The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized and became difficult to turn. The contact stated that after the failure, the electronic power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the steering rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.
2019 Ram 1500: steering wheel locks up
28 of the 1,501 complaints about the 2019 Ram 1500 describe steering wheel locks up.
- owner complaints
- 28
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 52,000
- recalls
- 3
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls and 20 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Steering wheel locks up by model year
What owners say
While traveling at a high rate of speed, the power steering light came on, and the steering wheel locked up and became almost impossible to turn. After pulling over and turning the vehicle off, the problem went away. But only to have the problem happen again, twice more creating unsafe driving conditions.
I was driving my truck down the road and the power steering went out. I pulled over in a parking lot and turned the truck off. I waited about 5 minutes and restarted the truck; the power steering came back. I proceeded to head home, and the power steering locked up and the truck would not turn at all. I was in a residential area and was able to stop as far right on the road as I could. I again turned the truck off and waited about 5 minutes and restarted the truck. The power steering worked for me to get the truck home. I took the truck to a Dodge dealership and was quoted $4100 for parts and labor. I feel that the research that I have done warrants the dealership to repair the truck. There are safety recalls for my make, year, and model, just not my Vin.
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the steering wheel locked up. The message " Service Power Steering " was displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 71,320.
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, and the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was able to restart. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,272.
I Have only had this truck for 2 months. I was driving and making a turn and the electrical power steering stopped working and the steering wheel locked. I almost crashed and drove into a ditch with my whole family in the truck. Including a [XXX]. I had to slam on the breaks and barely able to keep the truck from crashing. Dashboard said " Power Steering unavailable Service Required". I turned off the truck and restarted it to see if it would fix the issue. It did not. I drove the rest of the way home going slow with the hazard lights on. Steering wheel needed to be muscled for it to make the smallest turn. I had to drive over curbs because it would have been impossible to make some of the turns needed to get home. I called Ram and reposted the incident. They did not care because my vin is not listed for the recall and that the recall is "VIN specific". I do not understand this. VIN specific means each truck would be custom made and all different. Why is my family's life being risked and not being taken seriously. Once home, I have not been back in the truck. I turned it on the next day and the alert is gone and the wheel moves again. A family of 5 is now at risk. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle became difficult to steer. The check power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and turn the vehicle off. The vehicle was started, and the power steering functionality was independently reset. The contact continued driving; however, the failure recurred a short distance afterward. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and confirmed that the power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated while making a left turn, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle was difficult to steer. In addition, the contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact completed making the left turn and drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was started, and the power steering functionality was independently reset. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH on the highway, the steering seized, and the vehicle became difficult to steer. The contact stated that the vehicle started to veer to the right and the steering wheel was difficult to turn to keep the vehicle in the intended lane. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was slowly driven to the residence. The vehicle was previously repaired by the previous owner of the vehicle under an undisclosed the federal safety agency recall. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was scheduled for repair under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V653000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
When turning left, the steering locks slightly. Overcome with slightly more pressure. It is scary when it happens. It's done it since I drove it off the lot with 28,000 miles. When loaning truck, I let the driver know about this issue. Went to dealer 3 times, unable to reproduce. The vehicle or component has only been inspected by the dealer. No warnings given by vehicle.
The power steering says it's "unavailable" and "needs servicing" when cold starting the vehicle at tempuratures lower than 45 degrees fahrenheit. I purchased the vehicle used and owned it for one day when this error occured. My safety was put at risk because when the error went away and I drove down the road, the error returned and the steering wheel locked up when I was driving, could've caused a nasty accident if the timing was worse. The problem is reproduced when the vehicle is cold started at tempuratures of 45 degrees fahrenheit or lower. The EPS component is currently being inspected by the used car dealership. The warning message only appeared as the power steering malfunctioned, there was no prior warning to the power steering failing, making the vehicle extremely unsafe to drive as their is complete uncertaintly when the power steering will shut off.
power steering unavailable pops up on dash while driving. truck steering locks up was able to pull truck off the main highway on the shoulder call a tow truck
Service bulletins that may apply
- Clicking Noise From Steering Column While Turning Steering Wheel.
- UAS and UCS Radio Enhancements Customers may experience one or more of the following: Wi-Fi hotspot...
- UAQ and UCQ Radio Enhancements Customers may experience one or more of the following: ? Wi-Fi hotspot...
- Buzz Squeak Noise From Steering Column Area While Turning Steering Wheel
- Flash: Electric Power Steering (EPS) Module Updates
- Increase In Steering Effort After Recent Repairs, DTC?s B210B-00 System Voltage High Or C2129-17 Battery...
- Increase In Steering Effort After Recent Repairs, Recall V04, DTC?s B210B-00 System Voltage High Or...
- Volume Uncontrollable Or Stuck On High
Related recalls
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 1500 trucks. These vehicles may have been built with a contaminated electric power steering (EPS) gear that may short circuit, potentially resulting in an intermittent loss of power steering assist.
- Risk
- An intermittent loss of power steering assist may cause an inconsistent steering effort, especially during lower speed maneuvers, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPS gear assembly, free of charge. The recall began December 12, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. FCA's number for this recall is VB8.
Recall number 19V812000 · Recall details
Steering
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Wrangler and 2019 Ram 1500 vehicles. These vehicles have improperly machined steering column stub shafts that may break, possibly causing the steering wheel to detach from the steering column.
- Risk
- If the steering wheel detaches from the steering column, the driver may lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the steering column, replacing it, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 5, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V29.
Recall number 19V201000 · Recall details
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 1500 vehicles. The battery ground fastener on the driver-side front fender may have been improperly secured, possibly resulting in a loss of power steering assist.
- Risk
- A loss of power steering could vary the steering effort required, possibly causing vehicle oversteer or understeer, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will properly secure the ground fastener, free of charge. The recall began on February 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V04.
Recall number 19V020000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2019 Ram 1500 steering lock-up
Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 2019 Ram 1500?
28 of 1,501 owner complaints about the 2019 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 2019 Ram 1500?
There are 3 recalls and 20 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2019 Ram 1500
Power steering loss 126Loss of power 112Check engine light 86Stalling 62ABS 57Water leak 43Engine failure 37Adaptive cruise 33No deployment 33Knocking 33Jerking 33Wipers 33Backup camera 32Grinding brakes 28Won't start 25Airbag light 22Warning lights 21Fuel pump 17Overheating 17Key fob 16Screen failure 15Won't shift 15Harsh shifting 14Headlights 13Battery drain 12Seat belt 12Brake failure 11Fire or smoke 11Slipping 11Sudden acceleration 11Fuel smell 10Hesitation 10Start-stop 10Transmission failure 10Misfire 9Whining noise 9Collision warning 6Door locks 6Pulling 6Sunroof shattered 6Ball joint 5
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