My electronic power steering stopped working without warning. It is only happening when it’s cooler outside. When the weather is warm it hasn’t been an issue. Now that it’s fall it’s happened again. The first time it happened I shut off the truck and restarted it and it was fine for about a month. But now today the problem hasn’t resolved by restarting it. The dash now indicates “service power steering”. The vehicle is not driveable without power steering.
2016 Ram 1500 steering complaints
Page 8 of 12: complaints 191 to 220 of 316, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Vehicle will lose all power steering without warning, and in a pattern that I cannot predict. First time it happened I was towing a trailer through the mountains and was in the middle of a curve, nearly causing me to wreck. It then went away after turning the truck off, however it is continuously happening at random moments now and it’s to the point I’ve had to park the truck because of the liability. I have not had it inspected by a shop yet, but will have it done in the near future.
Approximately 6 months ago vehicle started to experience intermittent loss of power steering. Problem would come and go without warning, In the past 60 days problem is no longer intermittent and steering is difficult at all times while driving or parked. Problem seems consistent with that the federal safety agency Campaign ID Number 16V167000 / Manufactures campaign Number S19.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the steering wheel became firm and difficult to maneuver. No warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacture was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
As i was driving the gage cluster went blank and immediately the power steering went out on the vehicle. Very difficult to turn.
electrical power steering keeps turning on causing stiffness at at the wheel. it also causes the vehicle to pull to hard to the right even after alignment. vehicle has been taken to dealership and was quoted over $4000 for parts due to "faulty grounding at motherboard"
The power steering on my 2016 Ram failed and I was unable to move the steering wheel at all. The truck only has 45,000 miles on it! The safety of myself and others were put at risk because I had zero control over my steering wheel since I couldn’t move it. I took it to the Ram dealership to have it looked at. I had to have the entire steering system replaced (steering rack, etc). The dealership had no idea why this happened. They have never seen this issue before and they attributed the issue to a ‘faulty system’. The fix cost me $4500! I contacted MOPAR to see if they’d make this right and they blew me off since my specific Ram does not have a recall currently even though other Rams have had recalls for this exact issue. There weren’t any warning lights until the steering wheel quite moving.
Power steering will fail intermittently, sometimes for days at a time. Steering becomes difficult at all speeds and failure occurs without warning. Attached is a deposit receipt for 25% of a ram dealer quoted $2,500 steering rack repair for this issue.
Over the past months, we've been hearing what could best be described as a grinding noise from the steering, heard on any light nudge of the steering wheel, at speeds of about 35MPH and up, intensifying at higher speeds. While the sound is rather faint, it is our impression that over time it's been intensifying. We inspected the wheel hubs, which seem to be fine. We therefore believe it's quite likely the noise is coming from the steering rack (our model is equipped with an electric power assist steering). Searching online in an effort to learn if anyone else has been having similar issues, we found out that there's an ongoing investigation of steering issues related to RAM 1500 that includes 2016 models. We therefore decided to report our issue here.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at at 25 MPH, the steering wheel tightened without warning. The contact used excessive force to untighten the steering wheel; the power steering assist returned to normal operation. The contact replaced the ball joints, inner tie rods, and several other parts in the vehicle after the failure. A year after the initial failure, the contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the same failure occurred again without warning. Due to the failure, the contact hit a a curb and damaged the front end of the vehicle. The air bag did not deploy; the contact was not injured. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to his home where it remained in his possession. Upon investigation, the contact discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering); however, the manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.
Complete loss of power steering. Occasional steering lock and takes a forceful pressure on the steering wheel to allow movement. Service power steering light is flashing on the dash with DTC's indicating module is bad. Loud grinding can be heard when turning left.
The power steering intermittently goes out. It may work for a few seconds then stop working. Even turning the steering wheel you can feel it come and go. Dodge dealer informed me there are no recalls and I would be charged ??
The power steering in my 2016 ram pick up truck has started to go intermittently on and off. Sometimes it feels like it’s catching on some thing when it goes out and then it comes right back on. Other times it is completely inoperable. This occurs for a couple days at a time and then the power steering will work for a period of 1 to 2 weeks before acting up again. I have also noticed a squeaking sound when turning the wheel to the right every now and then. I did take the truck in to the dealership however, on the day that I did, the power steering was working correctly, therefore, they were unable to diagnose anything. They stated that the power steering was working as it should. because of how random the power steering goes out, it is near impossible for me to get it to the dealership in time for them to properly diagnose. I did notice that your organization has opened an investigation into an issue at sounds very similar to the one that I’m having. because of how random the power steering goes out, it is near impossible for me to get it to the dealership in time for them to properly diagnose. I did notice that your organization has opened an investigation on August 5, into a issue at sounds very similar to the one that I’m having . Please let me know if you need any more information. Thank you.
Power steering system failed with 108500 miles. Unable to turn wheel back to center without fighting it. Almost caused me to crash twice.
The electric power steering failed on my 2016 Ram 1500. There was no warning the system had a problem. I had to have the entire power steering unit replaced at a cost of $2200.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the message "Service Power Steering" was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was very difficult to turn. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that the power steering control module (PSCM) had failed. The contact was informed that the PSCM and the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel became stiff. The vehicle was driven to the residence and parked. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000.
Power steering failed intermittently several times while driving . I've been told the electronic steering rack failed and needs replaced but the garage is still trying to find the proper rack so repairs haven't been made yet .
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle was difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that the steering wheel was firm. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. Upon further investigation, the contact became aware of the federal safety agency Action Number: RQ23003 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but was unable to assist. The failure mileage was 62,000.
The electronic steering in this truck seemed to have malfunctioned in December 2022. The truck had approximately 60,000 miles on the odometer. It seems that the power steering is failing to assist with steering efforts, making it more difficult to safely steer the truck. The steering wheel does not return to center on its own, takes more effort to move the wheel, and at some degrees of the steering wheel, seems to not work at all. Sometimes the steering wheel seems to "skip" as well, depending on the position. It happened randomly but the only difference was after a big snow storm. The truck did not travel through deep snow but the roads were wet from clean up/salt. The only things that seem to maybe help are wiggling the plug on the ESC or getting a car wash - but then it still does not go back to normal, just seems like its getting a tad bit more power. But then it goes back to failing to assist. It is described just like the recall that is out there for these trucks, but my VIN does not fall under the recall, even though the symptoms are the exact same. The dealership and Ram Cares have been no help in this either. I have tried a few things including replacing the battery, fuses, steering components - everything rather than replacing the whole rack and ESC. Nothing seems to help.
I lost my power steering 8/22. I drove a while without it. The steering did not freeze up. I had to wait several months for the part to come in. A non-dealer mechanic repaired the steering. I am reporting this after reading about others who had the same problem.
The Traction control flashed immediately before the wreck so my assumption is there was a traction lock malfunction. The road was wet due to rain. My husband was driving 55 mph when the truck's steering locked and we ended up in the right side ditch where we hit an electric power pole. My husband had several fractured ribs. My right lower arm was broken, required surgery and a week long stay in the hospital. They put a rod with screws into my arm. The truck was totally destroyed according to our insurance company.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH out of the driveway, the steering wheel become firm. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated the steering wheel coupler needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted and stated that there was no recall for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while reversing, the steering wheel became firm with the "Steering Failure" message displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the electric power steering module needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V167000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 100,300.
A recall was made for manufacture dates ending in 9-2015. My truck is 10-15 and exhibits the same loss of power steering at low speed as this recall. Chrysler advises me to take it to the dealer and pay out of my pocket for their, obvious, defective build.I have seen numeroys complaints regarding vehicles outside the stated MD of this recall
The vehicle is starting to lose power steering function. The vehicle is at 102,000 miles. This is happening any time I turn my wheel. This is a very hazardous safety issue. This issue has not been seen by any other professionals. It just started happening a couple weeks ago. I called the dealership and they said my Vin was not part of the Dodge Ram 1500 year 2015 -2016 recall. I called the manufacturer and they told me it could be a recall soon. But until then I'm to get it looked at and get it fixed. If the recall is a thing soon they will reimburse me my money.
Steering stopped working while driving. Previous year had a recall for this issue and my truck was not included. This is an ongoing problem and the part needed to fix it is unavailable.
Loss of power steering
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel started shaking abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was aligned; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the upper control arms were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the tires were replaced but the failure reoccurred. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 147,112.
Steering stiffens up and makes it hard to turn at lower speeds. There is a recall on rams from 2015-2019 for this exact problem that being a failure in the EPS system.
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