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 2014 Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact's daughter owns a 2014 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH with her children sitting in the front passenger and rear passenger seats, the vehicle in front of her stopped inadvertently. The contact's daughter depressed the brake pedal and attempted to quickly veer to the side of the road to prevent her vehicle from crashing into the vehicle in front of her. However, the steering wheel locked and the vehicle crashed into the rear end of the vehicle in front of her. The air bags failed to deploy. The message "Malfunctioning Steering" was displayed. The bumper and front grill of the vehicle detached. The contact's daughter sustained bruises and soreness all over the body. The contact was unsure whether his grandchildren sustained injuries. The passenger of the other vehicle did not sustain injuries. A police report was filed. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. While driving approximately at 70 MPH, the contact stated that following a highway turn to the right the steering wheel felt loose. The contact used the steering wheel lever downward and felt that the steering wheel was still loose. The contact used the steering wheel adjusting lever again to lift the steering wheel back up when the entire steering came off in the contact's hands. The contact stated he did not notice any warning lights being illuminated. The contact advised that the vehicle crossed two lanes of traffic barely avoiding a collision. The contact stated that he was able to safely stop the vehicle before crashing into the highway barrier wall on the left. The contact said he felt great fear and suffered a panic attack due to the failure. Medical attention was not sought and he was able to reattach the steering wheel back onto the column. …
The contact owned a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 45-50 MPH and making a turn on a curvy road, the vehicle lost power steering functionality inadvertently, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed into a guardrail. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence; however, the power steering failure persisted. The contact went to the emergency room later and was informed that he had sustained multiple sprains and strains on the neck. The insurance company towed the vehicle from the residence and later informed the contact that the vehicle was most likely totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,600. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH and exiting a highway, the contact heard a chime and became aware of the "Service Power Steering" warning light. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact used additional force on the steering wheel to turn the steering wheel to the right and jerked the steering wheel to the center. The contact stopped the vehicle and disconnected the battery terminals to reset the system. The vehicle regained power steering functionality, but almost immediately, the vehicle lost steering assist functionality. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power steering assist module and the rack and pinion gears had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the ABS warning light illuminated, causing the cruise control mode and the 4WD system to become inoperable. Additionally, the traction control, the brakes, and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while driving and braking or accelerating on a wet road surface, the vehicle was sliding. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that an electronic brake control system part needed to be replaced, but the part had been discontinued. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving and turning, the electric power steering was inoperable intermittently, but the vehicle experienced excessive unintended steering efforts while turning the wheel back to center after making a turn. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the power steering function was inoperable and failed to operate as intended. The contact stated that the power steering assist warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure occurred while driving on a curvy back road and the vehicle was almost involved in a head-on collision. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the following day, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed steering gear, and rack and pinion. The contact was informed that the steering gear, and rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts to complete the repair were on backorder. …
The contact's husband owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel locked as the steering wheel symbol warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it was kept for a week but not repaired. The contact then had the vehicle towed to a dealer where it remained in their possession for repairs to other recalls on the vehicle. The contact was notified by the dealer that the rack and pinion was the cause of the steering failure; however, there were no recalls on the vehicle for the rack and pinion. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and they also informed her that there were no recalls on the vehicle for the rack and pinion. The contact was informed that she would receive a call back from the manufacturer but had not yet received the call back. …
While driving, the electronic power steering stopped working and caused the steering to lock. Had to take urgent maneuvers to get stopped while not being able to steer. A red power steering warning light popped and flashed on the dash. The truck was turned off and started again and the light and issue went away. Started the truck again the next day, light and power steering light was on again (with steering locked). Turned off, started again and the light is gone and power steering works. Appears to be an electrical or related issue. This has not been taken to the shop as of yet as it happened these past few days. Looking into history and options and found this active NHTSA Action Number: RQ23003 which is an exact match for my experience. We are looking into options for repair but seems the entire rack and pinion will need to be replaced for a non-mechanical, electrical issue. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The vehicle contact stated while starting the vehicle, the power steering warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle later in the day, the power steering was operable. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the electric power steering (EPS) gear needed to be replaced, and the contact was informed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19E077000 (Steering); however, the part was not available. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,500.
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the "Service Power Steering" message was displayed with the power steering assist feature inoperable. Due to the failure, excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle while driving back to the residence. The contact notified the dealer of the failure and was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test was performed. The mechanic discovered that the steering rack and pinion was defective and needed to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact discovered an ongoing investigation NHTSA Action Number: RQ23003 (Steering) which the contact linked to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.
NHTSA investigations
Intermittent/Comp Loss of Power Steering
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 380 reports from consumers alleging an intermittent or complete loss of power steering assistance in certain 2013-2016 Ram 1500.The failure allegations occur at various speeds with limited detectability to the driver.On March 23, 2016 Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA) conducted recall campaign 16V-167 to address a possible contamination of the electrical power…
Steering complaints in other 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2014 Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 506 complaints about the steering of the 2014 Ram 1500, 29% of the model year's 1,775 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2014 Ram 1500 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2014 Ram 1500, though it has 16 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 2014 Ram 1500 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 83,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 22 crashes, 1 fire and 9 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.