2016 RAM 1500 Complaints

Turning left out of my neighborhood, the truck veered right instead. I lost control and ran up into a yard. Mechanic diagnosed rack and pinion. There is a recall but MOPAR States my VIN isn't affected. I beg to differ as we almost lost our lives.

I am submitting this report to bring attention to an ongoing issue with the power steering system in my truck, which appears to be under investigation. Notably, a similar problem led to a recall for the same vehicle in the previous year, prompting me to contribute additional information. The problem manifests as intermittent loss of power steering, resulting in increased steering difficulty while driving, accompanied by a power steering warning indicator on the instrument panel. This issue first occurred approximately 8 months ago, at intervals of about once a month, given my limited vehicle usage (estimated at 200-300 miles per occurrence). In the past two weeks, there have been 3-4 instances of this occurring. I turn the truck off and back on and everything works normally. Within the last week something new that presented is that when the wheel is turned sharp to the left or right, the steering wheel would violently jump back the opposite direction. I am willing to make the vehicle available for inspection upon request. While the safety risks associated with this malfunction are numerous, the primary concern is the potential loss of steering ability at any speed, posing a significant risk of accidents resulting in severe injury or death. I have not sought professional servicing for the vehicle due to the intermittent nature of the problem, and as of now, the affected component has not undergone inspection. As previously noted above the power steering warning indicator consistently displays on my instrument panel during these occurrences until the truck is turned off and then back on. This occurs at any speed.

Starting in late winter of 2021, I began to experience several momentary instances of loss of power steering and steering fault messages in the cluster, the steering wheel was nearly impossible to move. In January of 2022, I brought the vehicle to Chrysler/Ram dealership for service of the intermittent power steering. At that time my 2016 Ram 1500 Crew Cab 4x2 had 17,000 miles of use. Dealership stated the fault was a dirty EPS connection. After service, the vehicle operated normally until nearly one year later(January 2023) when the power steering completely failed(steering fault warning on cluster) while on the interstate sixty miles from home. It was dark and raining that evening and I was forced to wrestle the vehicle home as I had no means of calling for help. It was stressful and incredibly unsafe. The first appointment available on January of 2023, I returned my truck to a Chrysler/Ram dealership for service. The dealership service department indicated that only a complete replacement of the EPS module/rack and pinion steering assembly would correct the issue. I addressed the 2016 steering recall for Ram 1500s several times with the service department , but was told that the recall did not affect my truck nor was it related to my current problem with the truck. At this time my 2016 Ram 1500 had only 20820 miles.

ABS Service light is on. Brake light also comes on periodically. Replacement part is unavailable. I have been to multiple service locations to have the issue resolved. At this point I'm told by the Dodge Dealer Service people that they cannot order the part until March 20....On top of that the part repair is over $3000. This: 1) is a common problem with Dodge RAMS and many others from what I've discovered in my research 2) Is a safety issue that is not being properly addressed and escalated. 3) Should not be a short supply part if it's a safety component 4) Needs immediate attention by Dodge

Abs/Hcu are faulty causing abs and traction control systems to not function causing hazardous conditions while driving

I am very angry that the drivers seat belt on my Dodge Ram Hemi 2016 is NOT working properly. I bought the truck used in the fall of 2016 and I & my family have been the only drivers since then. The truck only has 92,235 miles on it & has NOT been used for towing, work nor has it been in an accident. I use it to do my grocery shopping. In 2023 November, the drivers side seat belt quit locking in place when used & it won't retract. If I have an accident I will go through the windshield. The truck is NOT safe for me to drive and the issue with the seat belt is mechanical. I am getting all sorts of pushback from the customer service of Stellantis, Chrysler, FCA US, Dodge Ram, & Mopar representatives. The response is utterly inappropriate - THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND FOR A TRUCK THAT HAS SO LITTLE MILEAGE ON IT, THEY NEED TO FIX THE SEAT BELT ISSUE IMMEDIATELY - AND THEY WON'T. Mopar seat belts have a reputation for the tensioner & springs to deteriorate w/o any abuse or misuse by the vehicle owner. "The truck has too many miles on it or it's more than 3 years old." To replace the seat belt with a Mopar seat belt will cost me over $900. I have done nothing wrong with the truck and yet Stellantis et al are trying to require me to pay for replacement. Yes I had the seat belt evaluated by a Certified Mechanic just not at the local dealership. I was also informed that this type of issue is typical as well as the response. TO HAVE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF AND YET YOU REFUSE TO RECTIFY IS SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE. I need the NHTSA to start looking at this issue. There are innumerable instances of truck owners OR Dodge owners getting stuck with the same type of situation that I'm in all over the internet. PLEASE HELP ME. Best Regards, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the steering wheel spun in a circular motion and seized. The steering wheel warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The failure persisted and became more frequent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,800.

My ABS control module is defective, no replacement parts are available. Antilock braking and traction control does not work. Warning lights are on, malfunction confirmed by independent repair shop.

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the front driver's side seat belt malfunctioned and did not properly retract, and the locking mechanism would not click and properly lock to secure the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 91,500.

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.