NHTSA complaint #11614547

Owner complaint summary

On [XXX] while exiting [XXX] at [XXX] and [XXX] , The steering wheel on my 2020 RAM 1500 completely locked up. There were no prior warnings—no dashboard lights, unusual sounds, or other indications of a problem. It wasn’t until I had significantly slowed down that I was able to apply enough force to get the vehicle into a nearby shopping center. The dashboard warning light did not appear until my vehicle was almost stopped. The dashboard error messaged indicated there was a "Power Steering Failure." Following this incident, I took the vehicle to the nearest CDJR dealership. The vehicle intake was handled by the Service Advisor advised that it may be the steering rack. The following week, we were advised that the vehicle was ready for pick-up and the service technician diagnosed the issue as an internal fault in the instrument panel switch bank. The switch bank was replaced per service protocols, diagnostic codes were cleared, and the system was thoroughly tested. The technician confirmed that the problem had been resolved. However, on [XXX], after retrieving the vehicle from the dealership, I experienced another alarming failure. While traveling at approximately 65-70 MPH, my steering wheel suddenly locked AGAIN. At that moment, I was surrounded by traffic, including an 18-wheeler next to me. The situation was life-threatening, and I feared for my safety. My thoughts were immediately consumed with concern for my daughter and husband as I fought to maintain control of the vehicle. Fortunately, I was able to bring the vehicle to a stop, but the experience was nothing short of terrifying. A week has passed, and I am still deeply shaken by the event and appears it may be the rack after all. Other owners have reported similar failures with the RAM 1500's power steering system and is not an isolated case. It poses a grave risk, and is not an isolated case. It poses a grave risk, not only to the driver but to all motorists on the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)