Due a faulty battery recharge module-??My vehicle lost power steering without warning

- Natchitoches, LA, USA

The power steering failed while I was in motion at approximately 55 mph and is not working since. I managed to stop before I went in the ditch, but did run over at culvert and run two tires. Zero warning.

- Dunn, NC, USA

Vehicle steering began to shake violently intermittently, I pulled off the highway and began to inspect front wheels. I saw fire on left side of engine through the wheel well. I extinguished fire with hand extinguisher. Fire department inspected and saw no danger to move vehicle. Vehicle was towed. Inspection by dealer was inconclusive. (!) I would not trust it to drive. I brought vehicle into company shop and inspected myself and found starter wire routed between brackets on engine/cross member. The cable was burned/ shorted and the cause of fire and electric steering malfunction. Any further use would certainly cause another incident. Vehicle was returned to dealer for replacement of harness. Dealer stated no recalls or known issues related to this. Inspected another vehicle of same type and wire is similar routing. Vehicle showed no symptoms prior to and no codes set after incident. One photo from below, driver side engine/transmission mounting, burned cable dead center.

- Rhinelander, WI, USA

While driving on the freeway at speeds of approximately 65-70 mph, the vehicle unexpectedly locked the steering wheel, depriving the driver of the ability to maneuver or control the vehicle safely. It required significant effort for the driver to manually turn the wheel enough to guide the truck to the side of the freeway. This was an extremely dangerous situation, as we no longer had full control of the truck while at highway speeds. Had this occurred during a turn, the truck would have continued in a straight line, crossing into oncoming traffic. Concurrently, all lights on the dashboard began flashing while random error messages sequenced through the display, all without an apparent cause. After maneuvering the truck to the side of the road, we turned off the engine. However, all the lights on the dashboard continued flashing. I called to arrange for a tow truck just as a police officer arrived who provided us with assistance. We were able to restart the truck only after the battery was fully discharged, and we jump-started the truck with the officer's vehicle. Once operational again, the dashboard and screen displayed normally. After taking my truck to the local dealership for analysis, I was told that no cause for this potentially deadly malfunction could be found. I feel that the company has no interest in resolving the issue. In addition to this experience on the freeway, another issue which may be related is associated with the auto start-stop feature of the vehicle. Over the past year, the reliability of this function has deteriorated. Frequently, when the vehicle comes to a stop at a traffic light, it autonomously engages the park, activates the emergency brake, and proceeds to switch off the engine. To resume normal operation, the driver must manually disengage the emergency brake, restart the engine, and shift back into drive. The dashboard displays the message "Stop/Start Restart Required." I have videos of the dash after we pulled over if needed.

- Norman, OK, USA

While driving down a straight road going approximately 20 mph my truck pulled me hard to the left and I was unable to control it. The assembly for my front left wheel completely came apart, and my truck was stranded in the middle of the road, without me being able to move it forward or backwards. The dealer stated that the ball joints to the upper and lower control arms both popped out at the same time. The dealer stated that they were unsure why this happened, and that there was no damage or wear to the ball joints. Upon doing my own research, I was able to find an online thread with many other consumers who had the same exact problem as me. Many people stated that it is an issue with the stock upper and lower control arms, and that because of how the truck sits, it puts the ball joints at their limits Increasing the chances of them popping out. Now, my truck is sitting at the dealership with no estimated time of repair due to them being unable to get any parts. My fear is that my safety would have been impacted if this happened at a higher rate of speed on a busier road, such as a highway. There were no warnings or indications that anything was wrong with my truck, and it was driving completely normal up until the incident. I also fear of this happening again since they are replacing the damage parts with stock parts, as well as me being unsure, if this will happen to the other side of my vehicle as well.

- Cortlandt Manor, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50-60MPH, he veered or turned the steering wheel to the left or right, and the steering wheel became stiff. The contact stated that he had to apply pressure to the steering wheel however, the steering wheel failed to retract back to the center and made it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified by the dealer of the failure and the contact was informed that a case would be opened but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

- Adelanto, CA, USA

On 4/7/23 the vehicle was taken into the shop because it cutoff randomly. The dealership kept it 2 days and said they couldn-??t replicate the issue. On 5/7/23 I was on my way home driving roughly 40-45 MPH. The vehicle shutoff causing my steering to not work and my brakes to not work. I hit a telephone pole head on splitting the telephone pole in half. I spent 16 hrs in the hospital and now have a long road of recovery ahead of me.

- Greer, SC, USA

The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the "steering wheel failure" warning message appeared on the instrument panel as the steering wheel lock up. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle off the road to avoid an imminent collision. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer for a diagnostic. Prior the failure, the contact stated that while turning the steering wheel to the left, the steering wheel would remained stuck in the left position and would have to be manually adjusted. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer for repair; however, the steering failure worsened after the initial repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but had yet to receive any assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 8,900.

- Gorham, NH, USA