2011 Ram 2500 Steering Problems

The steering became uncontrollable and wobbled so violently I could not keep my hands on the wheel. It will be open for inspection at any time. The safety of all other road users and pedestrians were put in grave danger. Due to the complete loss of steering control. This has happened to other ram owners I have talked with as well. The problem was addressed by my local mechanic. He recommended replacing the entire front end steering and suspension components I agreed he did the work, he did the work. I also replaced all four tires with new and had them balanced. Within 2 weeks this death wobble happened. There are no warning lamps for this problem.

Yesterday, 3/22/2024, I was driving northbound on I-15, fat left lane, approx. 80 mph/posted highway speed. Suddenly lost steering control on my 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins diesel truck. Front end/tires began vibrating, all steering control lost, truck veered to the right across 3 lanes of traffic and off into the dirt/sage brush to the right of the highway. It almost rolled over, but I was able to slow it to a stop. My dogs & I could have been killed. I turned the truck off for a few minutes, then re-started the ignition. Was mid-trip with no other transportation option, so I drove the rest of the way at much slower speeds, was able to get the truck to our home. I am still shaken from what could have happened to me and our family. I have dash cam video of this incident.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY SLOW DOWN. ADDITIONALLY, THE POWER STEERING FAILED CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND OCCURRED WHILE THE RPM WAS BELOW 700 RPM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.*DT FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER BRAKING AND GOING ABOUT 20 MPH AFTER THE RPM'S DROP TO ABOUT 700.*JB

THE TRUCK IS MAKING NOISES EVERY TIME YOU TURN THE WHEEL, IT IS VERY STIFF, AND THERE IS A LEAK.

DEATH WOBBLE AT INTERSTATE 70MPH SPEEDS, NO CONTROL UNTIL SPEED DROPS TO 30. HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES.-FIRST TIME FEB 2019 WITH ABOUT 55K MILES. LAST TIME WAS AUG 2020 WITH LESS THAN 60K MILES. HAVE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME ND MONEY TO NO AVAIL. CONDITION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS IT HAPPENS WITH NO WARNING AND IS ALARMINGLY VIOLENT. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND FIXED OR SENT TO THE SALVAGE YARD

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

DEATH WOBBLE - I WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY. I DROVE OVER A BRIDGE EXPANSION JOINT AND SUDDENLY THE TRUCK BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY. I COULD NOT STEER. I COULD NOT BRAKE. WE NEARLY COLLIDED WITH A HIGHWAY DIVIDER AND OTHER VEHICLES. I HAD TO COAST DOWN TO 30 MPH OR SO WHEN IT RESOLVED ITSELF.

TRUCK SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. COULDN'T STEER, COULDN'T TURN, COULD BARELY STOP. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROTARY WITH MY 7 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. MOST LIKELY THE TIPM WAS THE CAUSE BECAUSE IT STARTED RIGHT UP AFTERWARDS. NO SIGNS OR WARNINGS OCCURRED BEFORE ISSUE HAPPENED. *TR

WHILE MAKING A TURN AND APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL, COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING CAUSING VEHICLE TO CROSS CENTER LINE OF ROADWAY AND DRIVE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. BRAKE PEDAL ALSO EXTREMELY HARD TO PRESS (POSSIBLY LOSS OF POWER BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME). STEERING RETURNING TO NORMAL SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES TODAY, WITH SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF COMPLETELY BETWEEN OCCURRENCES OF THIS FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER A BUMP AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BECOME VERY UNSTABLE. AFTER REDUCING THE SPEED TO 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE DROVE NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 2500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 13V529000 (STEERING) AND 14V635000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, FUEL SYSTEM DIESEL); HOWEVER, THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

DEAR SIR OR MA'AM, I AM WRITING YOU TO REPORT A SEVERE PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED TO ME ON 3/5/16, AND AGAIN ON 4/9/16. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON BOTH OCCASIONS ON WASHINGTON STATE HIGHWAYS. THE FRONT END OF MY 2011 RAM 2500 PICK UP BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. IT WAS SO INTENSE THAT I WAS AFRAID THAT I MIGHT LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE PROBLEM STOPPED. AFTER I GOT BACK ON THE ROAD I TRAVELED ABOUT A MILE, AND THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. MY WIFE BROUGHT THE TRUCK INTO A REPAIR SHOP ON 3/7/16 TO SEE IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES OR SUSPENSION. THE SHOP SAID THE TIRES WERE BALANCED AND THAT THEY DID NOT FIND ANY OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE SUSPENSION. AFTER A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH I DISCOVERED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE DESCRIBING THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED. THEY REFERRED TO IT AS THE 'DODGE DEATH WOBBLE' MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. IT SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY THE STEERING DESIGN ('Y' TYPE VS. 'T' TYPE?) I AM HOPING THAT YOU WILL INITIATE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROBLEM AND ULTIMATELY MANDATE THAT FCA US LLC (DODGE) ISSUE A RECALL FOR ALL VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THIS DESIGN FLAW BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. I CONTACTED DODGE CORPORATE HQ AND I HAVE ATTACHED THEIR RESPONSE.

POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING. IT WILL GO IN AND OUT INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN WORK PERIODICALLY. OUR TIE ROD ALREADY SNAPPED AND WAS REPLACED UNDER RECALL, BUT NOW THE TRUCK HAS POWER STEERING ISSUES. A VIN CHECK SAYS ALL REPAIRS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED ON OUR TRUCK BUT WE ARE STILL HAVING STEERING ISSUES. WAS DRIVING AND MAKING A TURN WHEN THE STEERING WENT OUT INITIALLY AND WE COULD NOT TURN THE VEHICLE. ALSO, BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM IS MALFUNCTIONING, CAUSING LOCKING TRAILER BRAKES, ROOF SUDDENLY BEGAN LEAKING AND FLOODED INTERIOR CAB, TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS ARE MALFUNCTIONING, HEATER FLAP IN DASH IS BAD AND BEEN IN FOR REPAIR 2 TIMES AND ITS NOT FIXED. AIR CONDITIONER IS NOT BLOWING COLD AND THE BACKUP CAMERA DOES NOT WORK. THE TRUCK HAS 60,000 MILES NOW AND IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT DODGE SAYS IT CAN'T FIX SOME OF THE PROBLEMS DUE TO NO WARRANTY OR NOT BEING ABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM.

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN A HIGHWAY AT ROUGHLY 65MPH. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AT THIS TIME. I SIGNALED TO MAKE A LEFT-HAND TURN ONTO A STREET AHEAD. I SLOWLY BRAKED TO ROUGHLY 10-15 MPH BEFORE BEGINNING TO TURN. WHEN I STARTED TO TURN, THE POWER-STEERING IN THE VEHICLE FAILED. IN OTHER WORDS, THE POWER-STEERING WAS WORKING FINE JUST BEFORE EXECUTING THE TURN, THEN FAILED WITHOUT WARNING JUST AS I STARTED TO TURN THE WHEEL AND WAS STILL IN MOTION.. THE WHEELS BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND I WAS ABLE TO OVERPOWER THE FAILED POWER-STEERING COMPONENTS TO COMPLETE THE TURN AND GET OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY. HOWEVER, IF MY PHYSICALLY SMALLER WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING, I AM NOT CONFIDENT THAT IT WOULD HAVE ENDED AS WELL. THERE WAS ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON THE OPPOSITE LANE TRAVELING AT 65MPH WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. NO DASH LIGHTS, "CHECK ENGINE", ETC. APPEARED BEFORE OR AFTER THE OCCURRENCE. ONCE THE ENGINE IS IDLED UP, THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARS. IT'S ONLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS IDLED DOWN (LIKE WHEN YOU'RE SLOWING FOR A TURN), THAT THE POWER-STEERING WOULD FAIL UNEXPECTEDLY. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ONLINE AND FOUND THIS TO BE CAUSED BY A "STICKING VALVE" IN THE HYDRO-BOOST SYSTEM. I CONTACTED A LOCAL DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT., AND WAS TOLD THAT THE REPAIRS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AFTER 36K MILES (VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 48K MILES). THEY DO NOT SEEM TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE EVIDENT SAFETY ISSUE THIS POSES ON A FAIRLY NEW VEHICLE. I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT THE NHTSA WILL INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER BEFORE SOMEONE BECOMES INJURED. I UNDERSTAND THAT PARTS CAN SOMETIMES FAIL ON NEW VEHICLES, BUT WHEN THEY FAIL THIS EARLY WITHOUT WARNING AND AFFECT VITAL PARTS THAT CONTROL THE VEHICLE, SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE EXTREME FORCE IN ORDER TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V657000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000. UPDATED 04/14/16*LJ; UPDATED 05/10/18*JB *TR

MY SAFETY COMPLAINT ON OUR 2011 DODGE RAM 3500 TRUCK SHOULD ALREADY BE IN FILE! WE HAVE HAD SAFETY ISSUES WITH THIS TRUCK EVER SINCE PURCHASING IT AS A USED VEHICLE FROM RAMEY'S IN BECKLEY, WV. THERE ARE AT PRESENT THREE (3) RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE, OF WHICH N49 APPEARS TO BE THE MOST LIFE-THREATENING, WHICH WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT, NOR WERE WE EVER NOTIFIED ABOUT THE BUYBACK ON THIS TRUCK. WE ACCIDENTALLY FOUND OUT. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANYTHING CONCERNING THESE PROBLEMS, PROBABLY BECAUSE WE PURCHASED IT USED. THE PROBLEM WITH THE TIE ROD, WHICH COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL AND A POSSIBLE CRASH IS NOT THE ONLY LIFE-THREATENING RECALL. THE RECALL WITH THE FUEL HEATER COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE A FIRE. WE HAVE, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD WHILE REFUELING THE TRUCK, AS WELL AS A NOTICEABLE SHAKING AND VIBRATING IN THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK WHILE IN OPERATION. FCA US, LLC IS ATTEMPTING TO CIRCUMVENT THE "CONSENT ORDER" AGREED TO BY THEM WITH NHTSA. THEY HAVE AGREED TO REPURCHASE THESE DEFECTIVE VEHICLES FOR THE PURCHASE PRICE PAID BY THE "ORIGINAL" PURCHASER, MINUS A REASONABLE AMOUNT FOR DEPRECIATION, PLUS 10%! IT APPEARS THAT FCA IS MAKING THEIR OWN RULES TO REPURCHASE BY "LOW-BALLING" THE REPURCHASE PRICE! WHAT THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO IS CALLED FRAUD! IT WOULD APPEAR THAT NHTSA IS ALLOWING IT! SHOULD A CRASH OR FIRE HAPPEN WHILE FCA DRAGS ITS FEET ON THE REPURCHASE OF THIS TRUCK, SOMEONE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY LAW!

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU REQUIRE FIAT CHRYSLER TO RECALL AND BUY BACK VEHICLES THAT ARE UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND I GET TO SELL MY PICKUP BACK TO THEM AT TRADE IN VALUE WHICH EVERYONE IN THE WORLD KNOWS IS A DEALERS WAY OF SCREWING THE OWNER BECAUSE THEY TURN AROUND AND LIST THE VEHICLE FOR AT LEAST $4000 MORE THAN WHAT THEY PAID FOR THE TRADE IN. SO I GET SOLD A LEMON AND IM GLAD YOU ARE STARTING TO PUNISH COMPANIES SO THAT THEY IN TURN START PRODUCING QUALITY VEHICLES AND PUTTING EFFORT INTO THEIR CARS BUT THEY ARE EVEN TURNING THIS FOR PROFIT. THEY FIX THE PARTS AND RESALE THE CAR FOR MORE THAN THEY PAID FOR IT. GREAT PLAN. WHY NOT USE PRIVATE PARTY RESALE VALUE SO THAT WE ACTUALLY GET WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH.

THE STEERING IS VERY LOOSE AND SLOPPY AFTER REPLACING EVERY COMPONENT IN THE FRONT END.

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE TRUCK BEGINS TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND CANNOT BE PROPERLY CONTROLLED. DRIVER MUST IMMEDIATELY REDUCE SPEED OR STOP IN ORDER TO REGAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THIS OCCURS ESPECIALLY IF HITTING ANY KIND OF BUMP AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, EVEN IF IT IS NEGLIGIBLE. IT IS ENOUGH TO LOSE STABILITY. THE SHAKING IS SO VIOLENT THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN A GRIP ON THE STEERING WHEEL. BECAUSE IT HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING, IT PLACES ALL OCCUPANTS IN DANGER AS WELL AS OTHER MOTORISTS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE PROPERLY STEERED AND MUST BE IMMEDIATELY SLOWED OR STOPPED, CREATING A ROAD HAZARD TO EVERYONE. THROUGH RESEARCH, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS COLLOQUIALLY KNOWN AS THE "DODGE DEATH WOBBLE," AND WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL PRIOR TO OUR PURCHASE AND WAS NOT DISCLOSED TO US. WE HAVE SINCE ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE VIOLENT SHAKING AS WELL AS ANY REMEDY FROM THE MANUFACTURER, BUT HAVE ALSO LEARNED THERE IS A PENDING CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT THAT MAY CAUSE THE MANUFACTURER TO HESITATE TO ADMIT THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE "REPLACEMENT" PARTS UNDER THE PRIOR RECALL. WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT (AND THEREFORE NO POLICE REPORTS, ETC.), THOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN CLOSE CALLS WHEN WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO USE THE TRUCK. WE CHOOSE TO TAKE OTHER TRANSPORTATION WHENEVER WE CAN. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIVES. WE PLAN TO TAKE VIDEO IF WE ARE FORCED TO DRIVE THE TRUCK AGAIN, OR ASK OUR DEALER TO DRIVE IT AND CONFIRM THE DEFECT. THIS BEGAN APPROXIMATELY IN AUGUST, BUT MAY HAVE BEEN BEFORE (I AM FILING COMPLAINT FOR MY HUSBAND) AND TRUCK HAS OVER 100,000 MILES ON IT, BUT I DO NOT HAVE EXACT MILEAGE WITH ME AT WORK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *TR

AUGUST 7, 2015, I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 DODGE 2500 4X4 CREW CAB DIESEL WITH 47265 MILES, DOWN A NARROW CANYON ROAD WITH A DROP OFF INTO A RIVER ON ONE SIDE NEAR MY HOME. I BEGAN A RIGHTHAND TURN AT ABOUT 20-25 MPH WHEN BOTH THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WENT OUT. I WAS PULLING WITH BOTH HANDS AND HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BREAK AND I WAS STILL HEADING STRAIGHT ACROSS THE CENTER LINE TOWARD ANOTHER CAR GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I DO BELIEVE IT WAS A MIRACLE THAT BOTH VEHICLES DIDN'T END UP DOWN THE EMBANKMENT AND IN THE RIVER. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE TRUCK IN A TURNOUT PAST THE CURVE, I COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAKS OR ANYTHING BINDING IN THE STEERING. WHEN I RESTARTED THE TRUCK THE STEERING AND BRAKES WORKED FINE, SO I DROVE THE 1 1/2 MILES BACK HOME WHERE IT HAPPENED AGAIN TURNING INTO MY DRIVE WAY. THE DODGE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED AND THAT HAD CAUSED THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO FAIL AND IT WOULD COST CLOSE TO $2000.00 TO FIX. I TOLD THEM TO GO AND FIX IT, BUT MY LAWYER AND I WOULD BE HAVING A TALK WITH DODGE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND DODGE IS LUCKY THAT THEY ARE NOT OWNING 3 FATALITIES. THE STATED THAT THEY WOULD CALL THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE. THE DEALER CALLED BACK AND STATED IT WOULD ONLY B E $500.00 FOR "CUSTOMER PARTICIPATION OF GOODWILL CDED". I HAVE LOST ALL CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY OF THIS TRUCK AND WITH THIS ISSUE AND WAITING 5 MOS. FOR PARTS ON ONE RECALL AND 4 MONTHS ON ANOTHER. I CAN'T EVEN SELL IT BECAUSE I AM WAITING ON AN O2 SENSOR FOR 2 1/2 MOS. NOW. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS STEERING AND BRAKE ISSUE TO SEE IF IT IS AN ISOLATED PROBLEM OR SOMETHING ELSE BEFORE SOMEBODY DOES GET KILLED.