seems odd on the timing. Please help. Vehicle will restart and go into gears. Power steering may not work for up to five minutes. Have to stop and restart. Sporadic operation. Suspect tactics by dealer repair database to get customers to buy repair insurance or get vehicle into shop/trade for new vehicle. Please help. Do...
Intermittent and random loss of electric power steering. Fuse coming off of positive battery terminal for power steering is good, and when power steering is working it functions without issue. Without sign or warning service power steering icon will flash on the dash, resulting in complete loss of power steering. This has been happening for 3 days now, and the power steering system has come back and gone back down countless times at random.
2016 Ram 1500 sports with 68k miles power steering failed randomly after never having problem. Was out on a fishing trip in Alaska and was packing up to leave and started the truck and the service power steering come on!Tried turning vehicle off and on but nothing worked and I didn’t have good service so it took me a while to contact family! I’m aware of a previous recall for this model/year but to be at 68k miles and leaving me stranded is terrible will be contacting dealership soon
my 2016 ram 1500 lost power to power steering while driving never regained power back it has been in the shop since may 15 the power steering box has a recall i keep fighting with the dealership i’ve had to pay for rentals since may 22 the part is on back order from mopar makes you wonder why should i have to pay 5k out of pocket for a recall that should be repaired
The contact's husband owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at slow speeds, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist while making a turn. The contact stated that the steering shaft and shaft pinch bolt had previously been replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the steering shaft and shaft pinch bolt were replaced a second time. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
I was driving truck to doctors office and the steering wheel would not turn , I slammed the brakes and barely missed a disabled women in the parking lot. A red light started flashing on the dash saying service power steering. Towed to mechanic with scan tool and said it needs a complete power steering rack. The truck only has 37,181 miles on it and is garaged since I had it. The dealer quoted 3400 dollars for repair. Called Chrysler customer service, and they said normal wear and tear. I told them I almost ran over someone and they didn't seem to care.
While driving my 2016 Dodge RAM 1500 at between 25 and 30 MPH on the street behind [XXX] my steeling wheel locked up - or loss of power steering could not turn the vehicle to the left or right. Also a large emergency light and what looked to be like a steering wheel light flashed on my dash. I stopped turned off the truck where I was and turned on the emergency flashers. Uncertain of what happened I got out of the vehicle to see if something was leaking or if I might have lost a belt. Seeing no issues i got back into the truck and started it again. The steering returned so I drove straight home. I contacted the local Ram dealer service department and they had not heard of this issue. So i google it and found that this was an issue with the 2015 2016 1500...
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact forcefully steered the steering wheel, and the vehicle regained power steering functionality shortly afterward. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving and occurred increasingly while driving at slow speeds. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
My electric power steering quits all of the sudden while I'm driving. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This is a big concern for me considering I have a wife and child who drive with a lot.
1. The vehicle has steering issues and is no longer drive able. Steering difficulty began in mid to late August 2023. The steering is now impossible to use and vehicle to l is rendered inoperable. 2. Since purchasing the vehicle I have noticed the transmission is having issues shifting gears. The rpm will be high at speeds of 40-60mph, and the vehicle will only shift to a different gear if I take my foot off the gas pedal for an extended period of time. I had auto mechanic troubleshoot and repair what he thought was a dirty or faulty sensor. Issue continues.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the steering wheel had become very difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Initially while driving the steering wheel would intermittently become stiff. Noticed some difficulty backing into the carport. Yesterday, while driving, the steering wheel became stiff. When going around curves the vehicle would veer off road or into the oncoming lane. Making turns left or right was extremely difficult as there was no steering assist. NHTSA knew about the problem back in 2016, why not inspect all potential threats to life; not just 440 vehicles when a safety risk was known to exist? NHTSA Recall No. : 16V-1
Losing power steering when I'm driving.
EPS or Universal intermediate steering shaft related issue. Hard steering past 20deg
When driving and making turns, steering wheel will lock up and sometimes try and jerk the in the opposite direction as if to try and straighten itself. “Service Power Steering” warning will pop up on screen for a brief moment and go away. This problem has almost become predictable, happening with a harder turn or when at speed. Never happens when sitting still, rolling steering wheel back and forth. And it happens every day, not just a single incident.
The power steering completely stopped working. I originally noticed it was acting differently a few days prior. At that point, it was still working but, steering was ackward. The best way I can think of to describe it, is the steering wheel moved in the positions of seconds on a clock. Similar to a stepper motor. Luckily I was not driving when the complete failure happened. There would be no way to steer effectively. Today I went out for lunch, and the steering was locked up. When I tried to turn the wheel a load buzzing noise seemed to be coming from behind the steering wheel. It is currently at an auto shop but, I may move it to a dodge dealer to have a record of the problem, being there is an ongoing investigation with the NHTSA. The service power steering warning light came on after the total failure....
The electronic power steering (EPS) module failed and the vehicle lost all power steering making it unsafe to drive the vehicle. The issue was confirmed after being brought to a Ram dealership to be inspected, the inspection for the vehicle confirmed an "Active" code for C2217. I was told by the dealership that the EPS Module had failed and needed to be replaced, and that the ENTIRE Rack and Pinion MUST be replaced.
Power Steering System Failure Complete Engine Failure Complete Lack of Power Check Engine Light came on March 19, 2024 and the Engine failed within 5 min of it coming on.
While driving at approximately 35 mph, the electric steering just quit working. There was a message on the dashboard that said something like "power steering fault, service needed" I was able to steer the truck with extreme difficulty into a parking lot. Called a tow truck which took 2 hours to arrive. At the time the truck arrived the power steering started functioning again. I had tried starting up the truck multiple times before the tow truck arrived with no luck in getting the electric steering working again. It just magically "fixed" itself. I feel I can't let my wife drive the truck since there would be no way she would have the strength to steer it should the truck loose steering again.
The power steering suddenly and entirely ceased to function with no prior warning whatsoever. Prior to that sudden failure there had never been anything wrong with the power steering or the steering function itself. There were no prior warning lights to the failure. Luckily the failure occurred while pulling out of a parking space at 1 mile per hour. The vehicle could then be steered only with great effort. We had the car towed to a dodge dealer and they said the rack and pinion unit needed replacement. I read online that the NHTSA opened on August 4, 2023 an investigation RQ 23-003 into this exact problem that I experienced. This ODI Resume/Investigation report indicates that this sudden or intermittent power steering failure applies to approximately 1.1 million vehicles of 2013-2016 Ram 1500s.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that upon the start of the vehicle, the steering wheel independently steered to the left and seized in place. The contact stated that steering wheel icon started to flash on the instrument panel with the "Power Steering Service" and "Service Power Steering" messages displayed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The dealer determined that the Electric Power Steering (EPS) control circuit board had caused a short which resulted in the loss of power steering assist. The contact was then notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering) however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 130,900.
Turning left out of my neighborhood, the truck veered right instead. I lost control and ran up into a yard. Mechanic diagnosed rack and pinion. There is a recall but MOPAR States my VIN isn't affected. I beg to differ as we almost lost our lives.
I am submitting this report to bring attention to an ongoing issue with the power steering system in my truck, which appears to be under investigation. Notably, a similar problem led to a recall for the same vehicle in the previous year, prompting me to contribute additional information. The problem manifests as intermittent loss of power steering, resulting in increased steering difficulty while driving, accompanied by a power steering warning indicator on the instrument panel. This issue first occurred approximately 8 months ago, at intervals of about once a month, given my limited vehicle usage (estimated at 200-300 miles per occurrence). In the past two weeks, there have been 3-4 instances of this occurring. I turn the truck off and back on and everything works normally. Within the last week something new that presented is that when the wheel is turned sharp to the left or right, the steering wheel...
Starting in late winter of 2021, I began to experience several momentary instances of loss of power steering and steering fault messages in the cluster, the steering wheel was nearly impossible to move. In January of 2022, I brought the vehicle to Chrysler/Ram dealership for service of the intermittent power steering. At that time my 2016 Ram 1500 Crew Cab 4x2 had 17,000 miles of use. Dealership stated the fault was a dirty EPS connection. After service, the vehicle operated normally until nearly one year later(January 2023) when the power steering completely failed(steering fault warning on cluster) while on the interstate sixty miles from home. It was dark and raining that evening and I was forced to wrestle the vehicle home as I had no means of calling for help. It was stressful and incredibly unsafe. The first appointment available on January of 2023, I returned my truck to a...
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the steering wheel spun in a circular motion and seized. The steering wheel warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The failure persisted and became more frequent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,800.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.
The power steering shuts off randomly.
Power steering is going out.
I will be driving and all of a sudden my steering gets really hard. Then it’s good for a little bit and does it again
2016 Ram 1500 steering failure. When my truck had around 50,000 miles, the steering wheel became near impossible to turn. Vehicle was towed to Dodge Dealership and was still under warranty and was told it was the steering box that failed. Repair was made by dealership. Truck now has around 130,000, and today, luckily while pulling into work, steering wheel locked up again while driving it and the service power steering lights started flashing. This is the 2nd time the steering in my vehicle has failed.
While driving on a highway my power steering stopped working. There is a recall for 2015-2016 Ram 1500 for power steering failure. The recall states, vehicles manufactured in January of 2015 through September of 2015 may be effected. This truck was manufactured in September of 2015. Manufacture says this is not there problem. The fact this vehicle has no power steering greatly increases the risk of myself, my family and of every other motorist on the road, especially during snowing and icy months.
My truck has the electronic steering with just over 130k miles, for some reason the electronic steering will just stop working, but no warning lights come on to the dash. When I take it to have it check it works fine. Then it will quit working again. I've read where thier is a recall on them but the dodge dealership says my truck isn't one of them.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving in a parking lot, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving while the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the Chevrolet dealer it was purchased from. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer, Crystal Lake Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (5404 S Illinois Rte 31, Crystal Lake, IL 60012), and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Intermittent loss of powersteering around turns almost causing vehicle to go off road or head on into oncoming traffic
The steering in the truck has gotten a lot more difficult all of a sudden. It is still drivable for now but some turns require additional force. This just happened and as such has not been taken to a garage or dealership. I have contacted FCA to see if the repairs may be covered under the recall for the EPS module if that is what this turns out to be. There were no warning lamps etc. It just got a lot harder to turn yesterday (06/02/2024)
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated the instrument cluster lights were intermittently dim and bright while driving, and the cabin light was inoperable. The contact stated while reversing into a parking spot, the message "Power Steering Failure" was displayed, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where the power steering became functional. Additionally, the contact stated that while making a left turn to park the vehicle, the steering wheel jerked and pulled to the right. The contact was able to pull into the parking spot. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned off the instrument cluster lights were illuminated and the RPMs revved up. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure...
POWER STEERING FAILURE THIS TRUCK I BELIEVE WAS MANUFACTURED 12/2015 AND I DO NOT BELIEVE IT WAS RECALLED ORIGINALLY FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT IT HAS FAILED
Several days ago, I started to notice on my 2016 Dodge Ram 1500 (Outdoorsman edition - 5.7L Hemi V8 Engine) that my power steering is working intermittently. At first I thought I was hitting potholes or bumps in the road when turning, but the problem is getting progressively worse. My wife was very scared last night 2/1/2024 when driving the truck because she stated she was having a hard time steering. Driving the truck this morning, I noticed again and more frequently, that the power steering on the truck is working intermittently. Of course, I did what we all do, I Google searched this issue, and saw the NHTSA was doing an investigation on these issues for the 2016 series of Ram trucks, so I thought I would report this issue with my truck to the agency. The truck routinely visits automotive shops and service stations, and nobody has stated...
Power Steering suddenly partially went out while driving.
Power steering went out at highway speeds. Truck was almost impossible to steer. Not yet currently at shop as of 1/25/24 Message said to service power steering immediately.
The below issue is my 2016’s problem, only thing is my truck has a build date of 5/2016. I’ve replaced this two times already, “it’s very expensive” to which I now have a fractured one yet again. I NEED A PERMANENT FIX FOR THIS ISSUE PLEASE. It’s my daily driver, hwy driven. ********Below recall noted******** ***16V-301 / S32 Recall Summary The front axle half shafts may fracture and separate from the vehicle. Dealers will replace both front half shafts free of charge to resolve the concern. Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2016 RAM 1500 trucks manufactured February 19, 2016, to March 3, 2016.
I have had 3 incidents with lose of power steering in the last two months
Power steering has become very stiff when turning while in motion, almost impossible to turn steering wheel when parked. Vehicle is parked due to safety and long wait for repair from Dodge dealer. Pickup is sole vehicle for household, rental not covered by dealership or insurance until deemed undrivable by dealer (per both dealer and insurance company).
My electric power steering keeps going in and out of not working. Does not matter speed one minute it will be extremely stiff and next just fine. I noticed there is a recall for this type of vehicle and issue and my truck was manufactured in August of 2015 which is in the timeline of the recall.
My 2016 RAM 1500 has been experiencing intermittent electric power steering. system failures, causing vehicle control failure when I try to turn left or right. When I disconnect the car battery, the electric power steering system temporarily works again, but then shows the same symptoms again. I haven't had any accidents with the vehicle, but I've been avoiding taking long trips due to the insecurity of the malfunction of the electric power steering.
Electric power steering assist failure periodically. Steering hard to turn at times regardless of speed. Issues come and go without warning. No failure lamps or MIL light. Dodge dealer has NOT been informed as of yet. Failure started on October of 2023. During failure charging voltage drops as well.
Other 2016 RAM 1500 Problem Areas
Engine
281 complaints
Service Brakes
206 complaints
Power Train
197 complaints
Fuelpropulsion System
180 complaints
Electrical System
172 complaints
Unknown Or Other
121 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control
96 complaints
Fuel System Diesel
77 complaints
Suspension
63 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling
51 complaints
Air Bags
46 complaints
Structurebody
30 complaints
Exterior Lighting
17 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulic
16 complaints
Seat Belts
12 complaints
Wheels
12 complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control
10 complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking
10 complaints
Latcheslockslinkages
8 complaints
Electronic Stability Control Esc
7 complaints
Fuel System Gasoline
5 complaints
Visibilitywiper
5 complaints
Service Brakes Airantilockabs Warning Light
4 complaints
Tires
4 complaints
Latcheslockslinkagestailgatelatch
3 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulicantilocktraction Controlelectronic Limited Slipabs Warning Light
3 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulicantilocktraction Controlelectronic Limited Slipcontrol Unitmodule
3 complaints
Tirespressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
3 complaints
Vehicle Speed Controlcruise Control
3 complaints
Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust System
2 complaints
Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systememission Control
2 complaints
Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systemmanifoldheadermufflertail Pipe
2 complaints
Equipment
2 complaints
Fuel System Dieseldeliveryfuel Pump
2 complaints
Fuel System Otherdeliveryfuel Pump
2 complaints
Seats
2 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulicantilocktraction Controlelectronic Limited Slip
2 complaints
Structure
2 complaints
Structurebodytailgate
2 complaints
Back Over Prevention Sensing System Camera
1 complaint
Back Over Prevention Warnings
1 complaint
Electrical System Integrated Trailer Brake Control
1 complaint
Electrical System12v24v48v Battery
1 complaint
Electrical Systeminstrument Panelfuel Gauge
1 complaint
Electrical Systeminstrument Panelspeedometerodometer
1 complaint
Electrical Systemsoftware
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingengine
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systememission Controlgas Recirculation Valve Egr Valve
1 complaint
Exterior Lightingheadlights
1 complaint
Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryfuel Pump
1 complaint
Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryhoses Linespiping And Fittings
1 complaint
Fuel System Otherfuel Filter
1 complaint
Parking Brake
1 complaint
Power Trainautomatic Transmissioncontrol Module Tcmpcmtecm
1 complaint
Seat Beltsfront
1 complaint
Service Brakes Airantilockcontrol Unitmodule
1 complaint
Steeringelectric Power Assist System
1 complaint
Structurebodydoorhinge And Attachments
1 complaint
Suspensionfrontspringsair Suspension System
1 complaint
Suspensionrearaxlespindle
1 complaint
Tiressidewall
1 complaint
Traction Control System
1 complaint
Vehicle Speed Controlthrottle
1 complaint
Visibilitysunmoon Roof Assembly
1 complaint
Wheelslugsnutsboltsstuds
1 complaint