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 2011 Dodge Ram 3500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Ram 3500. The contact stated that on several occasions while attempting to make a right turn, the steering wheel seized. No warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.
Steering wheel locked while vehicle was being driven at approximately 60mph. All other systems functioned normally. With about 2' of play in locked steering wheel vehicle made it to road shoulder. Restarted vehicle 3 times but steering wheel remained locked. Put car in "D" and "R" successfully and vehicle would move normally but steering wheel remained locked. All other electrical and mechanical systems function normally. No warning lights on dash were displayed. Called LIthia Dodge in Bryan/College Station(where vehicle was eventually towed). They suggested disconnect battery for 15" and system might reset. It did not. I disconnected Battery a 2nd time for about a minute. Steering still locked. Vehicle towed to Lithia where they willmlook at it Tuesday September 7, 2021. This had never happened before.
The passenger side tire rod in the steering linkage that connects from one tire to the other fell out of the adjusting tube it was screwed into. This caused both wheels to canter out for a total loss of steering. I had just refueled and was going 2mph turning out of the gas station. Had I been back on the single lane hwy at 50mph the loss of steering would have resulted in a head on collision or dumping me into the forest trees. Having worked on similar front end parts in the past I find this absurd that those parts would simply pull apart, even if it were involved in striking a curb (which was not the case here). I have asked to repair facility to save the parts.
At random any time the truck goes over a bump in the road at about 25MPH to 65MPH the whole truck will start to shake violently and uncontrollably like an earthquake is happening and the steering wheel will shake back and fourth and not stop until the truck comes to a complete stop. I've had it happen at least fifty to a hundred times since I bought it on 3/6/2026 and the truck only has 155,000 Miles on it. From what I've read on the internet the "death wobble" is pretty common in Ram trucks from 1994 all the way through 2012 yet Ram hasn't done anything to fix the problem.
Seemingly at random whenever the truck goes over a bump at about 25MPH to 65MPH the whole truck will start to shake violently and uncontrollably like an earthquake is happening and the steering wheel will shake back and fourth and not stop until the truck comes to a complete stop. I've had it happen at least fifty to a hundred times since I bought it on 3-6-2026 and it only has 155,000 miles on it. The "Death Wobble has been a known problem on Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks built form 1994 through 2012 according to the internet. Yet nothing seems to have been done to fix it.
Traveling at approximatly 45 MPH on smooth paved road. Suddenly shot to left into oncoming traffic. Resulting in serious injury. It also felt as if there was a sudden acceleration. However, everthing occurred in an instant. So, acceleration May just be perceived. Witness, following described same way to pd.
We purchased a brand new truck from a local savannah, georgia dealer in 2011. My husband was driving down the road and a tree fell on his 9 month old truck with only 12,000 miles on it. He had body damage only but the truck was rendered "totaled out" by the insurance company. We paid off the loan with the insurance pay off and then, after negotiations, we bought the truck back from the insurance company. We then had the repairs completed (again, body repairs only). The truck was inspected and given a "salvaged/rebuilt" title. Now...Dodge is refusing us any factory engine/powertrain warranty, but more importantly they are refusing (along with the original local dealer) to repair the safety recalls on the vehicle. There are two recalls: (1) left tie rod end and (2) 2011 djd2 6.7l ECM flush. …
A week after purchasing this vehicle, my wife complained about the steering not feeling right. As I continue to use the vehicle I notice some vibration on the steering wheel, but didn't think much of it being a problem because this is our first pickup truck and the stereotype is all pickup trucks ride ruff. Now some time have past and a few thousand miles later the steering vibration is getting worse and now I'm starting to suspect something is wrong. As I went underneath the vehicle to check the front suspension I notice the new tires which came with the vehicle when purchase was completely worn on the inside threads after 8K miles. I did some research on the net to find out that a lot of users of this vehicle are experiencing what's known as the (depth wobble). I first called Dodge mfg. And complained about this issue and they inform me that this is an ongoing issue. …
We were made aware of the three (3) recalls and possible buyback on our 2011 Dodge Ram 3500 truck by "word of mouth"! We were never contacted about the recalls or the consent order-----we accidentally found out! We have had smoke coming from the engine compartment twice, once while refueling and once while the truck was in motion. We have noticed a bad and dangerous vibration from the steering! Even though we contacted FCA regarding these problems, and my request for a copy of the buyback letter, I have received nothing except copies of the three (3) recalls, with n49 being noted as the most dangerous! FCA put me in touch with the FCA resolution center, which is a 3rd party vendor for FCA, and they are giving me the "run a round"! Two different people there have given me two different sets of "things" they will need in order to make an offer on our affected truck. …
I have a 2011 Ram 3500 dually cummins truck. If I hit a bump in the road at highway speed it will start a very violent shake that caused me to veer into the next lane. This has happened many times towing my rv or not towing. This truck has 61,000 miles on it. It has the tie rod recall done, the steering gear box replaced, several alignments and the problem continues. This truck is very dangerous to drive at highway speed ( 65 MPH ). It passed alignment at brandon Dodge and big o tire company. I am now afraid to pull my rv and even drive this truck on any highway. I have done much research on this issue and Chrysler claims this issue has been fixed. These trucks are built and claim to be able to tow very heavy loads. They are extremely dangerous to drive and the only way to get the shaking to stop is to slow to 25 to 30 miles per hour while being on an interstate highway. …
Related recalls
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 RAM 2500 4X4 and 3500 4X4 trucks, 2008-2012 Dodge RAM 3500 4x2 Cab Chassis, and model year 2008 Dodge RAM 1500 Mega Cab 4x4. The left tie rod assembly may break.
Remedy: Chrysler notified owners on January 16, 2014 that dealers would inspect vehicles and replace the steering linkage assembly, if necessary.
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 2500/3500 4x4, manufactured from February 14, 2008, through March 28, 2011; model year 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 3500 cab chassis 4x2, manufactured from February 14, 2008, through March 28, 2011; and model year 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 mega cab 4x4, manufactured from February…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the tie rod ends for relative orientation and replace the left outer tie rod as required and perform a front end toe alignment as needed. This service will be performed free of charge.
Steering complaints in other Ram 3500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2011 Dodge Ram 3500?
NHTSA has 164 complaints about the steering of the 2011 Dodge Ram 3500, 73% of the model year's 225 complaints. The component named most often is linkages › tie rod assembly (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Dodge Ram 3500 steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 13V-529 (tie rod assembly, Nov 6, 2013); NHTSA recall 11V-350 (tie rod assembly, Jul 6, 2011). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Dodge Ram 3500 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 42,000 miles, and 31% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 3 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.