2013 Ram 1500 complaints

Power steering failure, known issue with stellantis, EPS. Failure to be able to control vehicle. Yes and independent service center confirmed malfunction and inspected by mechanic. No warning lamps or other messages appeared prior to failure.

The electric power steering (EPS) suddenly failed while driving. Loss of this system created an unsafe situation in which it was extremely difficult to hold the vehicle within the appropriate driving lanes and especially difficult to make any turns at intersections. The problem occurred on June 2, 2026, the failure was confirmed by an independent service center and the vehicle is currently at the center awaiting replacement of the entire EPS. A warning message was displayed immediately when the EPS failed by showing a red steering wheel followed by an exclamation point (!)

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her husband was at a stoplight, the fuel tank detached. The driver was able to reconnect the tank. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who confirmed there was no warranty coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Steering is loose and unresponsive at times. Just bought the 2013 truck, used, from a dealer. Dealer stated no issues, but discovered while driving it home on the highway. Feels very unsafe and by researching other complaints, with same make and model, it appears this is a serious issue replicated across many different owners, with similar make/model/year.

Unknown power steering just stopped working and vehichle wont drive

Turn on the vehicle went forward in the steering wheel was really hard to turn. It turns out it has something to do with an EPS malfunction.

The front gas tank stap bracket on the frame rusted through while driving. The gas tank was just inches from the road and the strap was rubbing against the driveshaft.

My electrical power steering on my 2013 Ram 1500 unexpectedly failed right around the 140,000-mile mark. Typically, when a part breaks on my vehicle, I notice some warning signs beforehand, like when I had to replace my fans; the truck gradually started to overheat, alerting me to take it into the shop. However, with the power steering issue, it occurred suddenly while I was driving on the highway. I turned off the truck and then restarted it, which made the power steering work again temporarily, but eventually, the problem became permanent after a couple of months.

Vehicle's Electronic Power Steering (EPS) fails when vehicle in operating and in motion. This failure is signaled by a sudden loss of power steering for necessary safe operation of the vehicle, especially if the vehicle is in a turning movement. Simultaneously, the warning light will appear on the instrument panel indicating the loss of EPS. If vehicle is turned off and restarted, the EPS is restored but may again suddenly fail without warning and is non-predictive. Request be made to NHTSA to mandate the manufacturer to repair this issue immediately, under recall guidelines, or compensate owners for the necessary repair and/or replacement of the defective part(s).

The vehicle experienced hard steering and intermittent loss of power steering assist while driving. The failed component was diagnosed by an independent repair facility as the electric power steering rack and pinion assembly and steering module. The repair shop replaced the rack and pinion assembly, reset steering codes, performed a wheel alignment, and road tested the vehicle. The steering failure created a safety concern because steering became difficult and required increased effort to control the vehicle, especially at lower speeds and during turning maneuvers. The condition was confirmed by an independent repair shop. The manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle. The removed component may no longer be available for inspection because the repair has already been completed. Prior to the repair, the vehicle experienced intermittent hard steering and/or loss of steering assist. No specific warning lamps or messages are recalled at this time. This vehicle is a 2013 Ram 1500 and experienced symptoms similar to known electric power steering issues affecting similar Ram 1500 vehicles, although this VIN was not included in the recall population.

Was driving on curves in country and steering went out totally light came on on dash made it home carefully and after an hour went back out totally start truck and light was out steering good. Started to drive to the store and again Steering went out. Parked it

Power steering failure

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. While the vehicle was being inspected, the contact was informed that the front fuel tank strap was fractured, and the fuel tank had started to detach. The brackets were rusted and dislocated. The local dealer was contacted, and informed that the contact that the warranty coverage had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

While attempting to park in a parking spot at Walmart, the truck just lost steering suddenly, as the steering warning light began to flashand would not budge. Luckily, we were not involved in an accident. This Ram 1500 has an electric power steering (EPS) rack failure, resulting in sudden, total steering loss. There is a steering warning indicator light that flashes while it is malfunctioning. This is a widespread common issues with these specific trucks that commonly cause the operator to lose steering control while driving.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was stiff and was difficult to turn in either direction. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with rack and pinion failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH and making a turn, the message "Service Power Steering" was displayed. The vehicle lost power steering functionality and the vehicle almost crashed into a school bus. The driver veered into a ditch to avoid the crash. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact was a master auto technician and diagnosed the vehicle. The contact determined that the power steering rack had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19E077000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 284,000.

Was driving on highway when my steering warning light came on and my steering wheel wouldn't turn at all. Took it in and found out need a new rack and pinion assembly.

My electrical power steering randomly went out while driving come to find out I have to replace rack and pinion as well since my steering is electric. I have been trying to find a remanufactured rack and pinion with electric power steering for 4 months and everywhere is out of stock and on back order I’m very disappointed in this safety issue considering I’m a single dad of 3 and the steering randomly went in and out almost causing me to wreck. Then on top of that I can’t even get the part I need this isn’t okay and needs to be addressed asap

Recently purchased the truck an warning light of low beam headlight out keeps coming on, but light is working fine, also horn and left controls on steering wheel dont work. Found There was a recall 15V459000 dealer said was completed in 2015 so is no longer warranty but the issue is happening now and it says it can cause a wire short that can cause airbag deployment

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The EPS message was displayed, and the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: RQ23003 (Steering). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the message “Power Steering Inoperable” was displayed. The steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was driven to a dealer at a very slow pace and was diagnosed with the electric power steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,000.

I have my vehicle at the dealership to check a ticking noise from the 5.7L engine in my truck. I was told that there are broken exhaust bolts causing the noise. I see online that this is a common issue and that there is a recall for this issue, but my vehicle is not included in the recall list. I feel that the recall should cover my vehicle as well. Since it is the same issue of the current recall.

The steering control power steering locked up while driving

Before a road trip, I noticed that my battery was low and the truck would not start. I jump-started the truck and began driving on the freeway. While driving, I suddenly felt a strong yank in the steering and received a notification to service the steering system. The yank was so severe that it nearly caused me to lose control of the truck and crash. It is alarming that this appears to be a known issue, as it puts families at serious risk. If it weren’t for my quick reaction, my 8-year-old child could have been seriously injured.

The MDS is wearing down the 6 lobe on the cam shaft due to changing from 6 to 8 cylinder this has to be a serious issue

Power steering went out. Started by stiffening when turning. Took to dealer, who said there was a recall. It turned out there was none. After that, the power steering quit, won’t turn. Service steering wheel light is on. Vehicle not drivable. Looking at a three to four thousand to get it fixed.

While driving, I had a complete loss of power steering in my 2013 Ram 1500. It was followed a few seconds later by a “service power steering” dash message.

While driving home from work on the interstate, the steering locked up and became stiff. The power steering light came on the dash. It was very scary as it was on a high speed interstate with no ability to control it. The safety of myself and others were at risk as I could no longer fully control the vehicle. It has not been taken to a dealer as of yet. The component has not been inspected as of yet. No warning lights were on prior to this incident.

The Electric Power Steering Pump has failed. The same problem has been confirmed by the dealer where I take my vehicle to get all its oil changes etc. While driving the truck the power steering will randomly stop working. This is a huge safety concern especially since the 3 times it has happen I have my wife and [XXX] old son in the vehicle with me. I am able to turn the vehicle off and then back on. And the power steering will start working again. Obviously you can see that this is a giant problem a safety concern. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 45-50 MPH, the steering wheel seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. After restarting the vehicle, the steering wheel unlocked for two seconds and then seized again. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,092.

Electric power steering rack failure while vehicle was in motion towing a vehicle on a car trailer approaching a bend in the road on a two lane black top at 60 mph. Without any prior warning the steering wheel jerked slightly power steering assist was 100% lost, a chime sounded and error message flashed on the driver information center “Steering Assist Warning”. The vehicle in this case has only 52,138 miles on it and has always been garage kept. The steering was heavier than an old overloaded grain truck and required all the strength of an adult male using both hands and arms to steer the vehicle. My wife or most people in general would have been unprepared or unable to maintain vehicle control. Unfortunately this is a know issue in the Ram 1500 community and for the most part has been ignored Ram/FCA/Stellantis and has not been aggressively and widely investigates/pursued by NHTSA. NHTSA, I beg you open an EA on this and properly address this situation before serious injuries occur or lives are lost. Please contact me if you need to inspect the steering rack or have questions. The problem appears to be in the EPS control module related to a build quality control issue with the EPS control module board.

Was driving down the road and the power steering just went out and almost wrecked. This is very dangerous. And I looked and seems to be a very common issue with this. This definitely needs to be investigated. It is not safe at all.

Electronic power steering (EPS) will fail when exposed to moisture. When EPS fails all power steering is lost resulting in extremely hard steering and possible loss of vehicle control.

I was driving down S. South Danville Rd. in Abilene, Texas, and it was raining and all of a sudden my steering wheel just jerks to the right and then my steering is now real hard to turn real hard to steer, and I almost crashed into another vehicle which would’ve not only hurt me but my daughter so I need to figure out what we need to do about this all of this happen without any type of warning

Dash light came on for ABS. Took my truck to a Dodge Dealership to be repaired plus other non urgent work to be done. On my way to taking it to the Dealership, I started experiencing issues with braking and right before I arrived, braking meant pushing the brake pedal all the way to the floor, it also felt delayed. While checking in my truck with the Service Department, they mentioned some Recalls that I needed done and they would take care of everything. Received a call later that everything was replaced except for ABS Control. They said they didn't have one and would search for it. Week went by, I called and they said it was back ordered with no ETA. It has been there since August 2025. My only vehicle. No warranty but I still owe 11k to the bank. I contacted Ram which sent me to contact Stellantis. Explained everything in hopes they would provide a loaner or rental. This is their response. I understand your frustration. The Stellantis rental reimbursement policy is a goodwill consideration. If the vehicle doesn't meet the guidelines the request is rejected. There is no exception, or appeal process. Let me know if you have any questions or further concerns. I replied, I am requesting exception review due to a manufacturer-controlled backorder of a safety-critical ABS component that has rendered the vehicle undrivable. This is the last communication I received which is from today 2/12. There is still no definite ETA for the part at this time, but our parts team is still work

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving out of a parking spot, the steering wheel inadvertently jerked to the center position on several occasions. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that when the vehicle was restarted, the steering wheel became very stiff. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the power steering unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Power steering went out when i try to turn on car I get a red steering wheel with “!” Signal next to it and I am unable to use steering wheel

1. The component that fails is the EPS System and yes it is available for inspection. 2. My safety was put as risk because the wheel would not turn while driving home and I was almost involved in a crash. 3. No, the problem has not been reproduced due to the wheel not turning efficiently and it happened for the first time today while driving. It has not been inspected 4. No it has not been inspected. The wheel will not turn efficiently. 5. The steering wheel warning lamp turned on suddenly when I went to turn into my neighborhood and could not turn the wheel. It was very scary and I could not make the turn.

A lot of the Ram and Dodge Vehicles are having the same problems and Stellantis has failed over and over to recall the item!!!! And has not!! did so I have a 2013 Ram 4x4 with only 90k miles on my truck this is the same problem I'm having Stellantis has issued several major recalls for vehicles experiencing simultaneous illumination of the ABS, brake, and traction control (ESC) lights. These issues typically stem from defective software or hardware within the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) control module. Major Recalls (2024–2026) Ram 1500 (2019, 2021–2024): Nearly 1.5 million trucks were recalled worldwide due to a software malfunction in the ABS control module that can inadvertently disable the Electronic Stability Control (ESC). Jeep Grand Cherokee & Dodge Durango (2018–2019): Approximately 207,000 SUVs were recalled because a brake control computer could falsely read brake pressure, disabling ABS/ESC and causing brake lights to stay on. All came on at the same time!!! Make them fix it!! Because it didn't show up on my VIN RECALL Not to even talk about the New fuel system I had to pay for at 30K I got my truck brand new!!!

Eps sudden failure on a busy road nearly causing an accident.

Front fuel strap on gas tank pulled out of the frame

The EPS (electronic power steering) has failed completely, making the pickup truck nearly impossible to steer at slower speed.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that upon coming to a complete stop at the red traffic light, there was an abnormally loud metallic sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact was able to drive to the residence and inspect the vehicle. The contact noticed that the fuel tank had detached and was hanging by the rear fuel tank strap. The failure was due to corrosion on the fuel tank frame bracket. Pictures were taken of the failure and sent to a friend who was a certified mechanic. The contact was informed to strap the fuel tank back into place. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a certified mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V160000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 184,000.

Sudden loss of powering steering

Service Power steering warning message popped up while driving and lost all control of steering in vehicle. Very dangerous situation while moving

According to Ferman Dodge of New Port Richey, Florida an electronic brake sensor is apparently an issue and my local dealer says they do not have a fix. Therefore, my cruise control, sway stability and my ABS brake lights are lit up all the time. Limiting the safety features of the vehicle.

To whom it may concern, I'm currently experiencing an intermittent flashing red steering column and exclamation point on my dash as well as the power steering disengaging, forcing me to manually wrestle with the steering wheel while trying to control the truck without crashing and potentially killing myself as well as others. I googled this issue and came across the instructions on how reset the EPS by resetting the system by turning the truck off, then back on and turning the steering wheel fully to the left and holding then to the right and holding. This was just a temporary fix until it happened again. Then I reached out to the dealership and they suggested that I reach out to Ram Customer Care. In the process I also found a FCA Equipment Safety Recall VB9/ NHTSA 19E-077 Electronic Power Steering Gear that covered my year and model truck. Ram Customer Care asked me for my VIN and the issue that I was experiencing but stated there were no recalls for my vehicle VIN. They also suggested that I reach out to NHTSA.GOV to file a complaint so that NHTSA can add my VIN to the above or any recall dealing with the EPS Rack & Pinion system so the dealership can fix this hazardous issue stated in any recall or lawsuit for the 2013-2019 Ram 1500 pickup trucks. I am requesting that my VIN be added to the above or any other recalls that are associated with safely operating my truck to protect myself and others while driving on our highways and byways.

The vehicle steering locked up doing 65 mph, this could have potentially caused an accident. It would not turn after several attempts. The power steering rack and pinion had malfunctioned after careful diagnosis.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the brake, ABS, and traction control warning lights illuminated and the message to "Service ABS" was displayed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control activated, the cruise control system failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS control module had internal electronic failures and produced DTC: C2200-49. The contact was informed that the ABS control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts being on back order. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the ABS warning light and the traction control warning light were illuminated. The “Service Now” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed that the ABS control module, Part Number: 68210719AB; needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the part being on back order. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the contact to get on a waiting list for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.