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2020 Ram 1500: steering wheel locks up

8 of the 645 complaints about the 2020 Ram 1500 describe steering wheel locks up.

owner complaints
8
of this car's complaints
1%
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 23 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Steering wheel locks up by model year

What owners say

Filed Jul 16, 2026 · Steering · MA

I was attempting to turn around in my driveway when the steering locked up and I could not control the steering. If I had been driving on the road instead of in my driveway I could have crashed into something or someone, potentially causing severe injury or death to myself or others. This was a horrifying experience in my driveway, let alone on the road! I had my truck towed to the repair shop, where they determined that the power steering rack failed. It cracked completely in half. Attached please find the photos that the repair shop provided, along with my repair invoice. There should be a recall for this before people get killed!

Filed Jul 15, 2026 · Steering · MA

I was attempting to turn around in my driveway to go someplace when the steering locked up and I could not control the steering. It stopped working. If I had been driving on the road, instead of driving in my driveway, I could have crashed into something or someone, potentially causing severe injury or death to myself or others. This was a horrifying experience in the driveway, let alone on the road! I had my truck towed to the repair shop where they determined that the Electronic Power Steering Rack failed. It cracked completely in half! I will attach the photos the shop provided. There should be a recall on this before someone gets killed. I have several friends and neighbors who own the same make and model truck and I informed them of our situation and recommended that they have their trucks checked out before tragedy strikes them or their families.

Filed Jun 26, 2026 · Steering · MA

Steering wheel locked up. I was in the driveway when this occurred but if I was driving on the road my vehicle could have potentially crashed into something and cause harm to myself or someone else, since I could not steer the vehicle. I had the truck towed to VIP Tire &Service and they checked the truck and determined through diagnosis, that my problem is with the circuit card assembly for the Electric Power Steering gears and that only Dodge Ram service companies can fix the problem and to bring my truck to a Chrysler Dodge service center. So I had my truck towed to Quirk Chrysler in Marshfield. They said that my VIN was not in the recall and that it would not be covered. It obviously should be included in this recall, since this is precisely what my problem is. There were no warning lights indicating a problem. Please add my VIN number to this recall so it will be covered as it should be.

Filed Dec 3, 2025 · Driver assistance · CA

While I was driving my vehicle, the power steering warning came on and moments later the steering wheel locked - I could not steer my vehicle. I stopped the vehicle and it started firing all sorts of warnings. It was like all systems went haywire. Service shifter, service power steering, service electronic stability control, acc/fcw unavailable, service required, service airbag system, collision control, check engine, anti-lock breaks. The windshield wipers started without being tuned on, the engine revved up an got very loud like an airplane engine. I turned off the vehicle. When the tow truck arrived, the truck would not start so he walked away to grab the pulley and the truck started on it's own. My biggest concern is that I lost the ability to steer while I was in motion. I was informed of a VB8 recall for power steering but told my vehicle didn't qualify. This is a serious concern! It is currently with the dealership.

Filed Jun 1, 2025 · Steering · TX

The power steering froze and caused me to lose control. Almost hitting my car port. Thank goodness I wasn’t on the highway. Up to that point it operated perfectly. According to internet common problem that has caused accidents. Factory will not repair. Truck currently unmovable

Filed Apr 4, 2025 · Electrical, Steering · FL

There is a high whining noise followed by a loss of power steering. There is a recall for the EPs system that stopped in 2019; however, 2020 is still using the same part. The recall should be extended to cover all vehicles manufactured using the part numbers associated with this issue. My truck is only at 50k miles, never off-roaded or abused, and maintained religiously by my personal mechanic. I was driving at 78 mph, and the steering locked up due to this issue. This created a hazardous scenario for me. The wheel released moments later, causing me to overcorrect and almost hit another car traveling on the highway in the adjacent lane. This has happened several times over the past week. I have adjusted my driving style until I can afford this VERY costly repair.

Filed Sep 9, 2024 · Steering · TX

Vehicle steering locked while driving at highway speed, dealer tested system and replaced a can bus switch. Upon driving home from dealership (after fixing) the steering once again failed. Luckily no one was injured. We did get a warning steering failed only after the steering locked and was immobile. This is the most critical part of a vehicle and should not fail in under 50,000 miles and fail to the point of uncontrollable. This is a horrible design, someone is going to get killed if this does not get addressed and Stellantis recalls these faulty components.

Filed Jul 15, 2021 · Steering · MI

Steering wheel locked up while car was moving. Was able to replicate. Seems intermittent though. Towed to the dealership, wasn't locking then. Service Representative confirmed they have seen this before and seemed to know exactly what to do. Scary - life safety issue!

Questions about the 2020 Ram 1500 steering lock-up

Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 2020 Ram 1500?

8 of 645 owner complaints about the 2020 Ram 1500 (1%) 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 2020 Ram 1500?

There are 0 recalls and 23 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2020 Ram 1500

Check engine light 41Stalling 41Loss of power 34Power steering loss 27Water leak 24Fuel pump 20ABS 15Engine failure 15Backup camera 14Won't start 13Fire or smoke 12Jerking 12Grinding brakes 10Knocking 10Whining noise 10Wipers 10Headlights 9Fuel smell 7Start-stop 7Brake failure 6Overheating 6Seat belt 6Adaptive cruise 5No deployment 5Battery drain 5Key fob 5Sudden acceleration 5Sunroof shattered 5Warning lights 5

All model years of the Ram 1500

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