2013 Ram 1500 complaints

Power Steering not activating immediately at ignition start. It takes 2-3 minutes. It was a few seconds at first, now it has become longer.

Power steering light came on and power steering became inoperable.

POWER STEERING QUIT WORKING AND SOMETIMES WORKS INTERMINTENTLY. POWER STEERING QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN AND I HAD TO DRIVE THOUGH A FRONT YARD TO AVOID COLLISION. HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED, CAN NOT TAKE IT IN BECAUSE I NEED IT TO GET TO WORK. NO WARNING LIGHT PRIOR TO FAILURE, LIGHT COMES ON ONCE THE STEERING LOCKS UP.

LIGHTING ON INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER WORKS INTERMITENTLY. WHEN IT CUTS OUT, I CAN NOT SEE THE SPEED NOR ANY WARNING SIGNALS. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED.NO WARNING SIGNS BEFORE IT GOES BLANK.

Service power steering fault , power steering is intermittent and will throw a code and you will loss power steering until you reset ignition! Also exhaust manifold bolts seem to break alot

Broken exaust manifold bolts bringing exaust fumes into cab

Driving on interstate on vacation, we stop for gas and started engine no power steering. Cut off and restarted engine now I have power steering. Stop again to get gas start engine no power steering. Tried cutting off and restarted engine no power steering and still 2 weeks later no power steering and you can't drive this truck without power steering. Checked on getting it replaced and was told the part is on Nation wide backorder. So how is this going to be drivable? Called Ram dealer and they say no recall on this. So many ram trucks are having this issue. Ram should fix this deadly problem they created.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while reversing at 2 MPH, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering rack assembly needed to be replaced and reprogrammed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

The service power steering light appears often upon starting the truck and the steering wheel is locked. The power steering warning lamp comes on with no warning at all and the power steering locks up intermittently while driving or cornering. I have not had a dealership look it over. I just discovered this complaint form. My mechanic will take a look at it this coming weekend. Until then the truck isn't drivable and I am out of a vehicle. It is extremely dangerous and now costing me money in lost work.

Power steering went out thankfully I was pulling in my driveway during a heavy rain and it just went out completely

I believe the exhaust manifold is leaking as I can smell gas in the cabin and also truck makes a ticking sound that goes away after 30 seconds when it's warmed up. This seems to be a common issue with this type of truck and should be recalled.

EPS light is on electric power steering know as electric rack & pinion steering Code C2217-00 hard steering left & right in a parking lot

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist with the "Loss of Steering" message displayed. The contact shutoff and restarted the vehicle to correct the failure; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the steering gear was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 13,600.

All instruments and control of window wipers stopped responding to their switches. Wipers will not turn off, no horn, no working switches on steering wheel, communication to abs system, trailer brakes, data from abs not being received. Dash cluster flashes out for about 10 seconds while driving not knowing if the vehicle is still running while on the highway or freeway. Everything is pointing to the steering wheel clock spring. All replaced but still no controls or horn or ability to run vehicle safely on the roads. Will not pass inspection from this issue.

The vehicle rolls away while still in park and showing it’s in park. No one was in the vehicle. All passengers had exited and was in a building.

Power steering failed while driving

This is an issue I had with my electric power steering on my 2013 Ram 1500. I stopped at a gas station to fill up and when finished and cranked up my truck I had no power steering. The truck was very very difficult to steer on my way back home. If this would have happened while driving especially on a sharp curve I could have had an accident. The whole unit had to be replaced at the dealership for a cost of over $2000. There should have been a recall on this part with the manufacturer responsible for the repair cost.

Steering randomly stopped working upon cranking up. Dealership says codes lead to replacing rack/pinion for $4000. There is no seen damage & nothing leading up to this problem, so I wanted to make you aware since this topic is being investigated.

Power steering does not work below 50 degrees F.

The power steering suddenly stopped working. There was absolutely no warning prior to the incident. The part is still on my truck. I was pulling onto a major highway at the time and was just lucky there was no traffic anywhere near me or this could have caused a major wreck. If I turn the truck off and back on, the problem corrects itself, but it comes back. Sometimes after 30 secs or sometimes not until the next day, but it will always come back. I have not had it checked out yet.

My 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 suddenly lost all power steering on Saturday 8/12/23. There were no warning lights beforehand but in the moment it said "service power steering" on the dash. Luckily I was in a parking lot and able to go in reverse back into my spot. I then had my truck towed to my mechanic who said that everything was working perfectly when he arrived on Monday morning. Upon further inspection he said that there is an error with the electronic steering gear and that it would take approximately 10-12 weeks and upwards of $5,000 to fix. At this point, I took the truck back home because they said that it was working fine and it did work fine for one day until I tried to go to work this morning (8/16/23)and the same thing happened. Again, I was luckily still in the parking lot of my apartment complex so I was able to pull straight forward into another parking spot. Upon request, I would be happy to allow for inspection on my vehicle. It is certainly scary to think that the power steering could go out at any point while on the road. This is not like a typical power steering problem, I cannot turn the wheel at all even with high amount of force. I am hoping that this report helps others before someone gets hurt involving this problem. Thank you!

Light on dash comes on randomly saying that my gas cap isnt on all of the way, and everytime i check it, it will definitely be on and tightened.. it comes and goes at random… Also, if i hit 11.0 mpg average, then my ECO mode will shut off and causes my check engine light to come on, and then that wont go away and let me go into ECO mode again until i am back under 11.0 mpg average.

2013 RAM 1500 EXPERIENCED TOTAL AND COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING FUNCTION DRIVING IN TRAFFIC ALMOST CAUSING ACCIDENT. THIS MATCHES THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION RQ 23-003 AS OF 8/4/23 (Investigator: [XXX] ). THAT I FOUND ONLINE THIS MORNING. THE VEHICLE IS NOW AT THE LOCAL RAM DEALERSHIP IN MURFREESBORO, TN. TRUCK WAS TRAVELING AT APPROX 45 MPH GOING STRAIGHT WHEN THE STEERING LOSS OCCURRED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While traveling 70 mph down a straight highway my power steering jerked and became inoperable with no prior indications or warnings. The Service Power Steering indication came on afterwards. I was able to regain and maintain control with great physical exertion and difficulty. If my wife, daughter, or someone with a weaker stature was driving, the results could have been catastrophic. I checked all connections and fuses related to the electric power steering and everything appeared to be is good operating condition, indicating the likely culprit is an EPS module. The nature in which the EPS failed can and will cause serious injury and death if not resolved.

EPS stopped working. The truck has less than 40,000 miles on it.

Backing out of the driveway, the power steering light came on and the power steering completely stopped working. I checked the fuses and they were all functional. This morning, I read an article (published 6 days ago) that other 2013 RAM 1500s have experienced the same issue and that NHTSA is investigating. Please add my truck to the list of those experiencing this issue.

Loss of power steering, service power steering warning came on simultaneously. Warning went off and power steering was restored before being lost at a later date. At this time have not had a chance for mechanical evaluation.

My steering column locked up while leaving my driveway. And has not come unlocked since as of August 9th 2023. This had happened once before on the road. It was about three weeks prior I was driving in a 55 mph zone and was on a very gentle right curve and my steering wheel didn't want to turn I pulled a little harder on it and it popped loose and I didn't have any problems with it until the ninth.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The Electric Power Steering rack and pinion failed. The old part is not available for inspection now, it was scrapped after I order the new one and replaced it. I was driving home, fortunately near my house, at low speed when the steering became almost locked. I was alone in my car fortunately, but people around and other cars realized I got out of my way. Fortunately I was able to stop the car, and then try to turn the wheel (almost impossible) to get the car out of the way. The problem was confirmed by a technician using a scanner, visual inspection and other test. The old component was not inspected by any organization. There were no previous warnings to this situation, or other signs the could indicate this will happen. I noticed a recent investigation for this kind of damage in the RAM 1500, so I am writing to support in case there is a wrong doing by anyone.

The evic cluster that shows speed and other stuff blinks on and off constantly . I heard many people having this problem . It is very distracting to drive the truck with this blinking non stop it is a safety concern .

Power Steering went out on my teenager’s truck in July 2023. When the power steering went out it caused the truck to have about 40 errors pop up on the dash. I (his mom) had to drive his truck (he drove my car) till we were able to get it fixed 3 weeks later for $3,237.87 at the dealer. I am not strong. Driving a vehicle with no power steering is not safe for anyone. Turning is hard. You need more space to turn. These are things you don't normally have to teach teens to do when learning to drive.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. No warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the rack and pinion may need to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated driving 75 MPH and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality inadvertently and veered into another lane, nearly causing a crash. The message "Service Power Steering" was displayed. The contact pulled to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the message disappeared. Additionally, the power steering became operable, and the contact was able to continue driving. However, the contact stated that the failure had been recurring daily. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: RQ23003 (Steering). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

The electric power steering failed. The warning light and message to "service the steering unit" did not come on until the unit completely failed. At that point, the truck was impossible to control. I am lucky that I was not on a high speed highway when it happened.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40–45 MPH, the steering wheel became inoperable. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a right turn, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the electric power steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: RQ23003 (Steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

While driving the pickup the electronic power steering quit working leaving me with very hard steering. Luckily I was just driving around town and no one was around. As of now I have not taken it to be looked at. The service power steering indicator lamp is on and flashes every 10-20 seconds.

On 08/09/2023 1:15pm while driving 2013 Ram 1500 during heavy rains, power steering indicator light came on and steering wheel locked up. Was able to keep control of the truck enough to safely stop. The EPS (electronic power steering) rack and pinion failed. Will cost over $2k to repair. Parts are scarce.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The power steering system failed, as indicated by the locking up of the steering wheel and the power steering light that illuminated on the dashboard. The vehicle and its malfunctioned component are available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? While I was pulling up to a gas pump, the sudden locking up of the steering wheel prevented me from controlling the vehicle's direction. I almost drove straight into the gas pump, which could have caused a serious accident and posed a substantial risk to my safety and the safety of others around me. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, I have taken the vehicle to multiple shops. All have confirmed the issue with the power steering. They have also noted that the necessary parts to fix the problem are on back order. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? While the backstory doesn't specify if the vehicle was inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others, based on the information given, you can answer: No, the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others, but it has been examined by several independent service centers. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the probl

My family and I were on vacation last month then suddenly we did not have any control of the sterring wheel was very hard to turn the steering wheel. There was a lot of traffic on interstate hwy 35 at this time had no power steering took to a shop later that week code was C2217-00 Electrical Power Steering Module Internal Failure. This would have been catastrophic if an accident was to happen contacted Dodge they said no recall on this year for that specific code so I just found out that this is an ongoing failure with this item on this vehicle dose someone have to get injured before they do something about this.

Power steering would turn on and off while driving then after 1 day of this there was no power steering at all, no light on the dash until it fully went out, I can see recalls in the past over similar problems and when I called they said it was brought in for a software update and that's it, brought to my own shop and the repair will be a whole new rack, costly and dangerous. When the power steering would turn off and on while driving it would snap the steering wheel back to the center

Steering wheel failed to unlock when engine started. Warning lamp appeared, showing locked steering wheel. Transmission would go into gear, however steering wheel was very difficult to turn. I managed to get it to unlock by shutting the engine off and turning the wheel in both directions and starting the engine back on a few times. Dave's service center inspected my truck and stated the power steering unit was bad. They quoted that the replacement unit from the dealership cost $4072, however iy was out of stock with no timeline of when they would get one in. I spoke with Travis, at Travis auto repair and he stated they could get an after market unit for $1400.00. I have an appointment with them August 21st to get my truck repair. I was instructed not to drive it as the unit could fail at any time. This first happened on August 2nd and the 6th. The steering wheel currently will not unlock.

Total loss of power steering while driving. Impossible to steer truck when it happened almost causing collision. Costing thousands of dollars to repair with a rebuilt rack. Now the truck will not turn as far as it should resulting in failed steering alignments.

The power assist motor failed years ago. Dodge said it was outside the recall date. Just like all the other recalls. They said that my truck was outside the time.

Power steering service light came on one day out of no where. I thought it was a regular power steering pump did some research and it was electric saw where they could be a recall on it. Haven’t been able to drive it absolutely no power steering I was driving down the road and it kicked on about caused me to wreck at a intersection.

Power steering went out

The power steering stopped completely could not steer went shop they installed a new one for 3000. This this is the same issue that you are investigating on ram power steering 2013 2016

With no warning, the electric power steering just shuts off leaving you with an unsafe, sometimes impossible situation of getting the car pulled off the road.

Steering wheel locked up while driving without warning. The Electric power steering consists of the entire rack and pinion. Called every Ram dealer within 100 miles and no service or shop foreman’s have even heard of this. If you look at any ram forums, this is a common accurance with the same year and model.