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 1999 Dodge Ram owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Transmission: dodges computer controls the torque converter for emissions and for gas mileage. After following dodges spects on service for the truck and no abuse to the truck we still loss the torque converter which than destroyed the transmission. Steering: at 30000 miles the seals in the steering gear box went out. At 81000 after repair earlier the shaft and seal went out and the gear box had to be replaced. Both problem we have been told are problem Dodge will not take responsibilty for but happen with most of this models trucks.
Consumer was driving at 40-45 MPH when suddenly motor froze, and vehicle started to pull to left/ lost all steering capability/hit a concrete divider ,and then vehicle rolled over . Consumer noticed that of one of screws that held power steering to frame fell off, and it got stuck between wheel and frame which contributed to crash,causing injuries.
The steering has excessive play,and feels uncontrolable.I took it in to the dealer & they said there was nothing wrong. I then drove it for a short time & felt there was still a problem. I took it in again, & they replaced the steering gear box. Upon picking up the truck,I found it to be no better than it was prior to the gear box replacement. I contacted the dealer the next day, & they came to my residence & picked up the truck. The service manager told me that they checked it out,& it was OK. He also stated that he called the Chrysler "star" line for tech support, & they advised him that all the trucks handled this way . I was not satisfied with that reply, & contacted Chrysler's customer service dept on 4-12-99 & filed a complaint( # 5680042). I did not get any response after 2 weeks,and I again called Chrysler on 4-26-99. …
We contacted you on June 21, 2000. Sent back the form you sent us. Refer to TSB 19-03-99. We have been to national center for dispute settlement and they claim this is a characteristic of the Dodge. TSB 19-03-99 tells them how to fix it and it still has not been fixed. The indepentant vehicle inspection report states:"the steering will not return to center after an in town ninety (90) degree turn. Findings: during the test drive the vehicle consistently would not return to the neutral (center) steering position. Usually the steering wheel had to be turned by hand the last seventy (70) to eighty (80) degrees back to the center the two(2) sample Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 diesel units I drove returned closer to the center than george duffy's did. The test/sample vehicles returned to the center within ten (10) to fifteen (15) degrees of center. Could the condition be verified? …
While applying brakes at any speed and without warning vehicle will pull to left until release of brake pedal. Consumer states vehicle will pull to the left when braking and will drift to the right on freeway and brakes are squeaky when braking on stop, dealer replaced calipers, turned rotors and changed brakes, dealer found steering wheel off center, dealer has replaced upper and lower control arms, dealer has adjusted the front end and replaced the rims and tires, vehicle experiences lack of power and engine light has illuminated, vehicle idles high and is experiencing poor fuel economy, when driving on freeway it gets max of 14.5 mpg, smoke also comes out of the exhaust, left side electric mirror glass had fogged, left seat bottom loose, one missing bolt found, left seat trim bezel keeps miming loose won?t stay in seat for seat belt on seat back. …
The steering box was defective on the new vehicle as evidenced by constant correction being required while driving. The amount of correction becomes greater as road conditions become bumpier. The steering box was replaced with a new box with a 10% improvement. The dealer has acknowledged that this has happened to other 99 Dodge trucks. They are unable to decide what to do while waiting for word from the factory. I consider this a big safety issue as you could easily lose control if you had to swerve to avoid another vehicle or pedestrian.
This vehicle has a severe steering defect, I have gone to arbitraion and daimlerchrysler has sent a independent ase inspector to look at my truck this person agrees there is something wrong. I had been award a new truck by arbitration but it would had cost me 7,000 plus a new loan, the truck is defective and now the dealership will not work on the problem even though it is still under warrenty. I have alot of data to back this up and I know diamler has had similar problems with other trucks help
While driving vehicle at 65 MPH, consumer had to make a sudden / emergency stop. The brakes failed to grab. Stopping distance was extended. Took vehicle to dealer & the mechanic had the rear shoes/ rotors and pads replaced. The pads were glazed over. Brakes had faded out at 35 MPH. The vehicle would drift from left to right. Had steering gear box replaced & wheels realigned. The computer systems failed to register correct gas mileage per gallon. Brakes still do not function properly.
When brakes were applied to deactivate cruise control brake pedal went to the floor, resulting in extended stopping distance. Dealer has been notified. Transmission grabs hard into second when it shifts, also when stopped it feels like it is getting tapped in the back end. Steering gear and steering shaft replaced, rattling noise while driving over bumps. Driver's door lock will not lock when using switch, dealer replaced.
While driving at any speed vehicle wanders to the left or right. Driver is constantly fighting with the steering wheel to keep the truck on the road. Truck was taken to four or five dealerships, and dealers were not able to correct this problem. Also, steering box was changed, a chime was put in the right front wheel, and some wheel aliginment was done. But none of this corrected the problem.
Steering complaints in other Ram years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1999 Dodge Ram?
NHTSA has 40 complaints about the steering of the 1999 Dodge Ram, 10% of the model year's 412 complaints. The component named most often is gear box (other than rack and pinion) (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Dodge Ram steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 1999 Dodge Ram, though it has 9 recalls 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 1999 Dodge Ram steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 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.