The NHTSA launched a probe in August 2023 after spotting a discrepancy between power steering recalls and consumer complaints
September 13, 2024 at 17:10
- The lawsuit alleges the automaker denies a widespread issue to evade costly repairs.
- EPS unit failures force owners to often spend over $4,000 for repairs and replacements.
- The NHTSA has been probing power steering loss issues since August of last year.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US is staring down a proposed class action lawsuit alleging that 2013-2024 Ram 1500 pickups are equipped with defective electric power steering (EPS) units prone to sudden failure.
Filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the lawsuit demands a jury trial. It claims the EPS units can fail unexpectedly while driving, leaving owners to wrestle with an unexpected loss of steering.
Stellantis is accused of ignoring thousands of complaints about power steering issues, steadfastly insisting that their vehicles are defect-free—except for a few 2016 and 2019 Ram 1500 models, which apparently suffered from isolated “manufacturing problems.”
Read: Over 1.2 Million Ram 1500s Could Lose ESC Due To ABS Software Fault
In August of last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation began probing power steering loss issues in 2013-2016 Ram 1500s. They highlighted a significant gap between FCA’s recalls for power steering loss and the rising number of consumer complaints.
As this investigation continues, the lawsuit argues that millions of owners and lessees remain oblivious to the defect, putting them at risk of “serious injury by their continued use of their vehicles without adequate inspection or repairs.”
It’s claimed that if the EPS unit fails, the steering will immediately become stiff and difficult to turn. This “creates an unreasonable safety risk as it increases the chances or likelihood of crash events from drivers losing control” of subject vehicles, the complaint adds.
Ram 1500 owners who have experienced an EPS unit failure are typically left with repair bills of between $3,000 and $4,000. Subject Ram models have the EPS motor and control module affixed to the steering rack and pinion, meaning the entire rack and pinion need to be replaced if the system fails.
The lawsuit names plaintiffs Nancy Ludwig and Joseph Spillane. Ludwig purchased a 2016 Ram 1500 in 2020 from an FCA dealer who failed to disclose the EPS issue to her. On January 1 this year, the power steering failed while her husband was exiting a McDonald’s drive-through. The couple were left with a $4,484 repair bill. Spillane bought his 2013 Ram 1500 on January 1, 2024, and its EPS unit failed in late July or early August. Repairing it cost him roughly $2,800.
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