2013 RAM 1500 Steering Problems

1. Electric Power steering Rack and Pinion assermbly quit working. Turning into my drive way to park and the power steering completely quit working causing me to almost run into the side of our new ( 1 month 2026 KIA ) before I could get my 2013 1500 stopped. 2.Yes it is avaible for inspection. 3. I have not taken it to anyone, I have been a mechanic in the military and work for serveral auto dealerships ( 76 years old now ). 4. Service Electric Power Steering warnng light came on same time the power steering quit working only for a second then went off, now warning light comes on with key in run position briefly but goes out and when the engine is running I get no warning light.

NHTSA ID

11765119

Incident

Sep 9, 2026

We were going to the beach a couple of days ago. While I was driving down the highway the power steering went out. All of a sudden I had no control over the steering. I was fortunate enough that the person on the right side of me was alert enough to recognize that something wrong was happening as I quickly veered into his lane. I was able to slow down enough and fight the wheel for control and get it parked on the medium. If he wouldn't have been alert this could have had some bad results. He pulled over and checked on us. Ensured we had a phone. The truck is available for a inspection. The truck is a 2013 but it has been pampered taken care of. Milage is only 47,510 miles. If the miles of the truck truly represented the age. 13 years old but it's well under 50,000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11765079

Incident

Sep 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that one of the brake calipers was locking up, causing the vehicle to veer from side to side while accelerating. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where a technician diagnosed the vehicle with a seized brake caliper. The service center confirmed the failure. Due to the constant dragging, the brake pads became excessively worn and failed to perform as needed. The brake parts were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact was able to control the vehicle; however, the steering wheel was firmer than normal.

NHTSA ID

11764976

Incident

Sep 17, 2026

Intermittent loss of power stering

NHTSA ID

11763193

Incident

Aug 28, 2026

While making a left turn the steering wheel jerked slightly and vehicle suddenly became difficult to steer. Noted a red flashing steering wheel icon with a red flashing exclamation mark icon on the instrument panel. An accident was narrowly avoided only due to the strength of the driver to manually turn the vehicle sufficiently to avoid collision. Mechanic diagnosis is that the Electronic Steering Assist Motor or Module in the EPS Rack and Pinion assembly had failed. Vehicle has not been repaired as of yet.

NHTSA ID

11763141

Incident

Sep 8, 2026

No warnings for power steering going out it just completely went out.

NHTSA ID

11762999

Incident

Sep 1, 2026

Started vehicle, drove about 400 meters and the power steering went out while making a left turn. More than went out, as it felt like it actively fought me. I've driven vehicles without P/S before, and this was significantly worse. It almost caused me to overrun the turn and collide with an embankment. I restarted the vehicle after a bit, and the power steering worked fine again for about 400 meters, whereupon it failed once more with similar symptoms. I can feel the steering wheel actively trying to work back the other direction when turning. It seems to be actively trying to return to straight status. I received a warning on the cluster about servicing power steering during both incidents. This warning cleared on startup.

NHTSA ID

11762712

Incident

Sep 8, 2026

Lost all power steering

NHTSA ID

11762266

Incident

Aug 19, 2026

The vehicles power steering randomly stopped working. I checked the fuse box 10amp and 125amp battery connection and no power issues with it. There is power to the rest of the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11762205

Incident

Sep 4, 2026

On 08/29/2026 while traveling on the interstate the electronic power steering light activated on the cluster of the 2013 ram 1500 truck. After hearing the warning and seeing the warning, there was no power steering on the vehicle as I was traveling at 70 mph down the interstate. The wheel was difficult to turn and the vehicle was hard to maintain control while driving. This presented a safety issue for myself and other motorist traveling on the same interstate as myself. The only warning I received was the warning when the power steering completely failed and was inoperable. no other symptom or warning was triggered. I have a scheduled appointment for the dealer to check the vehicle on Friday Sept 4, 2026 at 0800. I am a sworn sheriff's deputy and the vehicle displays a red steering wheel with a red exclamation mark beside it on the dash with a warning that reads "service power steering" power steering will begin to work again after shutdown of the truck and fail after a few minutes of driving and stays out.

NHTSA ID

11761345

Incident

Aug 29, 2026

I had gone into my local Walmart after work and turned the truck off. After I came back out and turned the truck on, my power steering had gone out completely.

NHTSA ID

11760665

Incident

Aug 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15-20 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel became difficult to turn, and the contact stopped the vehicle and activated the hazard lights. Another driver assisted the contact in moving the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the electric power steering rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: RQ23003 (Steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ID

11758464

Incident

Aug 20, 2026

Mileage

140,000 mi

Electronic power steering suddenly went out while driving

NHTSA ID

11757252

Incident

Aug 14, 2026

see it’s a known things with rams that the electronic power steering goes out randomly because of how dodge made it and the dealerships don’t do recalls for it and it’s absolutely absurd to spend 2-4k$ for a fix

NHTSA ID

11756639

Incident

Aug 12, 2026

Power steering has failed. The vehicle is available for inspection. The steering without power assist is worthless. There is no way to avoid any kind of emergency incident. An independent repair shop has verified that the steering doesn't work. No one else has inspected the vehicle. In the dashboard information panel there is a flashing red warning light that was on when the vehicle was started. The symbol is a steering wheel and an exclamation mark. This first appeared on July 10, 2026.

NHTSA ID

11752984

Incident

Jul 10, 2026

The power steering light is on and will not steer properly. The vehicle is well maintained with only 70k. I have read some other issues with steering.

NHTSA ID

11752797

Incident

Jun 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle intermittently experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The contact purchased and replaced the battery, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

NHTSA ID

11752590

Incident

Jul 13, 2026

Mileage

158,000 mi

My steering completely locked up after driving for 2 mins. I could have crashed and killed myself or someone else. I had my truck towed to dealership lewis chrysler in fayetteville, arkansas 72704. They said i need to replace my REPLACE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MODULE and will cost $5000. Here is a link to my invoice [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11750916

Incident

Jul 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The steering wheel seized, and the power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The failure was intermittent. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 232,000.

NHTSA ID

11750578

Incident

May 13, 2026

Mileage

232,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was a flashing triangle symbol associated with the power steering fault displayed on the instrument panel. The power steering service message was displayed. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: RQ23003 (Steering). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed there was no recall coverage for the power steering failure. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.

NHTSA ID

11750546

Incident

Jun 15, 2026

Mileage

34,000 mi

I was driving and my power steering light cane on and the power steering went out

NHTSA ID

11749837

Incident

Jul 12, 2026

I was on my way to work, and the power steering stopped working as I was making a turn. The power sterring light came on in the dash. The mechanic told me he had worked on a few with the same issue, and that it was probably the rack, but he checked the fuses and wiring first. A new rack is $3800.

NHTSA ID

11748848

Incident

Jun 24, 2026

EPS (Electronic Power Steering) failed while driving. Red steering wheel with exclamation point lights up on dash and loss of steering. Local dealership blamed it on low mileage and lots of city driving when I called them about repairs. They are a week out or more just to diagnose the issue. It has just over 95k miles.

NHTSA ID

11748074

Incident

Jul 2, 2026

My power steering stopped functioning all of a sudden when driving on the road. I had to steer after that with much force and taking up almost two lanes when turning

NHTSA ID

11748068

Incident

Jun 22, 2026

Loss of power steering during turning. Steering wheel goes stiff and bucks while warning lights light up. After turning vehicle off and checked fuses for electronic steering it worked and then later it occurred again while pulling into main road.

NHTSA ID

11747835

Incident

Jul 1, 2026