Steering locked up while traveling down highway unable to turn the steering wheel had to be towed from highway. The federal safety agency campaign number 16v16700. Manufacturing campaign number s19 there is a recall on the electric power steering..spoke with recall specialist at chysler customer care on 12-08-2025: @7:17pm est . Upon talki g to employee whom name is asher id number t033hd was unable to locate this recall in his system and advised me to contact the federal safety agency for resolution. My name is [xxx] contact cell at [xxx] or email at [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
2015 Ram 1500: steering wheel locks up
29 of the 1,461 complaints about the 2015 Ram 1500 describe steering wheel locks up.
- owner complaints
- 29
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 74,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 5 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Steering wheel locks up by model year
What owners say
There is intermittent steering lock, that typically happens at slower speeds and when returning back to center/straight. When it happens, there is also a warning chime that occurs. It just started happening in Sept 2025 and has continued to occur since then.
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electronic steering module and rack had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle and shifting to drive(D), the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the power steering became functional. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring upon starting the vehicle and while driving. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact stated while driving 60-70 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the power steering became functional; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering control module (PSCM) had failed. The dealer determined that the PSCM and the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,500.
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
While traveling at 40 mph my steering locked and was unable to turn the wheel at all. By the time I stopped I was on the shoulder of the opposite lane. Lucky for me there was no traffic or else it would have been a head on collision. Had the truck towed and learned that the electronic steering failed and the replacement parts were 90 days plus on backorder. After searching 2 weeks found a used one in a junk yard. this problem will cause an accident that could easily be fatal.
While turning into a parking lot from the road, the steering locked up and was impossible to turn left or right. Basically stuck in the middle of the turn lane and parking lot. Flatbed tow truck was called and transported to a local repair shop.
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact discovered that the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The contact stated while driving the vehicle at approximately 5 MPH, the steering wheel locked up and the contact was unable to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was restarted, however, the failure recurred. The message stated that "Power Steering Service" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the power steering seized. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact contacted an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the mechanic retrieved a fault code for steering failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact informed the dealer of the code that was retrieved. The contact also informed the dealer of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering). The contact was advised that the vehicle VIN was not associated with the recall and that the repair would not be covered. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,400.
going around a curve and the steering wheel locked up. The steering wheel is unresponsive at times and seems to have dead spots when turning. There is also a dry screech when turning the steering wheel at low speeds.
My 2015 ram steering locks up, can't turn the wheel, highly unsafe. There is a recall for 2015 Ram's that were manufactured from jan-sept. Mine was manufactured in June. A recall for the same issue I'm having, but for some reason my vin isn't attached to that recall. This is highly unsafe, it is clearly a manufacture defect. And rams helpline is completely unhelpful.
My power steering locked up while driving causing me to run over a curb damaging my tire on the front right side and possibly undercarriage damage
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Ram 1500 trucks manufactured January 22, 2015, to September 13, 2015. Contamination on the Electric Power Steering (EPS) control circuit board may cause a short and result in the loss of power steering assist.
- Risk
- If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required, especially at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPS unit, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on May 16, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S19.
Recall number 16V167000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2015 Ram 1500 steering lock-up
Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 2015 Ram 1500?
29 of 1,461 owner complaints about the 2015 Ram 1500 (2%) mention steering wheel locks up. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2015 Ram 1500?
There is 1 recall and 5 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2015 Ram 1500
Check engine light 143ABS 138Power steering loss 117Loss of power 106Stalling 92Engine failure 60Fire or smoke 57Adaptive cruise 52Fuel pump 49Won't shift 40Fuel gauge 29Knocking 28Jerking 28No deployment 27Hesitation 26Headlights 25Won't start 18Overheating 12Grinding brakes 10Fuel smell 10Misfire 9Rollaway 9Water leak 8Airbag light 7Brake failure 7Warning lights 7Fuel leak 6Key fob 5Transmission failure 5
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