2013 Ram 1500 complaints

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 40-45 MPH, the traction control warning light and the brake warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that he continued driving until it was safe to pull over. The contact stated that he veered to the side of the road and read the Owner’s Manual. The contact then continued driving. The contact stated that the vehicle responded as needed upon depressing the brake pedal; however, he was concerned that the traction control failure could cause the vehicle to skid while slamming on the brake pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that the Adaptive Cruise Control mode was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and then to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that an unknown module needed to be replaced; however, the part was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that parts were not available. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. Additionally, the air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the seat needed to be removed to inspect the air bag sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000

On 26 July 2023 I was driving on the feeder road on west 610 south in Houston Texas. While making a left turn onto MLK Blvd my power steering quit in the middle of the turn. The service power steering light illuminated and the steering was very difficult. I was able to manhandle it back to the house but upon arrival it was almost impossible to get the truck into the driveway due to the steering being so hard. After finally getting into the driveway I turned the truck off and then on again and the steering seemed normal. I haven’t driven the truck sense. My current mileage is 70368. Luckily I wasn’t on the freeway when this occurred as this was during rush hour traffic. It was already bad enough that the he issue occurred at a traffic light with a dual left turn into three lanes. This is a major safety issue that CDJR should issue a recall for. I have read that there are thousands of other similar complaints for the same issue and was told by the dealer that the parts are on back order. The issue with the steering commands an immediate safety bulletin and a recall as it puts not only the driver and passengers at risk of serious injury or death, it also places the risks on the general public.

While driving the truck the power steering intermittently stops working. Sometimes by turning the truck off and back on it resets to start working again. When the power steering goes out it is nearly impossible to make a turn onto a road, etc. Turning a corner I nearly hit another vehicle head on when the power steering went out. Prior to failure there was no indication or notice it was going to stop working. Mechanic currently has the truck and just called to say it is a $3200 repair due to the module, pin, etc being bad. Parts are on back order, I’m assuming because it has been occurring with several of the RAM trucks. I reached out to the dealership and they informed me that there was currently no power steering recall.

Brake pedal will randomly have NO resistance and no brake activation, a quick second stroke usually gives full normal brakes with no fade or problems. Occasionally second and third stroke may not have brakes, but eventually come firm. I believe it's a power assist issue, several posts online referr to same issue.

Dealer confirmed faulty ABS unit module part #68210719AB on my 2013 Ram 1500 Big Horn. No antilock brake capability, no trailer brakes, no traction control and 4 dashboard warning lights on. Dealer went to order parts in April and FCA says it's on engineering hold until march 2024 at the earliest. I told FCA Ram Customer Care on multiple occasions that the truck in not useable and is a safety hazard. I contacted FCA in June and they wouldn't give me a case number and basically said it is what it is. Dealer can't do anything and has tried everything to find the part. I saw there was a class action lawsuit filed and multiple complaints about this very same issue, most notably with 2017-18 Ram 1500's but mine is a 2013 with same issues and same part #. I can't be expected to not have a vehicle for 11 months at best. Ram Customer care has not been helpful at all.

The electronic power steering suddenly stopped working while I was turning and I almost got in an accident, then the power steering suddenly came back again while I was turning and since it wasnt working I was having to use a lot of force to turn it so when it came back on the steering wheel turned very quickly and I ended up in the ditch. Luckily no one was hurt this could have been very bad. Yes it is available for inspection. The safety of a lot of people were at risk. This is a recall on other 2013-2015 Dodge Ram 1500's, ours however doesnt match the serial numbers of the recalled ones even though it is obviously affected by the same issue. The recall number is VB9/NHTSA 19E-077. The parts have been looked at by a mechanic and they are bad, and very expensive to replace. The electronic dash also stopped working before this so I dont know if there were any warning lights or anything before this happened.

I was driving and slowing down to 45 mph going through Corrigan, TX on 59. The truck all the sudden accelerated pulling to the left, then all of a sudden slammed to the right and went over a curb. I had no steering control and my foot was all the way down on the brakes to try and stop. I'm lucky it didn't happen 20 min before when 75mph was speed limit. The a frame broke, Ball joints, broke rack and pinion, cracked the weld that holds the a frame to the truck, and I'm not sure what else is broken yet. My rim and tire both need to be replaced. The aluminum broke straight across. This should not have happened and could have gotten me and others killed. I am getting the truck taken to dodge to find out what all broke and how much it is going to cost. I should not have to pay for this. This should never happen and it put me and everyone around me in danger. I am still a nervous wreck from this.

EPS (Power Steering Rack and Pinion) Driving on the interstate when my whole EPS (Power Steering System) failed at 75MPH. Never had had prior issues, No warning lights until after the system failed

The power steering failed

While driving local hiway at about 45mph, just as I was making a right turn the steering wheel locked up and had to strong arm the truck out of oncoming traffic. Got to the side of road, and noticed a "Service Steering" message on dash. Shut the vehicle off, rested 10 minutes and restarted without the concern. Continued on errands, and again without warning, the steering locked up and caused me to hit a curb with right front wheel. Had to drive this truck with manual steering back to my driveway. Dealer tech stated this is common, will cost approx. $3000 and the electronic rack is on back order!! WTF ????

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started to make an abnormal sound. The contact was able to park the vehicle at an independent mechanic however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the camshaft, rocker arm, the valves and both manifolds to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact took the vehicle to another independent mechanic and had the camshaft rocker arm, the valves, and both manifolds replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

Vehicle engine shuts off while driving especially on the freeway. There is some kind of problem with the lifters on this type of motor. Several people are having this problem.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and approaching an exit, the contact became aware that the steering had seized, and the vehicle became extremely difficult to control. The power steering fault warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the electronic steering module inside the steering gearbox. The vehicle unrepaired at the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.

Truck says service electric brake system.

Electronic power steering. My steering will go out while driving and I have to pull over, turn the truck off and turn it back on. The power steering will stop working without any notice and has almost cause FATAL accidents if I were not able to recover in time. Last time I brought the truck in to get looked at i was told nothing was wrong drive safe.... which is impossible now cause my power steering randomly fails on this truck. There is no warning or anything that pops up until it is too late. This happens at any time between 0-85 MPH and if im in a turn or going straight.

Power steering intermittently stops working when driving. Shut vehicle off and restart to get it working again.

While driving at approximately 40mph, the power steering system failed without warning causing the vehicle to cross a double line into the oncoming lane. The vehicle was very difficult to steer. The message "Service Power Steering" appeared on the dashboard. The vehicle has not yet been independently inspected, but an online search revealed hundreds of similar cases of the electronic rack and pinion system failing.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering, which caused her husband to almost crash into another vehicle. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering rack assembly needed to be replaced; however, the part for the repair was on backorder. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, who also confirmed the previous mechanic's diagnosis and that the part for the repair was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. The contact was able to shift to park and restart the vehicle and the vehicle operated as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 68,748. The contact stated that this failure has occurred several times but has only taken the vehicle to the dealership 5 times. No cause of the failure has been found due to the fact that the vehicle is not showing any codes. The manufacturer is requiring a second opinion from a different mechanic, but the contact has not received one yet.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer for an oil change and the mechanic was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was driven with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, he began to hear an abnormal sound. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

5.7L Engine failed due to lifter roller bearing disintegrating and filling the engine with debris. This seems to have been a known issue anf has been going on for a long time. This is a danger to passengers when engine fails. Also, cost me $8000 dollars to have a remanufactured engine installed. I don't know how manufactures can get away with this without any kind of compensation to the injured parties.

Electronic power steering stopped working making the vehicle impossible to steer. This appears to be a problem with a lot of these vehicles.

Was driving and noticed a rattling noise, arrived at work, myself and a co-worker, who also owns a Ram, looked under the truck and noticed that my bracket that holds my gas tank in place had broken loose from the frame, which it is supposed to be attached to(the actual bracket that is supposed to hold the support for the tank had rusted out, this has got to be a safety issue???

I parked at a house where I was doing a service call for a plumbing issue. The house has a 45 degree driveway. I killed the truck and I exited the vehicle and started my work inside. I needed my headlamp from the visor of the truck. I came out to the truck to get my headlamp. I put my right knee onto the driver seat and grabbed my headlamp. My elbow hit my shifter and my truck took off rolling backwards. I was able to get away from the truck, the truck jumped the curb across the street and came to a stop in an open grassy spot. I walked to the truck to see if I could tell what happened. The truck was not cranked at the time and I had the keys in my pocket. I tried to put the truck into park and couldn’t do so. I put the key into the ignition and turned the key so that I could put the truck into park and crank it. Couldn’t shift it up. I called my friend who is s master mechanic and he removed the steering wheel cover and pushed a yellow button down in which then he was able to shift it back into park. I drove the truck home which was very tough bc there was no longer any power steering. Very hard to do. I got the truck home and i haven’t used it because it no longer has assisted steering which was working fine before this happened.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. The contact then stated that the vehicle failed to deactivate from exit mode and the air suspension system compressor had frozen. Additionally, the contact stated that he waited for several minutes to start the vehicle. The contact also stated that after the vehicle was started, he was driving at an undisclosed speed however, the vehicle failed to switch from the exit mode causing the vehicle to drive lower to the ground than normal. The contact was concerned that the temperature below freezing would cause a failure with the air bag compressor. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the air suspension system needed to be replaced or replaced with springs as another option. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

Power steering (EPS failure) powersteering keeps going out randomly

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while parked, the radio and instrument panel failed to illuminate as designed. The contact stated that after inserting the ignition key into the ignition switch, the vehicle failed to start; however, the windshield wipers inadvertently activated. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V461000 (Equipment) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000.

The power steering system failed and malfunctioned resulting in the loss of all steering control. The safety of myself and drivers around me are put at risk as the vehicle is nearly impossible to control or turn without the power assistance. Thus is making any slight turns or changes will result in continuing forward without the ability to move out of the way or pull over to the curb. The vehicle was not inspected by the manufacturer, police, or dealer. It was inspected and reproduced at my local service station. There was no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. And it first appeared on March 16th, 2023. My truck has never had any major issues. While the truck is 10 years old, it has low mileage at just under 55k miles driven. Dodge RAM has an outstanding recall for this issue on several of their 1500 model, however I was informed today that this truck is not part of the recall. Researching online, I have found that this is a major problem for my model and that owners have to fork out an average of $2,500 for the repair. This is a major safety issue and should be included in the recall.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side suspension air bag had failed causing the rear passenger side of the vehicle to lean down and reducing the height of the vehicle. The contact also indicated that the failure had rendered the vehicle undrivable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the passenger’s side rear suspension and air suspension module. The vehicle was fixed but later reoccurred. The contact indicated that the vehicle had been serviced for the same failure on four separate occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,000.

I lost power steering while driving twice. Now, the power steering no longer works. When cranking the truck, you get service power steering message. Ram issued a recall for defective eps rack and pinion units. The serial number on my unit is TIC0583B5480, it is not one of the serial numbers included in the recall, but it has failed at 75,100 miles. I have not taken to the dealer because I am not going to pay them to tell me it's not in the recall and to tell me it has to be replaced at my expense.

Several times I came back to my truck and the locking tailgate was in the down position even though I had left it up and checked it. I was several miles back a dirt road on a secure base were nobody came near it. If this happens with a load or my trailer attached it could damage the gate or cause the load to fall out. I have inspected it but found no misalignment and this just started in 11-12/2022. The vehicle has only 15k miles on it and I’m the original owner. The truck is also a model with the Rambox sides so the tailgate is different to others. I heard that 2014 and up Rams had a recall and was wondering if the 13 should have been affected? Thanks,,

My power steering has become intermittent and sluggish then works great for some periods of time. I would like my vehicle added to the Safety Recall VB8 / NHTSA 19V-812 Electric Power Steering Gear.

Electronic Power Steering has intermittent failures without warning while driving. The truck is unsafe to drive. An independent service center has confirm confirmed the problem.

My power steering stopped working making the truck very difficult to steer. Luckily it happened upon cranking the engine after filling up at a gasoline station. There was no warning of any kind before the failure happened. Mileage on my 2013 Ram is 62,000 miles. If I would have been driving at a highway speed traveling into a curve it would have been very difficult to maintain control. My dealership has had my truck over 2 weeks waiting on a whole new power steering unit to come for them to install. No guarantee the part will be in by next week either. Cost will be approximately $2500.

The car is not breaking or driving and dangerous at times. Was taken to deer and the abs computer module was the issue. It’s been 4 months every abs module they’ve gotten from the company is programmed wrong. I went through 3. No parts are available nationwide. Hundreds if not thousands of dodge ram truck owners have the same parts issue the abs module stops working and cannot find another. Dodge has done nothing to address the situation the dealers are being forced to go on eBay and junkyards to get these modules - if dodge knows the part is breaking down in 70-80% of its cars after only 30-120k in miles have been put in they should have a recall and capability to manufacture said part.

The airbag light turns on and beeps. The truck is available for inspection. A dealership told us it was the sensors that have gone bad. It is odd that all the sensors would go bad all at one time. Concern is if there is an accident, the air bags will not go off as intended. There is also concern that the airbags could go off while driving. Also it is beeping often while driving and it is distracting. There are no other issues. But we see that there has been recalls in the past over airbag systems on this truck. We are very concerned since the truck carries very precious cargo.

January 22, 2023, When I cranked my 2013 Ram 1500 truck the Power Steering warning light came on and my steering wheel was locked. It would not turn left or right. I am so glad I was not on the road when this malfunction occurred. I checked all fuses associated with the power steering and all were good. After speaking with a mechanic the parts I need is not available until mid-February and cost expected above $2,000. This is not good. If the steering locked while I was driving no telling how many people could have been hurt or killed.

While driving my power steering all of a sudden went out due to the electric power steering. I was lucky I didn’t have a load and I was traveling alone. Other people may not be as lucky as me. I don’t want anyone else to experience that

The E.P.S (electric power steering) failed and cause the steering wheel to lock. This caused a safety issue as I was unable to steer. The vehicle had to be towed, taken to a local repair shop where ALL the electric components were tested (Battery, computer and wires) This seems to be a problem with Ram trucks as a replacement part is unavailable anywhere and over $1500. There was no warning of a problem and suddenly it failed which made it impossible to steer and dangerous. This failed component put my life and my family's life in jeopardy

Front fuel tank strap mount rusted through allowing strap to pull out and front of fuel tank to drop down. This is the same problem that happened on the same model pickups in year model 2008 - 2012. In my research up to this current point the situation on my vehicle is the same problem on the previous year models. I will be reaching out to a Dodge dealer to see what can be done about issue. I feel that your department should be researching this issue further because upon reading some forums, that this issue does appear on even newer year models.

FOUND THAT WHILE DRIVING THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WILL GO BLANK. ALL GUAGES DROP OUT. AS THIS HAPPENS THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL RUN. SOMETIMES LAST ONLY A FEW SECONDS. OTHER TIMES I HAVE TO RESTART THE TRUCK TO GET THE CLUSTER BACK.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the defroster was engaged but failed to respond or perform as designed. The contact rolled down the windows due to the loss of visibility of the roadway. Additionally, the vehicle lost heating system functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that he recalibrated the defroster actuator; however, the failure persisted, and the vehicle would only blow cold air. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V177000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 206,500.

Electronic Power Steering randomly goes in and out of power while in operation. A laughably minute amount of research revealed multiple others with identical issues with the same make/model vehicle.

Steering power assist failed, luckily in a parking lot. Steering warning light illuminated and there was no power assist. Obviously loss of power assist is a real danger to me and any vehicle or pedistrian nearby. Drove another 5 miles, with great steering difficulty, to an appointment. Shut vehicle off 45 minutes. When I restarted, steering warning light was off and steering worked normally. Have not been able to duplicate the problem. Current mileage is 64000

Rack opinion according to Dodge dealership mechanics need replacing. I was told by another professional mechanic that the sway bar and tire rods need to be replaced. Will you all please search for Recalls N complaints. I will have the racken opinion work done because of the Safety issues that are at hand. Also anticipating sway bar n tire rod and front end work to Ensure that we are safe in the vehicle. Thank you!Safety First!

Driving home from school and steering light came on and power steering stopped working ,nearly lost control,pulled over to check it out and didn’t see any problems,started truck back and was running fine , happened again a couple days later and took it to the dealership,, they said over 3000 dollars to fix,I could have been in a serious accident but there is no recall on this part ,ram needs to really do something about this before someone gets seriously injured or worse

I was driving on Monday Nov. 14th. and I was at a complete stop and started to turn left. As I was accelerating and turning left... the steering wheel locked up and I could not turn the wheel left or right. I got home safely, and I looked online and noticed there is a current recall identical or very similar to what happened to me. The Recall number is VB9

Gas tank front strap came out causing the tank to almost touch the ground. After looking into this further I saw serious corrosion in the main frame of the truck that caused the strap to fall off and release the gas tank. It appears this was recalled on this model and then switched to just the 08-2012 models.

While driving at hwy speed 55 mph, lost power steering. The dash board lit up saying service power steering and the truck was extremely difficult to control. No warning just happened. Had this happened before entering a curve or having to avoid an obstacle in the road would create a safety concern for my self and others. Truck is equipped with electronic power steering, and i beleave is what failed. I have an appointment to have it looked at.