The contact owns a 2011 Ram 3500. The contact stated that on several occasions while attempting to make a right turn, the steering wheel seized. No warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.
Dodge RAM 3500 engine failure problems
22 of the 3,084 owner complaints about the Dodge RAM 3500 describe engine failure, most of them for the 2011 model year.
- owner complaints
- 22
- worst model year
- 2011
- typical mileage
- 117,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20122
- 20115
- 20102
- 20083
- 20071
- 20062
- 20051
- 20043
- 20031
- 20021
- 19961
Often reported together
Steering lock-up 8Ball joint 5Won't start 1Loss of power 1Headlights 1No deployment 1
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 dodge ram 3500. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized without warning and the steering wheel was extremely difficult to maneuver in either direction. Performance automotive group (2710 airport rd, jackson, mi 49202, (517) 789-7151) diagnosed that the intermediate steering shaft and u joint were faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 dodge ram 3500. The contact stated that the power steering seized when making turns at slow speeds. The vehicle was taken to thomas chrysler dodge jeep (67791 mall rd, st clairsville, oh 43950, (877) 268-3302) and they upgraded and replaced the steering box, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and they replaced the power steering pump to troubleshoot the failure. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was out of warranty and they would not assist. The failure mileage was 46,000. *tt consumer stated power steering goes out and cannot turn.
Rear differential seized a second time, 9000 miles after it was repaired. A pinion bo
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge ram 3500. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and resumed driving to his residence. In addition, each time the vehicle drove over a bump, the front end shook violently and the tires wobbled. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 3500. While towing a trailer at 70 MPH, the transmission seized without warning. The contact stated that the trailer jack-knifed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge ram 3500. While driving approximately 15 MPH, the steering and braking ability seized. The contact also heard a thumping noise. The contact stopped and exited the vehicle and noticed that the passenger side tie rod was fractured. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the passenger side tie rod was fractured and needed replacement. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 dodge ram 3500. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the odometer seized. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who stated that "it was not public knowledge that when a truck got to 621,000, this problem occurred"; the instrument cluster and/or the electronic control module would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 621,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 dodge ram 3500. While driving at 55 MPH, the contact heard a noise and the vehicle veered to the right. In addition, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fan belt and other multiple parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was included in the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 13v528000 (steering), 14v795000 (electrical system), and 14v817000 (air bags); however, the parts needed to repair the vehicle were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Loaded at 18000 lbs gvw while towing a tandem axle trailer the vehicle died. Upon losing all electrical power the engine died causing the loss of power assisted brakes and power assisted steering. Fortunately the speed of the vehicle was around 5 MPH. I'm 6 foot tall and over 200 lbs and I was unable to steer the vehicle to the side of the parking area. Upon leaving the vehicle I immediately smelled electronics burning. I opened the hood and immediately disconnected the positive post of the totally integrated power module (tipm). I then removed the tipm to find a hole burnt through the side and the circuit board covered with black soot. I had the vehicle and trailer towed to corbin ky where there were no dodge dealers willing to work on a vehicle of this size. Nor would they store the trailer for me while conducting the repair. I choose to have the vehicle and trailer towed over 600 miles to my home in michigan. I called my local dealer whom took the VIN number to order an new one. After over 2 weeks waiting on the tipm (which turned out to be remanufactured) the truck is still not operable. If I had been traveling at interstate speeds with a loaded vehicle I likely would not have survived this incident. Prior to this happening I had many issues with the lighting on the truck. The low beam on the passenger side would be inoperable while the drivers high beam is the only one that would work. Also, the taillights would stop working on one side and the turn signals would flash quickly. Not seeing this as a huge safety issue I simply took it the dealer to reflash the tipm. After getting it back with half the lights inoperable, the AC didn't work anymore. Now the vehicle is worthless and all sense of security and safety is gone. I can no longer confidently take my family anywhere in this vehicle.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine: diesel
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling 108,429 my 2007-2008 dodge ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks equipped with 6.7l diesel engines. A silencer pad can sag and contact the exhaust gas recirculation (egr) cooler.
- Risk
- This could result in an engine compartment fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will add a bracket to support the engine compartment silencer pad adjacent to the egr cooler. The recall is expected to begin during december 2008. Owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 08V641000 · Recall details
Questions about the Dodge RAM 3500 engine failure
Which Dodge RAM 3500 years have engine failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2011 (5 complaints), 2004 (3 complaints) and 2008 (3 complaints).
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