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2011 Dodge RAM 2500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2011 Dodge RAM 2500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 275.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

149 reports with mileage · 148 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Steering. Review the 210 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports6 fire reports3 injury reports

Steering complaints

210 reports
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Mileage unknown · Nov 12, 2024
Steering

The steering became uncontrollable and wobbled so violently I could not keep my hands on the wheel. It will be open for inspection at any time. The safety of all other road users and pedestrians were put in grave danger. Due to the complete loss of steering control. This has happened to other ram owners I have talked wit…

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The steering became uncontrollable and wobbled so violently I could not keep my hands on the wheel. It will be open for inspection at any time. The safety of all other road users and pedestrians were put in grave danger. Due to the complete loss of steering control. This has happened to other ram owners I have talked with as well. The problem was addressed by my local mechanic. He recommended replacing the entire front end steering and suspension components I agreed he did the work, he did the work. I also replaced all four tires with new and had them balanced. Within 2 weeks this death wobble happened. There are no warning lamps for this problem.

NHTSA ODI #11624723

Mileage unknown · Mar 23, 2024
Steering

Yesterday, 3/22/2024, I was driving northbound on I-15, fat left lane, approx. 80 mph/posted highway speed. Suddenly lost steering control on my 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins diesel truck. Front end/tires began vibrating, all steering control lost, truck veered to the right across 3 lanes of traffic and off into the dirt/sage bru…

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Yesterday, 3/22/2024, I was driving northbound on I-15, fat left lane, approx. 80 mph/posted highway speed. Suddenly lost steering control on my 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins diesel truck. Front end/tires began vibrating, all steering control lost, truck veered to the right across 3 lanes of traffic and off into the dirt/sage brush to the right of the highway. It almost rolled over, but I was able to slow it to a stop. My dogs & I could have been killed. I turned the truck off for a few minutes, then re-started the ignition. Was mid-trip with no other transportation option, so I drove the rest of the way at much slower speeds, was able to get the truck to our home. I am still shaken from what could have happened to me and our family. I have dash cam video of this incident.

NHTSA ODI #11579069

75,000 miles · Jan 13, 2021
Service BrakesSteering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY SLOW DOWN. ADDITIONALLY, THE POWER STEERING FAILED CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY SLOW DOWN. ADDITIONALLY, THE POWER STEERING FAILED CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND OCCURRED WHILE THE RPM WAS BELOW 700 RPM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.*DT FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER BRAKING AND GOING ABOUT 20 MPH AFTER THE RPM'S DROP TO ABOUT 700.*JB

NHTSA ODI #11387896

55,000 miles · Aug 12, 2020
Steering

DEATH WOBBLE AT INTERSTATE 70MPH SPEEDS, NO CONTROL UNTIL SPEED DROPS TO 30. HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES.-FIRST TIME FEB 2019 WITH ABOUT 55K MILES. LAST TIME WAS AUG 2020 WITH LESS THAN 60K MILES. HAVE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME ND MONEY TO NO AVAIL. CONDITION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS IT HAPPENS WITH NO WARNING AND IS ALARMINGLY…

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DEATH WOBBLE AT INTERSTATE 70MPH SPEEDS, NO CONTROL UNTIL SPEED DROPS TO 30. HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES.-FIRST TIME FEB 2019 WITH ABOUT 55K MILES. LAST TIME WAS AUG 2020 WITH LESS THAN 60K MILES. HAVE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME ND MONEY TO NO AVAIL. CONDITION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS IT HAPPENS WITH NO WARNING AND IS ALARMINGLY VIOLENT. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND FIXED OR SENT TO THE SALVAGE YARD

NHTSA ODI #11348924

62,500 miles · Mar 4, 2020
Steering

THE TRUCK IS MAKING NOISES EVERY TIME YOU TURN THE WHEEL, IT IS VERY STIFF, AND THERE IS A LEAK.

NHTSA ODI #11316068

136,000 miles · Jan 28, 2019
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #11172658

95,500 miles · Oct 30, 2017
SteeringSuspension

DEATH WOBBLE - I WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY. I DROVE OVER A BRIDGE EXPANSION JOINT AND SUDDENLY THE TRUCK BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY. I COULD NOT STEER. I COULD NOT BRAKE. WE NEARLY COLLIDED WITH A HIGHWAY DIVIDER AND OTHER VEHICLES. I HAD TO COAST DOWN TO 30 MPH OR SO WHEN IT RESOLVED ITSELF.

NHTSA ODI #11041489

49,000 miles · Jan 4, 2017
Electrical SystemEngineSteering

TRUCK SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. COULDN'T STEER, COULDN'T TURN, COULD BARELY STOP. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROTARY WITH MY 7 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. MOST LIKELY THE TIPM WAS THE CAUSE BECAUSE IT STARTED RIGHT UP AFTERWARDS. NO SIGNS OR WARNINGS OCCURRED BEFORE ISSUE HAPPENED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10939569

35,800 miles · Jun 4, 2016
Service BrakesSteering

WHILE MAKING A TURN AND APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL, COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING CAUSING VEHICLE TO CROSS CENTER LINE OF ROADWAY AND DRIVE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. BRAKE PEDAL ALSO EXTREMELY HARD TO PRESS (POSSIBLY LOSS OF POWER BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME). STEERING RETURNING TO NORMAL SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDA…

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WHILE MAKING A TURN AND APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL, COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING CAUSING VEHICLE TO CROSS CENTER LINE OF ROADWAY AND DRIVE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. BRAKE PEDAL ALSO EXTREMELY HARD TO PRESS (POSSIBLY LOSS OF POWER BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME). STEERING RETURNING TO NORMAL SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES TODAY, WITH SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF COMPLETELY BETWEEN OCCURRENCES OF THIS FAILURE.

NHTSA ODI #10872527

38,000 miles · Apr 19, 2016
SteeringSuspension

DEAR SIR OR MA'AM, I AM WRITING YOU TO REPORT A SEVERE PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED TO ME ON 3/5/16, AND AGAIN ON 4/9/16. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON BOTH OCCASIONS ON WASHINGTON STATE HIGHWAYS. THE FRONT END OF MY 2011 RAM 2500 PICK UP BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. IT WAS SO INTENSE THAT I WAS AFRAID THAT I MIGHT LOSE C…

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DEAR SIR OR MA'AM, I AM WRITING YOU TO REPORT A SEVERE PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED TO ME ON 3/5/16, AND AGAIN ON 4/9/16. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON BOTH OCCASIONS ON WASHINGTON STATE HIGHWAYS. THE FRONT END OF MY 2011 RAM 2500 PICK UP BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. IT WAS SO INTENSE THAT I WAS AFRAID THAT I MIGHT LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE PROBLEM STOPPED. AFTER I GOT BACK ON THE ROAD I TRAVELED ABOUT A MILE, AND THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. MY WIFE BROUGHT THE TRUCK INTO A REPAIR SHOP ON 3/7/16 TO SEE IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES OR SUSPENSION. THE SHOP SAID THE TIRES WERE BALANCED AND THAT THEY DID NOT FIND ANY OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE SUSPENSION. AFTER A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH I DISCOVERED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE DESCRIBING THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED. THEY REFERRED TO IT AS THE 'DODGE DEATH WOBBLE' MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. IT SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY THE STEERING DESIGN ('Y' TYPE VS. 'T' TYPE?) I AM HOPING THAT YOU WILL INITIATE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROBLEM AND ULTIMATELY MANDATE THAT FCA US LLC (DODGE) ISSUE A RECALL FOR ALL VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THIS DESIGN FLAW BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. I CONTACTED DODGE CORPORATE HQ AND I HAVE ATTACHED THEIR RESPONSE.

NHTSA ODI #10860445

Official recalls

4

17V821000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift

Dec 20, 2017

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of less than 10,000 lbs, 2011-2017 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, 2009-2017 Ram 1500 and 2010-2017 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks, all equipped with a column shifter. Pushing the brake pedal for prolonged periods when the vehicle is running and in PARK may cause the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) pin to stick in the open position. With the pin in the open position, the transmission can be shifted out of PARK into any gear without pushing the brake pedal or having the key in the ignition.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Being able to shift the transmission without pushing the brake pedal and/or without a key in the ignition can increase the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle software, inspect the BTSI, and, as necessary, replace it, free of charge. The recall began February 26, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T79.

14V635000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:diesel; Fuel System, Diesel

Oct 8, 2014

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured March 27, 2009, to September 5, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the electrical connectors of the diesel fuel heater may overheat.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the connectors overheat, the fuel heater may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the harness side connector with a silver plated beryllium copper terminal service kit, and inspect the fuel heater for leaks, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. Chrysler issued interim notification to owners on December 8, 2014. The recall began on April 27, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P65.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Fuel System, Diesel

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured March 27, 2009, to September 5, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the electrical connectors of the diesel fuel heater may overheat.

Consequence: If the connectors overheat, the fuel heater may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the harness side connector with a silver plated beryllium copper terminal service kit, and inspect the fuel heater for leaks, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. Chrysler issued interim notification to owners on December 8, 2014. The recall began on April 27, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P65.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:diesel

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured March 27, 2009, to September 5, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the electrical connectors of the diesel fuel heater may overheat.

Consequence: If the connectors overheat, the fuel heater may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the harness side connector with a silver plated beryllium copper terminal service kit, and inspect the fuel heater for leaks, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. Chrysler issued interim notification to owners on December 8, 2014. The recall began on April 27, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P65.

13V529000 · Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly

Nov 6, 2013

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 RAM 2500 4X4 and 3500 4X4 trucks, 2008-2012 Dodge RAM 3500 4x2 Cab Chassis, and model year 2008 Dodge RAM 1500 Mega Cab 4x4. The left tie rod assembly may break.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A failure of the tie rod assembly may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler notified owners on January 16, 2014 that dealers would inspect vehicles and replace the steering linkage assembly, if necessary. On or about February 27, 2014, Chrysler ceased its recall remedy program due to parts quality concerns, and then re-initiated it on or about April 14, 2014. In July 2015, and under a consent order with NHTSA, the company agreed to offer owners three options for remedying their vehicles: perform the original remedy, offer to repurchase the vehicle at the fair market value plus 10%, or offer an additional incentive offer towards the purchase of a new Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, or Fiat vehicle. Chrysler will notify owners of the new recall options in a letter expected to be mailed on August 31, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N49.

11V350000 · Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly

Jul 6, 2011

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2011 DODGE RAM 2500/3500 4X4, MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 14, 2008, THROUGH MARCH 28, 2011; MODEL YEAR 2008-2011 DODGE RAM 3500 CAB CHASSIS 4X2, MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 14, 2008, THROUGH MARCH 28, 2011; AND MODEL YEAR 2008 DODGE RAM 1500 MEGA CAB 4X4, MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 14, 2008, THROUGH AUGUST 15, 2008, BECAUSE THE LEFT TIE ROD BALL STUD MAY FRACTURE. THIS CONDITION TENDS TO OCCUR DURING LOW SPEED PARKING LOT TYPE MANEUVERS WHEN THE CUSTOMER IS MAKING A TIGHT TURN. ADDITIONALLY, MODEL YEAR 2003-2008 DODGE RAM 2500/3500 VEHICLES MAY HAVE RECEIVED THE AFFECTED TIE ROD ASSEMBLY AS A REPLACEMENT PART DURING NORMAL SERVICE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD RESULT IN THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL STABILITY IN THE LEFT HAND FRONT WHEEL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TIE ROD ENDS FOR RELATIVE ORIENTATION AND REPLACE THE LEFT OUTER TIE ROD AS REQUIRED AND PERFORM A FRONT END TOE ALIGNMENT AS NEEDED. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 3, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

EA19001 · Electrical Overstress

Opened Apr 19, 2019 · Closed Sep 19, 2024

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.  During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications.  The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU.  In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment.  FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle.  Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW.  These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes.  An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time.   In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU.  This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners.  Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation.  The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage.  There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation.  The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU.  If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC.  Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC.  All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled.  In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024.  With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.