Which Ram 1500 years have the most steering problems?

The 2019 model year has by far the most, with 313 owner complaints and 10 crash reports. The 2018, 2020, and 2021 years come next. Newer years show fewer complaints, but they have had less time on the road, so low counts there are not a clean bill of health.

Is it safe to drive a Ram 1500 with steering problems?

Owners report sudden loss of power assist at highway speed, and some of those reports end in crashes. One owner had the failure return the next day after restarting. A truck showing a steering warning or a heavy wheel should be inspected before regular driving.

Is there a recall for Ram 1500 steering problems?

Federal recall records list five steering-related recalls. Three cover 2019 trucks: a battery ground fastener, column stub shafts, and a contaminated EPS gear. Two cover the column control module and turn signals on 2023 and 2024 trucks. Check the VIN, since some owners say theirs was not covered.

How much does a Ram 1500 steering rack replacement cost?

Owners quote about $3,000 to $3,500 for a rack and pinion with the electric module on 2019 trucks, and over $3,000 on 2018. One 2020 owner was quoted over $2,000. Some repairs are free under warranty or recall, and some parts are backordered.

Why does my Ram 1500 steering pull to the right?

Owners of 2025 trucks report a pull to the right at highway speed, often from day one. Alignments read in spec, and a steering module reflash under a service bulletin did not cure it for several of them. The data does not name a confirmed cause.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Ram 1500 Steering Problems

Sudden loss of electric power steering assist is the main steering complaint on the Ram 1500, leaving the wheel heavy or locked, often with no warning.

Owner complaints: 531
Share of all complaints: 13%
Crash / fire / injury reports: 30 / 1 / 8
Related recalls: 5

1500 steering complaints by model year

The 2019 model year leads by a wide margin, with 313 steering complaints, or 5.9 per 10,000 sold. The 2018 model follows with 65, then 2020 with 50 and 2021 with 42. Complaints thin out after that, down to 27 for 2022 and low counts from 2023 on. Those newer trucks have had less time on the road to collect complaints, so their lower numbers do not prove they are free of the problem. The 2026 model has just one complaint so far.

2018
65 · 1.5/10k sold
2019
313 · 5.9/10k sold
2020
50 · 1.1/10k sold
2021
42 · 0.9/10k sold
2022
27 · 0.7/10k sold
2023
13 · 0.3/10k sold
2024
5 · 0.2/10k sold
2025
15 · 0.5/10k sold
2026
1

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA under steering. Newer model years have had less time to collect complaints.

What goes wrong

The core steering complaint on this truck is a sudden loss of electric power steering assist. The wheel goes heavy or locks, often with a "power steering unavailable" message, though some owners get no warning at all. It happens at highway speed, while towing, and in slow turns. Other owners describe a wheel that sticks when turning left, feels loose, or wanders. Steering makes up 13% of all owner complaints on the model.

This is a safety problem, not a nuisance. Owners report trucks leaving the road and hitting trees, poles, ditches, and parked vehicles, and 2019 alone has ten crash reports. Several reports describe the steering dropping out along with an engine shutdown or brake trouble. One 2022 fire was traced to a chafed starter wire that also disabled the steering. Trucks often end up towed to a dealer, and some lose assist again after the repair.

Symptoms owners report

Power assist cuts out suddenly

The wheel becomes very hard to turn with little or no warning. Some trucks show a "power steering unavailable" message first. Assist can return mid-curve, and then the truck jerks or oversteers. Failures last a few seconds in some trucks and stay gone in others.

Wheel locks or sticks

Owners describe the wheel locking up, catching, or sticking when turning left, sometimes from new. One owner says it sticks at the 10 to 11 o'clock position and must be forced back to center. Dealers often cannot reproduce it.

Steering lost during electrical failure

In some trucks the voltage drops, warning lights come on, and systems shut down one by one before the steering and engine go. Reports in 2021 through 2025 describe steering vanishing as part of a wider electrical failure or engine shutoff.

Pulls right, sits off center

Some 2025 trucks pull to the right at highway speed, often from the first day. Alignments read in spec. A steering module reflash under a service bulletin did not fix it for several owners. The wheel can also sit off center.

Turn signal and column module faults

On 2023 and 2024 trucks, many reports involve the steering column control module. Turn signals will not cancel or stay on. Owners say recall parts were out of stock for months, and some trucks were not on the recall VIN list.

When the problems start

Owners report failures across a wide range. Complaints on 2019 trucks cluster between 60,000 and 81,000 miles, and 2022 trucks between about 25,000 and 50,000. Some 2020 racks failed around 34,000 to 36,000 miles, just past the basic warranty. Others fail much sooner: one 2021 truck failed at 72 miles, and a 2025 truck pulled right at 1,500 miles. On 2018 trucks, racks have failed from 22,300 miles to past 128,922.

Repairs and recalls

Dealers most often replace the steering rack and pinion, sometimes with the electric module, or the steering gear. Owners quote about $3,000 to $3,500 on 2019 trucks, over $3,000 on 2018, and over $2,000 on 2020. Battery or switch repairs often failed to hold on 2020 trucks, and some 2021 trucks lost steering again within a few hundred miles. Parts are backordered in several reports. Federal recall records list three 2019 steering recalls: a loose battery ground fastener (19V020000), improperly machined column stub shafts (19V201000), and a contaminated EPS gear (19V812000). Two later recalls cover the column control module on 2023 and 2024 trucks. Several owners say their VIN was not covered.

Model years	Campaign	Problem
2023, 2024	24V729000	Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Ram 1500 vehicles. The turn signal self-canceling feature may not function properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor…
2023	23V799000	Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2023 Ram 1500 Classic, Ram 3500 Classic, 3500 Cab Chassis, 2023-2024 Ram 2500, 4500/5500 Cab Chassis, and Ram 3500 vehicles. The steering column control module may cause the…
2019	19V201000	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…
2019	19V020000	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.
2019	19V812000	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…

Checking a used 1500 for steering problems

Run the VIN for open recalls, then confirm with a dealer, since some owners say their truck was left off recall lists.
Ask for service records showing any rack and pinion, steering gear, or steering module replacement, and when it happened.
On the test drive, turn lock to lock at low speed and at highway speed, watching for sticking, jerking, or a heavy wheel.
Check the dash for steering or battery warnings at startup and confirm the truck tracks straight without pulling right.
On 2023 and 2024 trucks, test that the turn signals cancel and the high beams behave, and ask whether the column module was updated.
Ask whether the powertrain and basic warranty still apply, because rack failures were reported just past basic coverage.

5 steering recalls cover the Ram 1500. A VIN check shows whether the car you're looking at had its recall work done, plus accident and title history.

Look Up a VIN →