2013 RAM 1500 Complaints

The electronic power steering unit completely failed. The power steering system failure dash indicator appeared on the dash information screen. I parked the truck, turned it off, and after I restarted the truck, I no longer had power steering and the truck was nearly impossible to steer. The truck has approximately 171000 miles on the odometer. There are currently no recals. There does not appear to be any physical damage to the power steering unit. The truck is currently being diagnosed by the second mechanic at a Dodge dealership. The initial information from the first mechanic was that his scan tool, a Snap-On Zeus, could not find any specific error codes other than, "Could not communicate with electronic power steering system."

While I was driving my 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 at a low speed through a parking lot the power steering just went out. I have 90k miles on my vehicle and this should not be happening. I was in a parking lot full of parents and children walking to their cars and was turning when this happened. There was no warning and not light on my dashboard until after a few seconds of my power steering being out. After looking online I saw this was a common problem for Dodge. Dodge said they would put another dodge part in it to replace the EPS and I didnt want that so I took it to a private mechanic who fixed it....$3k to fix. This is ridiculous and should be covered by Dodge.

The electronic power steering abruptly failed while driving, because of this failure my safety as well as others safety was put in grave danger. I completely lost the ability to turn the steering wheel which led me to forcefully pull as far over on the freeway that I could to avoid having an accident. Truck was then towed to my home. I had no prior messages or alarms or check engine lights on and the truck had been running in top condition. Suddenly I heard a chime then the steering wheel got stiff and the the “service power steering” message showed on my cluster. The vehicle is available for any inspections needed and has not been repaired due to the cost. The power steering went out on April 9, 2025.

Forward: While pulling out of a mall parking lot my steering failed causing me to momentarily block traffic. There were no warning lights, messages or audible alarms at this time. I was able to safely pull back into the parking spot, turned the vehicle off and turned it back on. Power Steering was restored and no messages/alerts were present. I assumed at that time that maybe the steering wheel lock got hung up. When we got home and went to use the vehicle again the same thing happened except this time it didn’t correct itself and the flashing “Service Power Steering” light came on. The vehicle has not been driven since. After researching this situation I learned that this is a known issue that has not been resolved and I believe this to be a safety impacting defect. (1) Electronic Power Steering (EPS) failure. Vehicle is available for inspection. (2) Loss of vehicle control had the failure occurred on the open road could have led to a crash (3) We have not towed the vehicle to the dealership yet as we will be out of town for a couple of weeks (4) Vehicle has not been inspected by any party at this time (5) There were no warning lamps prior to this failure. After the second failure there is now a blinking “Service Power Steering” message but no fault codes Supplemental: we are the original owners of this vehicle and all maintenance to include known recalls have been kept up-to-date and the vehicle has been well maintained.

Electronic power steering intermittently fails while driving. This truck has had this issue for months, happens regularly once or twice a week or every 100 so miles. Two repair shops could not replicate the issues. And there is no codes on the scanner. After researching this seems to be a common concern and safety issue on this model/year of ram 1500.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle several times, the power steering became operable. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring an increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The service steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while reversing into the driveway at 10 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering inadvertently, and the steering became significantly difficult to turn. The contact's husband assisted the contact in reversing the vehicle into the driveway. The message "Power Steering Service" was displayed. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19E077000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

The front gas tank strap pulled out of its slot in the frame. The tank hung appx 4” off the ground, hitting the ground on the frost heaves. I was alerted by the driver behind me. Had I not been alerted, I may have punctured or wore a hole in the tank risking a fire from leaking fuel. I used ratchet straps to secure the tank. I had appx 10 miles on the vehicle since fill up. I contacted the local Dodge dealer in Berlin Vt on 3-7-2025 and am waiting for reply.

My 2013 ram 1500 has an electronic power steering system. That unit has completely failed and the steering is locked up. It can't be turned. I was backing out of my driveway when it happened. If I had been going down the road at 60mph someone would have been killed. The truck is unsafe and can't be driven. There is a warning lamp for a power steering issue. Dealer says I have to buy a new steering rack. And that part has been discontinued.