Ram 1500 jerking problems

Filed Oct 29, 2026 · Transmission · SC

Transmission issues are a known problem in the 2021 Ram 1500 and have been for a while, with no recalls. Slipping of gear. Delay or jerking into reverse. Putting it in reverse and it telling me to put it into park or it auto-correcting itself into park. While driving twice and going from complete stop after the auto correcting went to pull off & the vehicle did not go into gear the RPM was raised and the truck moved forward but would not go into gear. The smell of transmission fluid and possible coolant seem to be in truck through vent. The Malfunction Indicator light came on. Had a Shop check code said it showed Valve Body. All these are known issues with the transmission and should be recalled as this is very dangerous for driving as it could stop in road, loose power going up hill on interstate and if there are leaks it could cause a fire. There should have been recalls and investigations. Manufacture knows these issues are and have been happening but does not want to spend the money to fix problems. Ignores and hopes warranty will be gone before it happens so it will be on the owner. That is what they did with me.

Filed Oct 17, 2026 · Steering · NY

I have a 2018 ram 1500 express my electricinic power steering is binding and causing my truck to jerk when I correct it while driving. I have noticed that there are recalls for the same issue on previous years(2015-2017) and on years after (2019-2021) models. Please investigate why 2018 isnt showing an open or active recall.

Filed Oct 12, 2026 · Seat belts · VA

Beginning around the first of October 2026, the driver's front seat belt will randomly come unbuckled while driving. When I fasten the seat belt, the connection is secure. I can pull on it, jerk it, yank it and it will not release. As I am driving down the road the seatbelt will spontaneously release. Sometimes it will happen only once during a trip; other times it will happen multiple times. After the first incident, it now happens every time I drive the truck. I have checked to see if anything wound up inside the mechanism and I cannot find any thing that would prevent the seatbelt from staying secured.

Filed Oct 5, 2026 · Steering · FL

At very low speeds, like 0-10 miles an hour, trying to turn the steering wheel left or right, cause the steering wheel to suddenly violently jerk back. Example. Im driving straight at 2 mph, try to turn left, and the steering fights me and jerks back to straight very violent, hurting my wrists.When you increase the speed, the steering appears to work, but Im afraid to test it at higher speeds. This also happens when parked.

Filed Oct 5, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · MT

The primary failures involve the central electrical system, computer module architecture, and the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), specifically the automatic rear backup braking. The 2026 Ram 1500 Laramie is currently parked at Lithia Ram in Helena, MT, and remains available for a complete inspection upon request. My safety, my wife's safety, and the lives of others have been put in extreme jeopardy. The truck suffered a terrifying, complete electrical and powertrain blackout directly in the middle of a highly dangerous, busy traffic intersection (Malfunction Junction). I was forced to activate my hazard lights and coast blindly through cross-traffic with zero steering control. The truck has also randomly stalled in parking lots. Furthermore, the computer system experiences severe glitches; the dashboard display repeatedly instructs me to push the start button to start the vehicle, even though the engine is already actively running. Additionally, the reverse backup braking system glitches, causing the rear brakes to randomly engage and violently jerk the truck when no hazard is present. The vehicle was towed to the dealership following the near-fatal intersection failure. The truck has had ongoing computer issues since August 2026. While remote, over-the-air software updates appeared on the center screen claiming to fix the vehicle, they failed to resolve the underlying defects. Despite the towing history and ongoing electrical glitches, the service department at Lithia Ram in Helena claims they "cannot replicate" the defects. No independent, manufacturer, or police inspections have occurred yet; the local dealer has only performed basic diagnostics and is actively refusing to investigate deeper or provide alternative transportation. The safety failures and computer errors happen completely at random with zero advance warning. This is the second truck with the same issues. Lithia transferred me into the Laramie from a 2026 Rebel that died on interstate.

Filed Oct 1, 2026 · Electrical · MT

On October 1, 2026, my 2022 Ram 1500 Rebel with the 5.7L HEMI eTorque mild-hybrid system failed to restart after an automatic engine stop-start event at a red light. The engine shut off as designed when I stopped. After about 90 seconds the light turned green and I released the brake, but the engine did not restart, and the truck sat motionless in the traffic lane. When I pressed the accelerator, the engine revved and the truck lurched forward unexpectedly. At that point a battery warning light and an auto stop-start warning (stop-start symbol with an exclamation mark) appeared on the dash. No warning lights appeared before the failure. I pulled over and was able to restart the truck, but the dash voltmeter read about 12.8V while running instead of the normal 14.4V, meaning the 12V battery was not being charged. I drove to my destination. After I shut the truck off and restarted it, voltage returned to about 14.4V. Note that this is not the first time this has occurred and I often keep the automatic start/stop off because it seems to have so many issues.

Filed Sep 22, 2026 · Electrical, Transmission · MA

After normal driving and powering down, (breaking, stopping, transmission to park, and turning truck off) the truck then lurches forward after a period of time from shutting it off. It lurches forward and then returns to its resting place. It does not do this every time and it is random with no identifiable reason that I can ascertain. The first time it happened I was at a gas station when the truck was turned off and my son got out to get a snack inside the gas station store. When walking toward the store the truck lurched forward nearly hitting my child. This problem was reported to McGovern Jeep Dodge Ram Newton, MA where they have had many opportunities to fix the problem. We have been in and out of the shop several times, with each visit lasting weeks to months. For the most recent repair (i was given the truck back on 9/17/26) the truck was in the shop nearly two months and the dealer involved a stellantis engineer and reported that they replaced the valve body/HIS repair in the transmission as well as both batteries, claiming it solved the problem. Upon return of vehicle I drove it home without turning off the car or stopping anywhere and the truck repeated the same lurching motion after powering down the vehicle. I have provided a video to Mcgovern showing the lurching and they have also stated in their notes the truck lurches 55 seconds after the truck goes to sleep. The truck was returned from McGovern with 20,223 miles and its about 25 miles from the shop to my house where the vehicle currently is. McGovern has made approximately 6 attempts to fix this issue while Planet Jeep Dodge Ram in Franklin MA has made 1 attempt to fix part of the issue. This has resulted in approximately 238 days out of service while at dealers. I have asked McGovern to tow the vehicle back to its shop to be worked on as I do not feel safe driving the vehicle. I have video of the truck lurching while off but I was not allowed to upload it on this form.

Filed Sep 17, 2026 · Electrical, Fuel system · WA

After towing module recall completed, the trailer towing light comes On showing up on the dash board in yellow requesting setup, then fades off. Twice happened. Folding mirror required three depressions of folding mirror button to open. Back up camera fails and shows blue screen, no back up image. 5 times since Ownership. Downshift and up shift hard enough and jerky enough to break traction on icy roads in traffic. Winter is coming and this is a genuine safety concern. Pulling into parking spot very slowly truck went into park and applied brakes, no reason for this. Front sensors failed to operate when pull into into another park spot and only worked on restart. Both batteries failed and required replacement under warranty when truck was new with break in type miles. A/C locked up on infotainment center and could not turn off. Required three restarts. Rear view mirror has failed to dim several times. Numerous software issues and electrical. Stellantis should buy these trucks back, fix them right and then sell as used. I would like my hard earned money back on a new truck plagued with issues and is a safety hazard!

Filed Sep 9, 2026 · Steering · KS

While making a left turn the steering wheel jerked slightly and vehicle suddenly became difficult to steer. Noted a red flashing steering wheel icon with a red flashing exclamation mark icon on the instrument panel. An accident was narrowly avoided only due to the strength of the driver to manually turn the vehicle sufficiently to avoid collision. Mechanic diagnosis is that the Electronic Steering Assist Motor or Module in the EPS Rack and Pinion assembly had failed. Vehicle has not been repaired as of yet.

Filed Sep 7, 2026 · Steering · FL

My vin number isnt showing up for the steering rack recall but recently i got into my truck to get it out of the garage and the second i tried to turn the wheel it jerked and the steering shutdown so i couldnt turn the wheels.the truck has less than 12,500 miles on it. Its been in a air-conditioned garage its entire life. Its in the shop right now getting a new rack installed. $3500