2013 Ram 1500 complaints

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel seized. 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 vehicle responded as needed; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that parts were not available to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the service power steering warning illuminated, and the power steering function became inoperable. The contact pulled over and stopped the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the power steering functionality had returned. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred the same day and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the mechanic determined that the rack and pinion gears needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power steering assist while driving back to the house after work doing normal speed for the road leading there which is usually 35-60 mph. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn, requiring significant effort to maintain control of the vehicle. This occurred without warning and created a hazardous situation as the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The power steering system is available for inspection upon request. The problem has been consistently reproduced under varying driving conditions, -e.g. City streets, turning, etc. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure. I could have been seriously injured or injured another as well. I did contact the manufacturer and they stated that they do not make this part any longer laughed at me and said good luck. I felt silly and that was the last thing I needed that day after almost wrecking the vehicle due to this issue.

7/11/2024 Moving aprox 3 mph approaching a stop sign with slight right pressure on steering wheel the EPS failed. The steering seemed to “jerk” toward a center position. Service power steering light appeared on panel. I was able to continue home aprox two blocks but noticeable upper body strength required to move steering wheel. This will be a difficult situation for older. strength impaired drivers.

While driving home my truck started making an unusual sound like a dry bearing rubbing in a bearing would make, and I found it difficult to keep the steering wheel centered, a little further down the road I made a turn while doing so the steering wheel abruptly cut back the opposite direction of the turn yanking the wheel out of my hands no lights on the dash illuminated nor were there any warning chimes,I was able to make the last mile home by keeping both hands on the wheel firmly. Upon an inspection of the underside of my vehicle I found that the electric power assist system was making the loud sound that I thought was a bearing, I also noted that the front sway bar was broken on the passenger side was broken, I turned the the steering wheel to one side then the other and again the power steering yanked it from my hand, at this time I haven't taken it to a garage or called my insurance company,if I had been in traffic or congested area it would have caused an accident but as it was I was traveling a country road

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the contact became aware that the power steering was not functioning as designed. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn and seized and jerked. There was warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart but the failure recurred. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 208,908.

Electronic Power steering went out while driving the vehicle. Temporarily lost control while driving the vehicle. We took it to a dealer and they confirmed this is the same issue the previously recalled 2015-2016 trucks have and they cannot order the part needed to fix the issue as the part has been discontinued. The system says "national backorder with no ETA" however, the dealership said Dodge has discontinued the part entirely so they do not anticipate the part coming back and becoming available. There were NO prior warnings of any issues before losing control of the power steering. The truck has always had regular maintenance, oil changes etc. Very well maintained truck so this was unexpected. Now we are left with a truck that we cannot buy a part for with NO anticipated release date & Dodge still has not recalled the 2013 so there is nothing we can do. This is extremely dangerous to not recall as it will cause serious harm to future drivers with the same issue.

As I was driving suddenly the power steering emergency light came on on the dashboard and the steering wheel locked up creating a extremely dangerous condition. This all occurred without warning or any signs of a problem prior. My safety and others safety needless to say was in great danger.I called the dealership to ask if they had any incidents of this kind reported but they would not confirm... however a search on You tube and google verify many others have experienced this issue.

Malfunctioned ABS module. ABS , ESP, and trailer brake control not working. When ABS or ESP would be activated an error occurs and truck goes into neutral with neutral light blinking on shifter. ABS did not activate and almost hit a deer. ESP did not activate and almost spun into ditch. Working with dealer currently to confirm.

Power steering stopped working with no warning as the truck was being driven up a busy Highway at 65 MPH. Lost momentary control of the truck but was able to pull over and turn it off without incident. When it was restarted the engine light came on with an error message popping up. It was on a very busy highway but we were able to limp it home, going miles under the speed limit with emergency flashers on for safety. It is very hard to steer and the brakes do not seem to be working correctly now. After starting it again today to see if its still giving an error, another light is on regarding the ABS system and the power steering is not working at all. The truck is not safe to drive as and the problem has been confirmed by a local dealership and the truck is on a waiting list to see about further diagnostics & repairs. It is available for inspection at any time.

Power steering faild

Vehicle encountered sudden loss of power steering while driving, nearly resulting in a crash. Vehicle steering tends to lock in a drifting angle, and recovery often requires a turn in the opposite direction of the intended direction to correct.

Loss of power steering still continues. Replaced the intermittent lower steering shaft. Still losing power steering occasionally. Turning left or right the wheel will lock up half way through the turn making me drive straight into on coming traffic. Vary scary.

My vechile service airbag system light keep coming on when driving. I check my my storage memory on the cluster and there is nothing stored. I took it to auto zone where they hook up the computer and everything check out good. they said check to see if there a recall on it since everything check out and it is a saftely issue.

Was driving and the power steering stopped working out of nowhere. And an icon popped up on dash of a red steering wheel with exclamation point. Now sometimes it will work but 98% of the time it doesn’t

*Power Steering locked up and you cannot steer the vehicle. * The steering locked up and almost caused me to hit the guardrail at intersection. * Have replaced Rack and Pinion but still locks up. *No warning or messages and no previous warning.

Steering jerked while turning and needed extra strength to maintain control. This problem has happened multiple times in the last 24 hours. Upon looking at the nhtsa website I found an open investigation (RQ 23-003) and I feel like my truck would fall into the action/summary provided. I have been able to maintain control but there is no notice provided (that I have caught onto) and it is intermittent. The service power steering light does come on and very quickly turns off.

The electric power steering went out in oct 2023 and I have been driving this using manual steering since. The truck only had 35000 miles on it when the eps failed. This needs to be recalled since other ram trucks have reported the same failure.

ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVIING WITH WARNING. FAILED SYSTEM IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION ON VEHICLE DUE TO LACK OF RECALL FOR SPECIFIC VEHICLE. COMPONENT FAILED WHILE DRIVING SPEED LIMIT ON HIGHWAY CURVE ENDANGERING SELF AND OTHERS. PROBLEM HAS BEEN CONFIRMED HOWEVER RECALLS ARE NOT APPROPRIATED TO VEHICLE IN QUESTION. IT HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY MECHANIC SHOP WHO STATED DEALERSHIP MUST CORRECT. DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED RECALL INFORMATION. THE WARNING WAS NOT PRESENT AT TIME OF INCIDENT. THE WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH ONLY APPEARED AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON, MULTIPLE TIMES ON THE DAY AFTER THE INCIDENT.

Power steering went out but after restarting the vehicle a couple of time it worked for about an hour then completely stopped working.

No power steering suddenly. Checked fuses but those seem fine Unknown cause.

When the weather got sub 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the power steering went out completely, and then after warming up the truck came back on, but would rapidly jerk my wheel when steering for a while until it fully warmed up. Now its completely out with no signs of life. Ram will not service this part, only out right replace it, and you cant get the part anywhere. which is rediculous being that this power steering rack is in more then just the 2013 ram 1500.

Power steering failure. Upon starting the vehicle, a 2013 Ram 1500 Bighorn, driver information center showed a power steering failure warning indicator. Turning the vehicle off and back on did not clear the warning. No prior warnings existed to show the imminent failure of the power steering system. Took the vehicle in for service and was advised the part and labor would be around $5,500.00.

Unknown- The fuel tank strap came out of frame due to rust and now the fuel tank is sagging, we’re afraid to drive it anywhere especially with our children. We saw there’s a recall from 2009-2012 for the faulty fuel tank strap and ours is a 2013, we’re curious if ours was in the production line at the time of the faulty strap, is there anyway to find this out?

Electronic power steering went out, while driving, like driving a 80’s model. Wheel lock and had to man handle the steering. Hard to tell how much fluid there when the system is sealed

The power steering on my 2013 Ram truck went out - a warning light indicating power steering fault - service power steering. The vehicle was fine when parked in driveway & came out next day and power steering was gone. The vehicle was towed to a dealership and four days later we were told the fix would cost ~$3600 but the part required to fix it was on backorder and they had no idea how long it would take to get the part. Dealership suggested we contact FCA customer service to see if they would/could expedite shipping the part - I'm still waiting to hear back from them. The vehicle only has 44K miles on it - the truck has been sitting at the dealership for 3 weeks; no idea when they will be able to locate the part and when we will get our truck back. 44K miles and it is inoperable.

When turning will jerk the wheel out of your hands and return to straight

Electric Power steering failed during turn. Parked on side of road, turned truck off waited about 5 minutes and started truck, power steering was working but went back out after about 1 mile. After getting to work, I tried it again and power steering was working. Checked electrical system, battery and alternator are working correctly.

I lost power assist steering while pulling out of my doctor's parking lot yesterday. Fortunately I was able to get the pickup into an adjacent lot, but with much difficulty. I tried numerous times to turn truck off and back on but still no steering. I had a warning light flashing. I then disconnected the negative battery terminal and reconnected it. Warning light still flashed for a bit then went out and power steering worked. I called the dealer who I bought it from new in 2012. Red River Ram in Heber Springs, AR. I spoke with Shane, the service manager. He said they would not work on it because it is over 10 years old. I told him I was scared to drive it but he said he could not help. So I very cautiously drove home and parked. When I went to put the truck in to the garage again no power steering. The truck has had regular scheduled maintenance, stored inside, and only 104,000 miles.

ABS MODULE has gone bad. Only the dealer can replace it. This has been an issue for years with this part. My truck has only 80,000 miles on it. Talked with a fellow the other day and the same thing with his truck with only 40,000 miles.

Driving and steering wheel stopped functioning i almost wrecked. The electric steering failed suddenly.

Power Steering is faulty and is starting to work at times and not function at others. This causes unsafe driving conditions because you don't know when to apply more pressure to the steering wheel and when to apply less. In an emergency, could lead to drastic issues.

Failure of all steering wheel controls. with random cruise control suddenly activating ...transmission gear control self activation (will drop into lower gear causing driver to fly forward and vehicle behind to take evasive action). radio changes channels by itself. i found info that lead me to believe it was a clock spring issue. was taken to dealer. they diagnosed it as a steering wheel harness that had all the wires pulled out of the plug..800 to repair a 20 dollar wire harness... next drive after repair. buttons all worked again but radio still changing channels..cruise intermittent..gear dropping by itself still..almost rear ended again..back to dealer just to get told they could not do anything for a couple weeks..they are lucky this was not in inter on ice.... original symptoms could not change the display..stuck on tire pressure screen.. no phone control. no radio control. no cruise control , no gear shift control..but things would change on their own.. back at dealer again for further investigation

-Power steering has failed and truck is inoperable; no parts available for repair -Sudden loss of power steering in store parking lot, putting driver, passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians at risk of accident and injury -Yes, this problem has been evaluated and confirmed by a local independent service center -No, fortunately no accident occurred thus the need for police or insurance involvement was not necessary -No, there were no warning indicators prior to this occurrence. Now that the power steering has failed an indicator light now appears when vehicle is started While I understand there is currently no recall for this VIN, the power steering parts needed to fix this mechanical failure are unavailable due to a large recall covering other RAM1500 models for same issue thus I strongly feel our vehicle should also be included in this recall affected by the same failure. I appreciate your thorough review of this complaint and prompt consideration of my request to include this VIN in the recall. If I can answer questions or provide my vehicle for review, I welcome you to contact me. I have been without a vehicle for nearly 4 weeks which is putting a difficult transportation strain on me and my family.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a left turn, the vehicle began pulling in the opposite direction. Additionally, while in reverse(R), the steering wheel became extremely firm. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.

The Electronic power steering intermittently stops working making it very difficult to steer. The truck will run fine sometimes at first and then after driving a few miles it will pop up with service power steering and I loose power steering assist. Sometimes it will start with the light already on.

The electric power steering failed and loss power assist and then thankfully in a parking lot it completly locked up, no steering at all, if i was on the highway it would have been a bad crash,

My electric power steering will not work all the time. If i let the truck run for 30 minutes, shut the truck off then start it again it will start working. Sometimes it wont work at all.

After parking my truck for the night, the steering locked up. When I went to start it in the morning, the electric power steering did not work. The code it gave was C2217-00

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel seized and became inoperable. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and temporarily the vehicle worked as intended; however, the failure persisted. The Service Power Steering warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the parts to do the repair were not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 214,000.

The contact called on behalf of his daughter who owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V459000 (Air Bags) and was repaired under recall. The contact stated that after the recall repair, the Cruise Control would inadvertently activate or deactivate intermittently. The contact stated the remedy included tying and rerouting the wires so that other essential wiring could not disconnect and cause additional failures. The owner informed the contact that the speedometer failed intermittently, and the transmission failed to shift properly while driving. The contact stated that the failures had become more persistent over time. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness inside the steering wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

I own a 2013 Ram Sport with 69111 miles. My truck gets serviced regularly. I have not had any issues until I got in the truck on 16 May 2024. I started the truck to go to work and got the "service power steering" message and the indicator was on, steering wheel will not move. Had it towed to the dealer where they said my electronic power steering module is bad. Part is backordered by weeks, unable to tell when it will arrive.

The steering stopped working completely on my 2013 Ram 1500 as I was trying to back out of my driveway. I had it towed to be repaired and the entire steer gear assembly is no longer functional and needs replaced however the parts are discontinued and no longer available.

As I was driving my steering intermittently became stiff, then steered fine until I was able to get home. Next morning to leave for work the steering wheel and exclamation mark were flashing on my dash and no power steering and unable to drive my truck. After work I checked the electronic power steering fuses (good), electrical connectors to the electric rack and pinion (good), disconnected vehicle battery for 45 minutes to attempt to reset ECU and that did not help either. Definitely a major safety issue as I was in the middle of turning while driving and unable to at that moment before it intermittently corrected itself which almost caused me to run into a road sign and another vehicle.

Driving during rainstorm, car in front slowed down so I pressed brakes they locked up and I spun around. Abs light and traction light were on.

Reduced braking efficiency, loss of speedometer, loss of cruise control, brake light stays on when not depressing the pedal, electric power steering assist not functioning. Check engine light on, abs light on, traction control light on.

Power steering failure. Everything was working properly when parked. When started the next day, a steering wheel warning light flashed repeatedly and there is no power steering. Vehicle can be steered manually but is incredibly difficult. The vehicle has not been to a shop or the dealer yet.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while making a left turn, the steering wheel became extremely firm. The power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.

While driving, the SERVICE POWER STEERING warning light came on and I suddenly lost all power steering. I could barely turn the vehicle. Had there been other vehicles near me it could have caused an accident. Dodge said they can’t look at it for 5 days.

Electric Steering failed during normal driving conditions. Rendered vehicle unmanageable and extremely difficult to steer. After looking into the repairs there are NO parts available for replacement. This is unacceptable.