2016 Ram 1500 Steering Problems

NHTSA component category: STEERING · data through 07/12/2026

300Steering complaints

20%Of all 1,502 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How steering ranks on this vehicle

STEERING300 · 20%

ENGINE291 · 19.4%

SERVICE BRAKES221 · 14.7%

POWER TRAIN199 · 13.2%

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM187 · 12.5%

Share of the 1,502 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2016 Ram 1500 overview page.

What owners report

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 1500. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL INADVERTENTLY JERKED TO THE LEFT AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. THE…”NHTSA complaint 10991637 — filed 05/25/2017

“SINCE DATE OF PURCHASE THE STEERING WHEEL HAS SEEMED TO BE SLIGHTLY OFF.”NHTSA complaint 10990919 — filed 05/22/2017

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 1500. WHILE MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN AT VARIOUS LOW SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER…”NHTSA complaint 10980084 — filed 04/24/2017

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2016 Ram 1500 have steering problems?

Steering is the most-reported problem area on the 2016 Ram 1500: 300 of 1,502 complaints on file (20%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2016 Ram 1500 have in total?

1,502 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 90 involved a crash, 35 involved a fire, 72 reported injuries, and 5 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's steering category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.