Electronic power steering locks the wheel while turning. Have to use excessive force to get it out of the stuck position. I have went through several forums trying to figure out why this happens there are many other customers experiencing the same problem. There is no power steering pump to replace so this could be an absolute danger to anyone driving a Durango with this problem or others around them.
Dodge Durango steering lock-up problems
77 of the 13,793 owner complaints about the Dodge Durango describe steering wheel locks up, most of them for the 2005 model year.
- owner complaints
- 77
- worst model year
- 2005
- typical mileage
- 70,599
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 22Engine failure 19Loss of power 5Check engine light 4Ball joint 4ABS 4Wipers 3Power steering loss 3
What owners say
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the steering wheel locked, and the contact depressed the brake pedal but was unable to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering rack pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V154000 (STEERING). The failure mileage was 48,000.
My vehicle has had recalls performed multiple times since 1st purchased in 2012. The issue was vehicle stalling. At 1st Chrysler / Dodge addressed it as issues upon start up where the vehicle sounded as though it was skipping when hitting the ignition button. They attempted to remedy this with multiple fuel pump relay recalls. They attempted to do internal which did not work. They then went external which also did not work. Nothing was ever formerly recognized as a suitable resolution, so any of us dealing with this were just forgotten. Well I still have this vehicle and it has gotten worse to the point the vehicle will randomly stall while in motion as it did the other day and on multiple other occasions. Under braking conditions the vehicle stalls where everything on the dash appears normal electronically, there is just no power and the steering locks up. I have addressed this multiple times with Dodge customer service as well as my local dealership. The dealership does not want to attempt any repairs because they want to be paid and the manufacturer is not entertaining it. I am aware the vehicle is out of warranty but I am not paying for something the manufacturer has known about since first purchased. There has been no further actions by the manufacturer to address this. They have moved on to newer existing Durango models.
Lost power steering after I started vehicle after driving. It happens to remove power steering unavailable code after restarting vehicle several times and power steering returns. I believe it may be something with ABS as the ECU and EPS is all connected. If something is off then it goes into limp mode. ABS was resetted and worked fine and not needing to replace the entire electric power steering. All started when I had 88K miles. One time the steering wheel locked on me while I was driving over a bridge with snow and ice on ground.
I almost died, I escaped my car moments before it completely exploded into flames. I was driving down the interstate and it said it was overheating for a couple seconds and then the car went completely dead going 70 miles per hour. My steering wheel locked up so I fought to pull it off the road and stop it, I had a bad feeling so I checked the front of the car but it was inflamed once I got out and my seat was consumed in fire
The contact owned a 2013 Dodge Durango. The contact stated her husband was attempting to start the ignition but it was a "hard start". The driver started the following day while driving 25 mph when the vehicle and the steering wheel seized. The driver stated he lost control of the vehicle and it steered to the right and crashed into multiple parked vehicles. The driver stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver stated both front driver and passenger side airbags deployed. The driver stated he had minor injuries on his right side shoulder and elbow but did not seek medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was deemed total by the insurance company. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed. A dealer was not contacted. The VIN was associated with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V813000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000. * (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS
On my way to labor & delivery, my steering wheel locked up, a light and message came on that said, "power steering unavailable". I could not turn left or right and since I was already turning left when it locked up and went straight, I nearly hit all the cars parked on the side of the street. When I left the hospital, the light was off. A week later, the light came back on and stayed on. The steering wheel locked again as we were driving down a main road and we almost hit the car in the lane next to us because when it locked up, it snatches the wheel from wherever we have it to a locked straight position. This is unacceptable when you are pregnant with 3 children in the back. I should not have to worry about crashing into people without notice. We got it checked out and they said the electric steering rack needed to be replaced for a whopping $4500. On a 2019 vehicle, that is unacceptable. It is not safe to drive and now I have been without a vehicle for 3 months now because everyone keeps telling us that the part is on back order.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 dodge durango. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 19v813000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. Mckay's dodge chrysler jeep ram fiat (2020 frontage rd s, waite park, mn 56387, (320) 247-6624) was contacted and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while making a right turn at approximately 5 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact restarted the vehicle and regained steering functionality. The approximate failure mileage was 133,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
When driving, the steering wheel locks and the car dies. It has happen several times while I'm on the road. Replaced camshaft sensor but it is still dying. If you do a google search you will find that a lot of people are having the same issue. It is dangerous and my life and the life of others can be at risk.
Steering locks while driving, usually making a left lane change or turn. This occurs multiple times even on short trips (less than 10 miles). No warning lights
Related recalls
Steering: rack and pinion
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Dodge Durango and 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The steering gear rack bar may have been insufficiently hardened during manufacturing, possibly allowing it to bind within the steering rack, and resulting in difficulty steering or a loss of steering control.
- Risk
- Difficulty steering, or a loss of steering control, can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 12, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1‑800‑852‑1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Z18.
Recall number 22V154000 · Recall details
Steering
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles, the right front steering knuckle may have been improperly manufactured. Because of a broken cooling line, parts cast in tool cavity #63 on july 18 and july 19, 2006, may have a cold shut condition and could fracture.
- Risk
- This could cause a loss of steering control and result in a crash without warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the recalled vehicles to identify the defective parts and replace if they are within that lot. The recall began on november 8, 2006. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 06V386000 · Recall details
Questions about the Dodge Durango steering lock-up
Which Dodge Durango years have steering wheel locks up problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2005 (22 complaints), 2012 (12 complaints) and 2004 (9 complaints).
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