Steering Rack And Pinion problems of the 2014 Dodge Challenger

The power steering becomes very rigid and difficult when making a quick or slow left turn when driving on the roadways. In a parking lot the steering wheel becomes difficult to turn left as you maneuver out of a space. The steering becomes rigid as the car makes a groaning/grinding noise. The car also makes a whining/high pitch noise while turning. No car I have ever owned performed like this. It has gotten slowly but steadliy worse and now I have becomed concerned for my safety. The car only has 48,800 miles. The problem started about 8 months ago. I will now have it looked at by a mechanic this week. Its possible the power steering is faulty, or the rack and pinion. The power steering fluid has not been checked by me since owning it at 38,000 miles. I need to check ASAP. The steering fluid reservoir is hidden behind the front passenger wheel well, so this makes it more difficult for the average person to check quickly.

Had to replace rack & pinion steering at 40,000 miles. Difficult to steer especially to the left. On one occasion when exiting a left hand curve the vehicle did not want to turn back to the right. I have googled the problem and have learned that there have been numerous reports of similar problems but Dodge has not issued a recall. I was advised that mine was not covered under warranty so I had it replaced via an independent mechanic. I have attempted to receive reimbursement from Dodge but they refuse. At times when the vehicle was stopped or moving slowly, it literally took both hands to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle had 22,000 miles when I purchased it. I thought the steering was just "stiff" but now I realize that there was a problem with the steering when I bought the vehicle. I could not believe the difference after replacement of the rack & pinion. I can now turn the wheel with one finger. This appears to me to be a serious safety issue and question why Dodge has not issued a recall, particularly with as many cases I alone have found of similar problems.

A "service power steering system" message appeared on the evic screen while driving at 40 mph with cruise control engaged with failure of the electro-hydraulic steering motor. Manual steering remained functional with significantly higher turning resistance (as stated in owner's manual) for recovery to a nearby parking lot. Vehicle was towed to a local Dodge dealer service center for repair. Investigation revealed failure of the electronic power steering hydraulic unit control, warranting replacement of the rack and pinion assembly under warranty. The failure was preceded by an associated mil approximately 4 days prior, with complete failure occurring thereafter while (while waiting for next available Dodge service appointment opening).