2011 Ram 2500 — Known Issues & Recalls

Your steering wheel wobbled violently and became uncontrollable, making it impossible to maintain control of the vehicle. After your mechanic replaced the front end steering and suspension components and you had all four tires replaced and balanced, the problem returned within 2 weeks. The issue occurs without any warning lights to alert you beforehand. Fixing this likely requires a thorough inspection and replacement of steering and suspension parts, as well as wheel alignment and balancing.

While driving at highway speed on I-15, your truck suddenly lost all steering control and the front end began vibrating violently. Your truck veered across three lanes of traffic and off the road into dirt and brush, nearly rolling over before you could slow it down. After turning the engine off and back on, you were able to continue driving at lower speeds, but the steering remained problematic. The issue likely involves the steering system components that may need inspection for damage or failure.

Your steering wheel shakes violently at highway speeds (70 mph), making the truck nearly impossible to control until you slow down to 30 mph. This dangerous wobble has happened 5 times since February 2019, occurs with no warning, and hasn't been fixed despite multiple repair attempts. The problem typically requires inspection and replacement of steering and suspension components like tie rods, ball joints, or track bar bushings.

While driving at 30 mph, your steering wheel suddenly seized and stopped responding. No warning lights appeared on your dashboard before this happened. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or repaired, so the exact cause wasn't diagnosed. A steering system inspection and potential replacement of failed steering components may be needed to restore normal steering function.

Your truck's steering system is making noises when you turn the wheel, the steering feels very stiff and difficult to move, and there's a leak somewhere in the steering system. These issues suggest a problem with the steering pump, hoses, or fluid that will need inspection and repair.

Your truck's ignition switch can shake loose while driving, causing the engine to suddenly shut off without warning — this happened to you twice, including once on the highway at high speed. When the key moves in the ignition during bumps or rough road conditions, it cuts power to the engine, leaving you without steering assist or brakes. The dealer confirmed this is a known issue requiring replacement of the ignition switch and keys, a repair costing around $1,000.

Your truck's engine and all electrical accessories are suddenly losing power while driving on various road conditions, forcing you to shift to neutral and restart the engine. This has happened multiple times since you purchased the vehicle in 2015, and you've found that moving the key fob near the wireless ignition node (WIN) module causes the shutdown. The issue appears to be related to a defective WIN module that may need replacement and reprogramming.

You noticed smoke coming from under the hood with a burning electrical smell when you got home. You found the alternator was smoking heavily, and you had to pour water on it and disconnect the batteries to stop it. This same issue has been reported on 2013 model year trucks, suggesting the problem may affect earlier years as well. The alternator likely needs to be replaced to prevent potential fire hazard.

Your Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM), which controls electrical power distribution in your truck, failed about 6 years ago and you had to replace it out of pocket. Now it's failing again. This appears to be a recurring problem with Dodge Ram trucks. The repair will likely involve replacing the TIPM unit entirely.

Your truck has two separate issues. First, the fuel pump relay inside the fuse box failed, leaving you stranded when the engine wouldn't start. Even after replacing the fuel pump and bypassing the relay, you're still getting error codes for a fuel system leak, and your trailer brake light keeps flashing on and off while driving. Second, a cylinder 1 misfire led to a broken valve stem and spring in the engine head, which caused metal shavings to circulate through the engine and made the truck shake severely at certain speeds. This required a complete engine replacement at significant cost. Fixing these issues will require a full fuel system diagnostic to find the leak source, repairs to the fuse box electrical circuit, and confirmation of whether the new engine has resolved the misfire and metal contamination problems.

Your truck experienced a sudden failure where multiple electrical components stopped working, including interior lights, horn, cruise control, and key fob functions. The fuel pump continued running until it drained your battery completely. Your mechanic identified a defective TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module) as the cause and replaced it—a part that has been subject to recalls for your model year.

Your truck's engine stalled without warning while driving at low speed (5 mph). After restarting, it stalled again shortly after. A dealership diagnosed the problem and determined your engine needed to be replaced. This happened at approximately 178,000 miles.

Your 2011 Ram 2500 6.7 diesel has experienced two major engine problems over the last 6 months: an O2 sensor failure (costing around $1,500 to replace) and turbocharger variable flap issues (costing around $5,000). Both problems appear to be linked to carbon buildup from the emissions equipment, and mechanics have indicated that disabling the EGR/emissions system would fix the issues, but that's not a legal option. Even after having the O2 sensor repaired at a Chrysler dealer, the turbocharger fault code returned immediately, suggesting the underlying emissions-related carbon buildup is the root cause.

Your transfer case (the component that distributes power to your wheels) unexpectedly failed and caught fire while you were driving. This is a critical safety hazard that requires immediate inspection and replacement of the transfer case assembly.

Your brakes and power steering both failed while driving at highway speeds during a left turn, making it difficult to slow down and turn the wheel. This happened on four separate occasions when your engine RPM dropped below 700. A mechanic was unable to reproduce the problem, so no repairs were made, but you should have a dealer diagnose why both systems are losing function simultaneously at low RPM.

Your engine shuts off immediately whenever you move your keyless entry fob (push-button key) even slightly while the engine is running. This has been happening daily and has even caused the engine to cut out while you were driving on the highway, forcing you to safely pull over and restart the vehicle. The issue appears to be caused by a faulty wireless ignition module that likely needs to be replaced.

Your engine has a warped cylinder head and/or a blown head gasket, which can cause coolant and oil to leak, overheating, and loss of engine power. You may notice white smoke from the exhaust, rough idling, or a milky appearance in your oil. Fixing this requires removing the cylinder head, inspecting for warping, replacing the head gasket, and reassembling the engine.

While driving on the highway at normal speed, you noticed increasing vibration that got progressively worse. When you pulled over, you discovered one tire had deformed at the contact area with the belt coming off. Your mechanic confirmed the issue, but the tire wholesaler refused to cover it under warranty and offered only partial reimbursement, leaving you unsafe to drive. The tire had less than 10,000 miles on it. The fix will likely require replacing the damaged tire with a new one, and possibly investigating why the tire failed prematurely.

Your truck unexpectedly shut off and restarted by itself while driving at 65 mph, which is a serious safety concern. On separate occasions when parked, you couldn't shift out of Park until you turned the engine off and back on. The problem happened at least twice but was never diagnosed or repaired.

Your check engine light came on, and a mechanic found that a faulty wiring harness overlay controlling your diesel emissions needed to be replaced. With only 67,000 miles on your truck, you believe this should be covered under the factory's 100,000-mile warranty, but FCA refused to pay for the repair. The repair typically involves replacing or upgrading the faulty wiring harness that controls emissions system functions.