2019 RAM 1500 steering problems

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​SUMMARY OF ISSUE: Water intrusion from a defective factory rear window seal flooded the Radio Frequency (RF) Hub module, causing severe, dangerous network communication (CAN bus) failures while driving. The removed RF Hub has been retained by the owner and is available for physical inspection upon request. SAFETY RISKS: Power steering repeatedly seizes/locks up while driving. ​Vehicle completely stalls and freezes in active intersections and at highway speeds on I-95. ​Instrument panel illuminates with all warning lights ("Christmas tree" dash) and prompts driver to "Put Vehicle in Park and Put Back in Drive" while actively moving in traffic. ​Vehicle experiences complete power loss, creating a severe rear-end collision hazard. ​TIMELINE & MILEAGE: 60,328 mi (Dec 2022): Initial electrical glitches reported to dealer prior to 100k warranty expiration. ​92,733 mi (Sept 2024): Reported ongoing key fob loss, electrical anomalies, and TPMS drops. ​168,492 km (~104,696 mi): Scanned multiple CAN bus "U-codes" (documentation available). ​104,716 mi (Sept 22, 2025): Leaking rear window seal repaired by dealer. ​~114,000 mi: Worsening symptoms and total vehicle stall. ​DEALER FAILURE & DENIAL: When repairing the window seal, the dealer failed to inspect for interior water damage or check underlying electronics. They refused to open/inspect the RF Hub, claimed they could not reproduce the intermittent issue, and are attempting to blame an unrelated "star connector." The owner opened the RF Hub casing and photographed clear galvanic solder corrosion and water damage directly under the leak point. Component has not been inspected by police, insurance, or manufacturer reps. PRIOR SYMPTOMS: Progressive TPMS loss, "Key Fob Not Detected" while driving, throttle surges at stops, parasitic battery drain, and full dash light warnings—worsening with humidity and rain.

NHTSA complaint #11751755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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I was on the highway when the vehicle alerted me that shift was unavailable then the auto start/stop was unavailable then the airbags were unavailable then my FUEL and my MPH were not reading. My windshield wipers started all on their own and could not be turned off! And my EMERGENCY LIGHTS WERE INOP. I LOST POWER STEERING and was locked in gear! All while in morning rush hour traffic on the highway! The vehicle gave me a notification to get to my destination before turning it off or changing gears because it would not go back into gear. I got off the highway as safely as I could without EMERGENCY LIGHTS OR TURN SIGNALS and proceeded to a stop light. While slowing down I had no steering control. I pulled over and had to force the wheel to turn then I attempted to accelerate to move and had no power. So I was stuck. I had emergency services come and tow my vehicle to Chevrolet of Homewood at that point who is currently looking at it.

NHTSA complaint #11751567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Driving down the road service eps light came on and went back off. Went to make a turn and the truck did not turn. The steering wheel would not turn

NHTSA complaint #11751354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the message "power steering failure" was displayed, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated the failure was recurrent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with complete power steering failure. Repairs were pending due to parts unavailability. The manufacturer was not made aware of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

NHTSA complaint #11749097 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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When driving the truck the power steering would go out and make the truck almost impossible to turn. This is dangerous when driving as you cannot turn, avoid a collision, etc. I've had vehicles without power steering, and this was like the truck is actively pulling against you when trying to turn. The dealership did a diagnostic and said the power steering rack (electronic) needs to be replaced completely as it's going out. I'm not sure if it's related, but I've had other issues before this where my lane assist and cruise control would flash while in use and all turn off while driving down the road as well. There was no obvious check engine light or codes for this, just the occasional shutting off of my systems and power steering while operating the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11746267 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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For past nine months vehicle power steering intermittently stops working while operating vehicle. Inquired with dealer about NHTSA recall VB8 ... NHTSA 19V757000. Dealer indicates my vehicle VIN is not included in this recall. However, this is a manufacturing issue that has been identified in other 2019 RAM 1500. This problem is a serious safety risk--especially, not knowing the moment when the power steering will fail. This problem has been occurring intermittently for past nine months.

NHTSA complaint #11745959 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH through a curve in the road, the steering wheel became difficult to control, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The steering wheel remained in the direction that the steering wheel was turned. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA complaint #11744395 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Vehicle: 2019 Ram 1500 Mileage at Time of Incident: Approximately 88,000 miles The vehicle experienced an intermittent failure of the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system. While operating the vehicle, a "Power Steering Unavailable" warning message appeared, resulting in a loss of power steering assist and significantly increased steering effort. The condition occurred unexpectedly and created a safety risk by reducing the driver's ability to safely maneuver and control the vehicle, particularly during low-speed operation, turning movements, and emergency maneuvers. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Ram dealership (Lander's Dodge Chrysler Jeep Bossier City, LA.) Diagnostic testing identified Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) C2217, which the dealership stated indicates an internal failure of the Electric Power Steering system and/or steering rack assembly. The dealer recommended replacement of the rack and pinion assembly for $2,600 BUT the part was on back order and could take 4 months or more before the part comes in. I'm at a loss. The failed component is available for inspection upon request. The defect placed the driver and other motorists at risk because steering effort increased unexpectedly, reducing vehicle controllability. No prior collision or damage is known to have caused the failure. The dealership has confirmed the condition through diagnostic testing. Manufacturer inspection is UNKNOWN. Police involvement is UNKNOWN. Insurance inspection is UNKNOWN. Prior symptoms included an intermittent "Power Steering Unavailable" warning message. The exact date of the first occurrence is approximately 6 months ago, but after sitting overnight the message disappeared and there was no problem. It happens sporadically. Based on the diagnostic findings and dealer assessment, the apparent cause of the incident is an internal failure of the Electric Power Steering system associated with DTC C2217.

NHTSA complaint #11741917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Electric Steering failed making it unsafe to turn.

NHTSA complaint #11740186 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Loss of power steering while driving. RAM says there are no replacement parts and there is no recall on this part, steering rack and pinion.

NHTSA complaint #11740244 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Lost power while driving down the highway. All the dash lights and windshield wipers turned on and lost power steering. The steering gear assembly failed without warning.

NHTSA complaint #11736954 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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ABS warning comes on then steering wheel jerks. Additionally, traction control and 4WD is shut off

NHTSA complaint #11733590 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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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.

NHTSA complaint #11733104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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While driving, the steering gets really tight, feeling like the power steering is going to fail. Sometimes it is much worse than others. It is intermittent. No warning lights and no messages at all. We called V & H for service, they'd fix it but wouldn't look into the recall for other 2019 1500 Ram trucks. Our vehicle does not have the recall, but we would like to see about expanding the recall for us to be included or even have Chrysler help with the cost of the repair since it was a known issue with the 2019 1500 Ram trucks.

NHTSA complaint #11731771 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Truck will randomly refuse to turn left.

NHTSA complaint #11731927 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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complete power steering failure upon starting the truck-truck is very difficult to steer warning lamp appeared in dash immediately cruise control doesnt always come on without smacking the backside of button on steering wheel

NHTSA complaint #11724551 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Power steering seems to have stopped all fuses have been checked. Wiring is checked steering is underwhelming and very hard to turn at low and high speeds.

NHTSA complaint #11724590 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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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.

NHTSA complaint #11722631 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Reference NHTSA Safety Recall Safety Recall VB8 / NHTSA 19V-812 Electric Power Steering Gear. My 2019 Ram 1500 has this exact issue. The recall is VIN specific and my vehicle is not a listed VIN. Chrysler is not willing to honor the safety recall for this specific truck. The vehicle is unsafe to drive and this is a noted problem with this vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11716989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Steering wheel position sensor.

NHTSA complaint #11715017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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The power steering rack and pinion intermittently loses power especially at low speeds or when the vehicle is powered on. It is available for inspection upon request and has been inspected by a certified ram technician. This same issue is described in campaign number 19V812000 published by the nhtsa among other vehicles of this same make and model. There were no prior warnings or indications of the issue. [XXX] is the first time this issue presented but has become a daily occurrence and is the only mode of transportation for a family of four, consisting of two young children under the age of [XXX] . The concern is the safety of traveling with this issue may cause a crash or leave this family stranded due to the failure of the electrical components not allowing the vehicle to reset. Factory reset and software updates have been attempted, however further investigation has led to the diagnosis of internal components shorting out. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11710437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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2019 ram 1500 bighorn Power steering is going out intermittently while driving without notice or indication that it's going to happen, and it's throws power steering service light.The behavior matches exactly to the confirmed recall from Dodge "Safety Recall VB8 / NHTSA 19V812 Electric Power Steering Gear", I'm unclear why this vehicle VIN was not part of the recall as the recall description matches exactly in behavior, make, model and year of the truck. It's poses a safety risk to myself and drivers around me when losing control of steering unexpectedly.

NHTSA complaint #11704597 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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My power steering went out when driving on the highway. I had it towed to the dealership and was told the power steering rack fried and it would be almost $5 to fix. Taxes LINE C CONCERN: Power steering warning pops up on dash at startup and I have no power steering. The light goes away after a minute or two and the steering comes back. The truck sat for five days and this issue started on my first startup after (6/19/24). The battery hasnt been changed or jumped POTENTIAL CAUSE: Confirmed customer concern. Found DTC U0131 -00 - Lost Communication With Power Steering Control Module "A" and the EPS module is completely unresponsive. Removed connectors to the power steering rack and found that the main power and ground has been hot and has melted the connector and is full of corrosion. The power steering rack has internally shorted causing these issues. The steering rack needs replaced and the connector is not serviceable and the harness must be replaced.

NHTSA complaint #11703115 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Sudden power steering failure while driving. I was cornering when power steering failed nearly causing a crash. no prior warning lights or indicators. During research noted other same year models recalled for the same issue but not my VIN. Contacted manufacture customer service and dealer. Both offered no assistance.

NHTSA complaint #11702186 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while changing lanes and while turning. The vehicle was driven to the residence. An unknown dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact of an unknown recall with a similar failure, but the VIN was not associated under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the failure was significantly dangerous, and that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 75,900.

NHTSA complaint #11701443 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Intermittent short discovered in the electric power steering (EPS) system. I took the vehicle to the dealership to perform diagnostic testing and the dealership confirmed the issue is a short-circuit within the EPS system. This issue has already been covered in a separate NHTSA recall (19E-077) however my VIN was not included. Amplifying information for this being a prevalent issue includes backorders from the OEM for replacement EPS systems, as well as multiple other sources online claiming to have similar issues.

NHTSA complaint #11694611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Vehicle intermittently has power steering failures. Will not turn to the left.

NHTSA complaint #11693836 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.