US investigating power-assisted steering failure complaints in older Ram pickup trucks

FILE – The Stellantis sign is seen outside the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, Mich, Jan. 19, 2021. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 dangled the possibility of relaunching a shuttered Illinois factory if it can be made more competitive as the United Auto Workers Union threatens a strike. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto safety investigators have opened a probe into reports that some older Ram 1500 pickup trucks can lose their power-steering assistance with little or no warning. The investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers over 1.1 million pickups from the 2013 through 2016 model years. The agency says it has 380 complaints about the problem that include three crashes but no injuries. Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, recalled 440 pickups in 2016 to fix a power steering problem. But the agency says it has complaints indicating a similar failure in trucks that weren’t recalled. The agency says the recall query will determine if enough vehicles were recalled or if another safety defect might be causing problems.