2013 Ram 3500 Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year cluster around two themes: a violent front-end shake at highway speed after hitting a bump (widely called "death wobble" by owners) and assorted steering-linkage problems. Diesel drivetrain complaints are the next largest group, including throttle lag from a stop, exhaust-fluid (DEF) system faults that limit speed, and coolant and sensor issues. Many of the steering reports arrive at low to moderate mileage and often recur after dealer repairs.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Highway-speed front-end shake ("death wobble")

   Mentioned in 19 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the front end and steering wheel shaking violently at highway speeds, most often after the truck hits a bump, pothole or uneven pavement. They report losing steering control until they brake hard or slow to roughly 20-30 mph, and some say it happens repeatedly with no warning. Dealers reportedly replaced steering boxes, ball joints, control arms, track bars or tires, and in some cases said they could not find anything wrong. Reported from as little as a few thousand miles up to well past 100,000 miles, usually at 45-75 mph over bumps or rough road.

   Recall 15V541000Recall 19V0210001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Drive the truck at highway speed over rough patches and expansion joints before buying, and ask whether the front track bar, ball joints and steering linkage have been inspected or replaced. Check whether recall work on the steering linkage was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Starting in july 2014 my 2013 Ram 3500 has had death wobble at least 6-7 times. Going down interstate around 65-75 MPH if the right tire hits a pot hole the front end starts to shake uncontrollably. In order to get the truck to stop I have to come down on the brakes very hard almost to a complete stop. This is very dangerous not know when it can happen and a semi truck is right behind you.”

   NHTSA complaint #10667869, filed 2014-12, 10,000 miles

   “Driving on i890 near campbell road exit east bound and I hit a bump in the road. The truck steering began violently vibrating and turning left to right and I lost steering control. The truck stopped wobbling when I slowed down to 30 MPH. This is the second time this truck has done this. The last time was last week and I have only had the truck back for three days after it was fixed and it is doing it again.”

   NHTSA complaint #10611081, filed 2014-07, 9,300 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Steering linkage wear, play or breakage

   • 12 complaints (10%)
   • median 82,500 mi at 4.8 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2026

   Owners report loose play in the steering, difficulty holding a straight line, and in some cases a tie rod or drag link breaking or fracturing at the adjuster. Others describe the steering wheel locking or the vehicle becoming hard to steer. Dealers and mechanics attributed these to worn or failed drag link bushings, a fractured track bar, or a sheared tie rod end, and replacement parts were sometimes on back order. Spread from a few thousand to over 100,000 miles, with several reports in the 50,000-90,000 mile range.

   Recall 19V021000Recall 15V5410001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Have a mechanic inspect the drag link, tie rods and track bar for play, cracking or previous welding, and ask whether the drag link jam nut recall was performed. Check for excessive steering wheel play with the engine running.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On june 1, 2013, I was driving the dodge Ram 3500 at highway speed (approx. 60 MPH) when the steering completely locked up and 4-way emergency flashers failed. I drifted to the side of the highway and came to a stop. I immediately called roadside assistance. My phone log shows this call started at 8:40am and lasted 9 minutes. During the call, washington department of transportation incident response stopped at the scene and neither of us realized the extent of the problem and wa DOT left the scene. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10992904, filed 2017-06, 69,000 miles

   “Steering cupling under dash has slack making steering loose and alternator problems truck only has 113609 miles chrysler corp says it's not a problem and more recalls are showing on it driving on open road constantly working steering wheel to keep in straight line on the road city driving is as bad sitting still it has about half inch or more loose play in steering”

   NHTSA complaint #11279089, filed 2019-11, 104,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Coolant leaks, electrical faults and warning lights

   Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe warning lights illuminating sporadically, dead batteries, wiring chafing that led to stalling or lockup in gear, and dash or wiper electrical faults traced to the fuse box. Some reports involve a water pump that leaked coolant, and one describes an alternator fire. Dealers replaced control modules, harnesses and sensors, sometimes with repeated returns. Reported from a few thousand miles to about 100,000 miles, with several cases under 30,000 miles.

   Recall 16V739000Recall 17V562000

   What to check: Check for warning lights, scan for stored codes, inspect the battery and charging system, and ask whether the water pump and alternator recalls were completed for this truck.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The alternator caught on fire. Truck has 62000 miles on it. The battery low voltage came on. After the truck ran for a minute it went out. I ran the truck for ten minutes. After I parked the truck and went inside I could smell something. When I stepped out my door and looked smoke was rolling out from under the hood. I grabbed the extinguisher and put it out. I then sprayed it down with water to cool it. It took some time.”

   NHTSA complaint #11231789, filed 2019-07, 62,000 miles

   “I've had multiple recalls on this vehicle, my check engine light has been going off continually, I've had the water pump and catalyst converter replaced just to name a few, which to my luck my truck was still under warranty, now it's not. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11254812, filed 2019-09, 128,000 miles
4. 4
   Vehicle speed control

   Throttle lag or delayed acceleration from a stop

   • 15 complaints (13%)
   • median 9,106 mi at 1.8 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • filed 2014–2019

   Owners describe a one- to three-second delay between pressing the accelerator and the truck moving, most noticeable when pulling out into traffic or after letting off and reapplying the pedal. One report describes the pedal traveling to the floor on its own with a throttle warning light. Dealers reportedly told owners the behavior was normal or that throttle modules were out of sync; some vehicles were not repaired. Mostly reported under 25,000 miles, occurring from a stop or during rolling acceleration.

   What to check: Test the truck from a dead stop and during a rolling re-acceleration to see whether the pedal response feels delayed, and ask whether any throttle or engine calibration updates have been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “There have been a couple times where I pulled out into traffic and got the famous dead pedal that dodge has programmed into this vehicle. There is too much torque mgmt. Or something and there are many cases, where you expect the vehicle to take off and it will sit there for 2-3 seconds before moving, therefore putting you into a dangerous position. We need this fixed before someone is killed. In the forums, there are many, many that have the same issue with the same vehicles - 2013-2014 vehicles with cummins 6.7l diesel.”

   NHTSA complaint #10627795, filed 2014-08, 9,212 miles

   “The new dodge Ram equipped with cummins diesel experience a dead pedal, or pedal delay when pressing the gas pedal 3/4 to full throttle. This poses a serious risk when needing to get out of the way, or move the vehicle under emergency circumstances. This happens under all conditions: stopped, rolling, under acceleration etc. If you push the pedal too far the truck will not respond to operator commands and will take 1.5-2 seconds to start picking up speed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10806538, filed 2015-11, 24,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) system faults and speed limiting

   • 11 complaints (10%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 4.8 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2020

   Owners report warning messages about the DEF system, check-engine lights, and a countdown before the truck limits speed to about 5 mph. Some describe repeated DEF injector or sensor replacements and long waits for parts. Others report unusually high DEF consumption while towing. Typically reported at low mileage, often under 25,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for service records showing DEF system repairs or emission-calibration updates, and check for stored fault codes with a scan tool before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Engine light came on, message said error with def system , call dealer. Then message came up and said in 200 miles truck will shut down to only 5 MPH. Took it to dealership and was told this is an issue on these trucks. They could not get a new part for 2 weeks. I was 3rd on list and 5 more behind me. They're having to order so many that they're back logged. This problem needs fixed fast! Surely, they will do a recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10628989, filed 2014-08, 20,000 miles

   “My 2013 dodge diesel consumes 1 gallon of def (diesel exhaust fluid ) every 85 miles while towing. The national average is about 1000mpg. It is using 10 times the average. It is very costly and dirty to fill the def tank. I'm adding to the environment multiple plastic 2 1/2 gallon jugs and the box they come in. The factory has no fix as of yet ,the dealer has been good with all the repairs except this. They are held back by the factory with a lack of information, I'm told. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10627183, filed 2014-08, 2,161 miles

Buying note. Inspect the front steering and suspension carefully and take a highway test drive, since front-end shake and steering-linkage wear are the most frequently reported problems. Also confirm which open recalls have been completed and ask for records of DEF and electrical repairs.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.