2018 Ram 1500 Steering

Steering completely locks up.

Steering rack and pinion locked up while driving, delayed inputs, unsafe at high speed. Service power steering light came on, disappeared shortly after with steering inputs still jumpy and hard to control.

I was driving down the road and lost all control in the steering wheel. No power steering at all. A steering wheel with exclamation point light flashing on dash. Dealership quoting $4100 for this repair. I checked to see if there is any recalls and none for mine but many for models 2019 and above. It states "some" 2018 models. I would like to see if my repair qualifys for this recall. A costly repair like this on a 6 year old vehicle is financially straining and based on my research this is a common problem and seems to be a manufacturer defect. Safety concern- complete loss of steering while operating on roadway.

I was driving my 2018 ram at approx 35 mph going into a turn my power steering went out and I almost went off the road the service power steering light came on.

Was driving vehicle, power steering abruptly stopped working, pulled over vehicle to side of road, Turned off vehicle for two minutes, turned vehicle back on, power steering warning notification was now activated.... Unknown if it is still able to be inspected, calling shop tomorrow to verify.... Issue was confirmed by Independent Service Center.... Piece was inspected by Warranty Representative.... There were no warning, messages, or symptoms prior to failure. Issue happened abruptly....

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

While traveling the EPS shut off while at a high rate of speed and jerked the steering wheel out of my hands

Subject: Ongoing Power Steering Malfunction – Safety Concern I am writing to report a recurring and now potentially permanent issue with the power steering system in my vehicle. The problem began approximately 2 to 2.5 years ago. Initially, it was intermittent — the power steering would occasionally fail at low speeds, then resume normal operation. During these incidents, the dashboard would display a warning message: “Service Power Steering.” Over time, the issue has become more frequent, and in some cases, the failure occurs immediately upon startup, before the vehicle has even been driven. I first brought the vehicle to a local repair shop, where I was advised that the power steering unit might need to be replaced. They also mentioned that the problem could be related to a known defect involving contaminated components. However, after checking the serial number, I confirmed that my vehicle is not included in the current recall for this make and model. Next, I took the vehicle to a Ram Chrysler dealership. They were unable to replicate the issue during their inspection and advised me to bring the vehicle back on a tow truck if the problem occurred again. Since then, the issue has returned multiple times. I was previously able to temporarily clear the fault by disconnecting and reconnecting the battery terminals, but that method is no longer effective. The failure now appears to be persistent and ongoing. This is a serious safety concern. A sudden loss of power steering — whether at startup, low speeds, or while driving — poses a significant risk to both myself and others on the road. I plan to return to the dealership for further diagnostics, but I believe this issue deserves broader investigation and may warrant an expansion of the current recall. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Power steering turn off for 2 seconds if I hit a bump or in the middle of a turn. It will then sometimes turn right back on or just not turn back on. Recalls are on many rams for this issue but not on my truck specifically even though its the same issue other rams are having in the recall list

On Arpril 4 2025, after dropping off my kids at daycare I was turning left at a 6 lane intersection and the power steering completely failed while turning. This rendered the truck inoperable and nearly caused a collision and stopped right before ending in a ditch. I turned the truck off and then restarted and the power steering started to operate again. I took the truck to the shop and in route the power steering went out again. I was told at the shop and the dealership this is a known concern, but due to my VIN number it does not fall under the recall that has been issued over the power steering failures. I was never notified of this issue prior to 4/4/2025 .

Steering is going in and out, mechanic thinks it's our module that should be part of this major recall.

The steering gear failed making steering inconsistent and very difficult as well as dangerous. The issue is not covered under the extended warranty, so FCA gave me a quote of $4100 to fix the issue.

While driving and turning the steering wheel totally locks up momentarily. At this point there is no control of steering. The first time it happened I just missed a parked car when turning a corner. When I took it to the dealer the mechanic almost ran into a building driving it into the shop.

I was driving in a curve when the power steering went out and it took everything I had to keep from have a serious accident with my young grand daughter in the car. It happened immediately without any warning. If I was going much faster it would have been catastrophic Now the steering only works sporadically. Very dangerous and as it turns extremely expensive to repair. It sounds like this might be a very common problem but they are not offering a recall, which doesn't seem right

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated when he first started the vehicle he observed that a red steering wheel with an exclamation point was flashing on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that when he had shifted the vehicle into drive (D) and was turning the steering wheel to drive onto a street onto the street the steering wheel was locked. The contact turned the vehicle off and on several times and was able to regain power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was now an ongoing failure. The red steering wheel warning was no longer flashing as was constantly illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power steering gear and a printed circuit card needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had researched on line and related the failure to manufacturer recall number: VB9 - Electric Power Steering Gear (Steering) The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,825.

Power steering was intermittently working for a period of time. One day while driving the power steering failed entirely. Was able to get the vehicle to a RAM dealership where it was confirmed that the entire electric power steering rack had failed and needs to be replaced. Parts are on back order with no anticipated delivery date. Part order was placed a month ago and still no updates.

While driving the power steering stopped working causing the vehicle to become very difficult to steer. Fortunately this happened while traveling in a straight line and I was able to maintain control of the vehicle, but if it had happened in a curve, or leading into a corner, it would have been difficult to maintain lane control. After letting the vehicle sit for 8 hours, I was able to start the vehicle and drive it a short distance before the fault reoccurred. The vehicle sat for two days and after a few minutes of driving the power steering went out again. All fuses on the power connections test as properly functioning. There is a recall covering RAM 1500 trucks from 2013 - 2019 for this exact problem definition, but multiple RAM dealerships that I have contacted state my vehicle does not fall under the recall (per VIN). The NHTSA needs to investigate this complaint and hold RAM accountable to fix the known issue on all RAM trucks. It is not a matter of if, but a matter of when. Loss of power steering can lead to a serious accident. My wife or daughter would not have been able to turn the vehicle had this occurred while they were operating a vehicle in a turn.

Electric power steering rack and pinion failed during Hurricane Helene leaving my wife, [XXX] , my mother-in-law, and myself stranded on the side of the road. Thankfully it failed while we were stopped waiting to cross a flooded bridge rather than while driving down the road. Truck was towed after sitting for 2 weeks. Rack and pinion was disassembled and inner belt that connects the electric motor to the steering gear was found to be destroyed. Research shows that electric power steering issues are not uncommon on Ram 1500 trucks manufactured since 2013. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Electronic rack and pinion failed with 128,922 miles. From what I have read online that is too low of mileage for electrical rack failure.

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and turning the steering wheel to the left or the right, the power steering functionality was inoperable. The contact needed to use both hands to turn the steering wheel. The steering wheel would continuously turn in the opposite direction. The steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. The service power steering message was displayed. The contact viewed a video regarding the lower steering shaft u joint. The contact used a tester and checked the fuses. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that a diagnostic test was needed and that the repair would be an out-of-pocket expense. Additionally, the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and there was no recall associated with the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 99,899.

While driving down the highway I lost my power stearing. The power stearing keep going in and out from 10 mph to 50 all speeds.

On 07/11/2024 while driving my 2018 RAM Ecodiesel at highway speeds, a warning light came on that said "Service Power Steering" and my electronic power steering (EPS) completely stopped working. This caused an extremely unsafe situation as I was traveling at roughly 65mph in moderate traffic and had to perform an evasive maneuver to keep from colliding with the vehicle next to me and pull my vehicle to the side of the road. I have an appointment with a local RAM dealer today 07/15/2024. Vehicle available for inspection upon request.

Sudden and complete loss of the electric power steering system. As I was entering a corner the steering wheel felt like it was almost locked, Incredibly hard to steer and barely managed to stay on the road. Had I been going any faster I could have been seriously injured or crashed into other drivers. Unable to fix vehicle as well, the steering rack is unservicable and on national backorder.

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), he observed a loud noise emanating from the engine compartment. Additionally, the steering wheel failed to move as needed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle lost power functionality and was difficult to steer. The contact stated that the failure almost caused two accidents. The contact's husband was able to avoid the accidents and drove the vehicle to a safe location and parked the vehicle. The contact's husband turned the vehicle off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was informed that the system had reset itself and the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact also stated that the vehicle was scheduled for another diagnostic appointment in several days. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to have another diagnostic test performed. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.