My electrical power steering on my 2013 Ram 1500 unexpectedly failed right around the 140,000-mile mark. Typically, when a part breaks on my vehicle, I notice some warning signs beforehand, like when I had to replace my fans; the truck gradually started to overheat, alerting me to take it into the shop. However, with the power steering issue, it occurred suddenly while I was driving on the highway. I turned off the truck and then restarted it, which made the power steering work again temporarily, but eventually, the problem became permanent after a couple of months.
2013 Ram 1500: engine overheating
10 of the 1,283 complaints about the 2013 Ram 1500 describe engine overheating.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- typical mileage
- 47,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 51 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Engine overheating by model year
What owners say
Front brakes: on July 30 2025 the right front brakes caused the truck to pull and shimmy to the right at speed. Touch the brake and it pulled hard to the right so bad you had to turn the steering wheel to about the ten o’clock position to go straight then when letting off the brakes you had to be quick to turn the other way. Seems the brakes are not releasing after use and over heating, I had a laser temp over *450 in the wheel and hub area. This happened last year to the driver’s side and I had to replace the brake assembly on that side. Maybe the tolerances in each piston is to close so when hot they stick and over heat. This is on a truck with 17K miles. On forum’s people suggest that the brake lines are collapsing which might be the issue. This model truck has the air ride suspension so the overheating could cause a air bladder to blow or a bearing to degrease with a wheel lock up at speed. Thanks,,
The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the ABS, the brakes, and the traction control warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed while depressing the accelerator pedal and the vehicle was driving sluggishly. The contact stated that the failure caused the transmission and the engine to overheat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS module and sensor needed to be replaced; however, the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,393.
Tl* the contact's son owns a 2013 ram 1500. The contact stated that during hot weather, the fuse box overheated which caused the back up camera screen to be inoperable or to become distorted. The contact also stated that the air conditioning unit was also inoperable. The contact reached out to pomoco chrysler jeep dodge ram of newport news (12629 jefferson ave, newport news, va 23602) where he was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted and a case was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ram 1500. The contact stated that the brakes failed to release and the cylinder was not releasing the brake fluid. There were no warning indicators illuminated. In addition, the rear brake pads were overheating and produced a very strong burning odor. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician released a little bit of the fluid. Afterwards, the vehicle was able to drive normally. The contact called huntington beach chrysler dodge jeep ram (16701 beach blvd, huntington, ca 92647, (714) 841-3999) and scheduled an appointment. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,026.
My truck failed the state inspection because 2 exhaust manifold bolts on the passenger side had broken off and were inside the cylinder head with no way to get them out. I had the truck towed to a mechanic upon discovering how deep they had broken off with no success at removing the first one and the mechanic was also unable to remove them. They have now been drilled out by the mechanic which created a coolant leak out of one of the bolt holes and it looks like I'll need a new cylinder head. I've read it's a common issue and now I'm expecting the drivers side to do the same any time if they aren't broken already.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 dodge ram 1500. While driving at various speeds, the engine temperature increased without warning. On two occasions, the vehicle stalled due to the engine overheating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician stated that the vehicle was performing up to specifications. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 5,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 dodge ram 1500. While driving 20 MPH, the check engine light and an unknown warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact stated the vehicle overheated and smoke appeared from the front before becoming engulfed in flames. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 22,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ram 1500. The contact stated that the check engine warning illuminated intermittently. The contact stated the vehicle overheated and smoke appeared from the front end. The contact also noticed that water and coolant were leaking from the radiator. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 47,000.
My truck have been in the shop 5 times. 3 times for overheating 2 times for a computer problem it shut off stuff like headlights turn signals radio dash gauges windows and lock so when that's done it shuts the truck off and it stop were its at and don't come back on at all until an hour latter I have own this truck for 5 month and I can seem to keep it out of the shop.
Service bulletins that may apply
- CEL (Check Engine Lamp) C006A-49 Multi-Axis Acceleration Sensor Internal Electronic Failure And C10CC-00...
- Throttle Blade Icing Service Fix Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination
- Water Quality When Mixed With Engine Coolant
- WiTECH Small Leak Verification Test (SLVT)
- Adapter
- Adapter
- Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire
- Issue involves overheating, running hot, coolant leaks and related symptoms after a Mopar replacement...
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2013 RAM 1500 trucks manufactured manufactured June 25, 2012, through December 12, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the coolant bypass valve may stick in a position that does not allow coolant to flow into the heater core. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Vehicle Motor Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
- Risk
- Without a properly working windshield defrosting system, a buildup of mositure or ice could limit the driver's ability to see, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace replace the suspect coolant valves along with an updated calibration, free of charge. The recall began on June 25, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1‑800‑247‑9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N25.
Recall number 13V177000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2013 Ram 1500 overheating
Is engine overheating a common problem on the 2013 Ram 1500?
10 of 1,283 owner complaints about the 2013 Ram 1500 (1%) mention engine overheating. The model year with the most reports is 2019.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2013 Ram 1500?
There is 1 recall and 51 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2013 Ram 1500
Power steering loss 272Loss of power 119Steering lock-up 63ABS 53Check engine light 46Engine failure 42Stalling 30Knocking 28Jerking 28Adaptive cruise 27Airbag light 27Headlights 26Key fob 24Won't start 19Door locks 18No deployment 16Ball joint 13Wipers 13Misfire 11Brake failure 9Fire or smoke 8Grinding brakes 7Won't shift 7Backup camera 6Fuel smell 5Rollaway 5Tire blowout 5Warning lights 5
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