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 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Death wobble. Experience when hitting small/minor bumps in the road or railroad tracks. Violent shaking causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and almost impossible to keep your foot on the brake pedal to try to come to a stop. Shaking is so violent that the driver is bounced around in the seat, momentarily airborne and itesm in the truck fly around. Lawsuit was issused on 2004 and newer models but affects older models as well. We now have paid $900 in parts to fix the "death wobble" that had we known was an issue, would not have purchased the truck. Completely unsafe to drive when it is our daily driver and we cannot afford to park it and purchase another vehicle to replace it with. Cannot sell in currenty condition having a "death wobble". No guarantee that the purchased parts will fix the problem.
I am hearing a popping sound when turning the steering wheel, play in steering, truck is wobbling all over the place when driving on uneven roads, hissing sound coming from front end when accelerating. Play in steering gear box. The clicking popping sound I hear when turning steering wheel is when driving or not moving. I have had this truck pull far right on the road when going on uneven roads.
I purchased a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 5.7 v8 4wd. My steering has gotten really loose over the last week. I brought it in to dealership for a previous recall. And the technician told me that my steering gear was going out and that it should not be bad.
The vehicle in question is a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup.although no failure was experienced, it came very close. Steering became very loose and was allowed to go till there was a1/2 inch travel of the steering wheel from side to side. Upon inspection and removal of the intermediate shaft it was discovered to have the lower universal joint in complete failure do to corrosion and complete loss of the bearing. The vehicle is out of warranty but Dodge was asked to review the case. I was offered a free oil change and was told because the truck was out of warranty they would;d not offer any assistance. This ia safety issue and should be addressed. Looking online there are numerous complains of the this part having to be changed out many times in the course of the trucks life. Typically any where from 4500 miles and up!
The steering in the 2nd generation rams is subpar. They road walk, and get so far out of alignment they can not be properly aligned. This is shown as Dodge went from one steering design (a better one) to another in 2000 year trucks. In 2003 they tried to improve on the system but it was not any good. Now they are putting on the 2009/10 steering components on the 2003-2008 trucks leaving the 2000-2002 trucks to suffer from a highly dangerous and unreliable steering setup. The trucks road walk all over the road, the steering constantly shifts and the steering wheel is never truly in the correct position. Dodge needs to come up with a redesigned steering replacement for these trucks and stop leaving it up to the owner to fix their mistake!
Tl contact owns a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact applied the brakes while driving in reverse at 2 MPH; however, the brakes failed to function. The power steering also failed simultaneously with the brakes. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where the power steering pump was replaced. The failure recurred within fourteen months. The power steering pump was replaced a second time at a local repair facility. The failure mileage was 48,000 and the current mileage was 57,000. Updated 09/09/10. Updated 09/14/10
Dt: the contact owned a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 quad cab diesel. While her husband was driving the steering shaft broke. Prior to this she heard a grinding noise, but they never could detect where the problem originated. The vehicle is cufrrently at the dealership and they were going to replace steering gea rbox shaft. During an accident consumer was unable to steer the vehicle. He lost full control of the vehicle. Luckily he was pulling into a parking lot. Was not going very fast at the time.
Vehicle idles and does not accelerate when the gas pedal is stepped on. Also, vehicle tends to decelerate often when it is traveling at various speeds on the road. Taken to the dealer for a total of 10 times, but the cause was still undetermined. The vehicle never ran right after the wiring on the steering was replaced. Cruise control or gas pedal does not work. Truck caught fire in the steering column. The vehicle engine shut off by itself and started back up by itself twice.
Power steering was defective when the vehicle was running. Steering wheel will not move. Dealer has replaced the power steering pump/hydro boost and two hoses. However, problem recurred. The consumer stated that the vehicle does not have any power steering when idleing and somtimes at low speeds. Steering box has been replaced but problem exists. Dealer will no longer service the vehicle for the same problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving approximately 2 MPH he heard a snapping sound in the steering. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed the steering shaft connecting to the steering box had fractured. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 171,000.
Steering complaints in other Ram 2500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2002 Dodge Ram 2500?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the steering of the 2002 Dodge Ram 2500, 13% of the model year's 155 complaints. The component named most often is steering wheel/handle bar (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2002 Dodge Ram 2500. 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 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 109,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries 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.