Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My vehicle was in motion driving on a highway at the rate of 45mph-50mph my husband was driving, I was passenger, and my 2 year old son was in his car seat in the back. All the sudden we hit a small bump in the road, no bigger than your average pot holes and the entire truck broke out into an abrupt shake! It was throwing my husbands and my body around the shake was so intense the steering was controllable but extremely hard. It felt as though our tires were flying right off the vehicle. My husband braked and the violent shake seized and we immediately pulled over and parked the truck. We check and shook all tires they were secure. We looked under the truck everything seemed in place and secure. …
I just experienced a very severe auto accident in my 2001 Dodge Ram, the truck was totaled and the jaws of life had to be used to extract me from the vehicle. I had contacted my dealer prior to this (several months ago) complaining of steering problems (wandering), and the dealer informed me,they could not fix the problem because he was receiving pressure from Dodge to stop replacing steering components on these trucks. He also informed me, he has a number of documented cases of this problem--16 or so. There is also information that the state of maine forced Dodge to replace 20 or 30 of these vehicles due to steering problems. I would appreciate it if you would begin an investigation of this issue as it appears that there are a significant number of complaints about the steering of this make/model of vehicle (check your own database). …
Dt: consumer was driving early in the morning with a fully loaded trailer when he lost steering control and was involved in an accident. The vehicle left the road and went right through a fence causing lots of damage tothe vehicle and destroying the fence. Vehicle was still running when consumer lost steering. Consumer found that steering column had fallen apart. The shaft going from the gear box to the steering column shaft came apart. The bolt loosened and allowed for shaft to separate. The consumer was able to put the shaft back together and drove the vehicle to a garage. The consumer put lock tight on bolt and marked shaft to see if it would move again. Consumer has an accident report.
I installed Chrysler parts kit 52122362al, upgraded steering linkage drag link tie rod, and 68039930aa pitman arm on my 2001,5 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 truck. It easily replaced existing parts needing only a different steering damper to replace the original parts. I have since been learned that the steering linkage drag link parts are recalled after they have been installed on 2003-2008 trucks. Recalls I am aware of are h46 and n62. My left tie rod end ball stud has not broken yet but the possibility is very serious. I think Dodge Ram 1500/2500/3500 series trucks from model years 2001 and 2002 should be included in the recalls.
Truck is very hard to control at higher speeds and I pull a horse trailer. Very afraid of what can happen if total steering control is lost while traveling with my horses. It wobbles at speeds around 45 and over and feels like it wants to jump off the road or into another lane on highway. I replaced the entire front end and problem still exists. Seen many posts with identical issues as myself. I just want the problem to be resolved. It only has 144,000 miles on it. Do we have to wait until a death for this issue to be resolved??
The power steering pump failed while driving on a mountain road. I was unable to steer the truck, and also unable to stop the truck, as the power steering pump also supplies power to assist the brakes.
Steering wanders all over the place. 2001 Ram pickup 2500 with only 19,224 miles on it problem first surfaced around 15,000 miles. Dealer serviced at 17,207 miles as a licensed inspection mechanic, this vehicle will fail the state inspection sticker test when it is due. The amount of play at the steering wheel is currently at 5+ inches and getting worse. Inspection procedures require the play to be measured while observing the tire movement. ( example : turn the steering wheel to the left until visable movement of the tire is seen, mark a reference point on the steering wheel, now turn the steering wheel to the right untill visable movement of the tire , now measure the distance the mark on the steering wheel has traveled. Anything over a 2 1/2 " travel is cause for failing the state vehicle inspection sticker. …
My main reason for this complaint is it is known across the united states that Dodge put a faulty front suspension on its pickups that lead to dangerous steering at highway speeds and death wobbles. My vehicle has the death wobble at highway speeds, understand this death wobble literally tries to pull the steering wheel from your hand and makes the vehicle very hard to manage. My death wobble was severe enough to bust a battery clamp, blow out both headlights, make my quad cab door not open caused my outside temperature sensor unit to malfunction, broke my steering box, broke the clip on my sunglasses holder and caused my track bar to fail again. Please understand due to the faulty sloppy drifting steering I had already replaced all tie rods, track bar, ball joints and steering dampener shock. …
While driving vehicle's steering wheel locked up. Dealer notified. Ts steering wheel wouldn't turn. Power steering pump replaced. Tire pressure was too low. Steering box failed and replaced. Windshield cracked and replaced. Vehicle won't shift at 40 MPH. Clunking noise from park to reverse. Found normal operation. Oil leak in front of motor. Overflow bottle too full. Vehicle wandered all over the road. Steering box adjusted. And low tire pressure was to blame. Console on seat doesn't close properly. Turbo whistles on acceleration. No problem found. Transmission surges at 10 to 45 MPH. No problem found. Power steering box leaked and replaced second time. Leak was found at vacuum pump seal caused leak at power steering reservoir. Steering drifts to right and wheel is off center. Center drag link adjusted second time. After set for a few days, vehicle won't move when it is placed in drive. …
Steering. I purchased a used 1998 Dodge 2500 with the diesel engine. The steering was very loose, with almost 1/4 turn free play in the steering wheel. The dealer said the track bar was worn out, so I replaced it but did not see any improvement. The dealer then told me there was a problem with the steering box during that year and a different type was used in 1999 due to continuous complaints about the free play in the steering. Because I felt driving a vehicle with this much free play was dangerous and I was told the proble was corrected, I traded for a new truck of the same type, buying a 2001. When new, there was not much free play. At about 20,000 miles, I had about 1/8 turn of free play in the steering wheel. …
Steering complaints in other Ram 2500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2001 Dodge Ram 2500?
NHTSA has 69 complaints about the steering of the 2001 Dodge Ram 2500, 15% of the model year's 469 complaints. The component named most often is gear box (other than rack and pinion) (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2001 Dodge Ram 2500, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.