49 problems related to steering rack and pinion have been reported for the 1996 Dodge Intrepid. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
No summary.
Consumer was pulling out of the parking lot with the steering wheel to the left when there was a loud noise coming from the vehicle. Rack pinion bolts broke, causing the steering wheel to spin, and the tires went straight. The four bolts holding the steering housing to the firewall failed caused the steering to fail.
Cracked bushings in front left rack & pinion. Not accident related.
Rack and pinion failed causing the bolts and tie rod to shear off, loss of steering control. Mjs.
This vehicle was driven primarly by a women who knows nothing about a car. The few times I had driven this vehicle I thought some thing was wrong for quite some time. I feel Chrysler knows they have a problem with there rack and pinion steering but won't admit it is a fault.
My problem started out with the steering making a popping noise when turning to the left. This problem had worsened to a point where the steering would lock up at a certain position while turning left. It gradually progressed to be a safety issue and also started to be a problem when turning right. Now this problem is so bad my wife refuses to drive the car at all, especially if the children are in the vehicle. I had just noticed recently that the middle portion of the gear rack, where the tie rods connect, is very loose. It almost seems that the rack may be broken at that area. The car has never been in any accident at all. It is obvious to me that this part is defective, and may be a hazard to the vehicle ocupants as well as people in other vehicles. This defect has the potential for loss of steering capabilities at any time.
The bushings and the rack and pinion steering are very loose, causing the vehicle to wander all over the road. The problem was noticed the first time by the dealer. At that time, the bushings were tightened, which did not solve the problem. The bushings have been loose again. The steering system needs to be replaced at this time.
Ea99031, in cold climate, 35 degrees or below, or when first starting and the vehicle is "cold", steering rack and pinion makes a noise and feels "slow" which may result in loss of vehicle control and crash. This clunking noise is heard for ten to fifteen minutes or until vehicle is warm.
While turning into the driveway vehicle lost all steering. Steering wheel turned, but vehicle kept going in same direction. Dealer replaced the rack and pinion.
Vehicle wandered badly. Replaced rack & pinion. Then found broken frame weld from factory. Factory repaired weld. Problem not solved . Car wanders and wears out tires rapidly.
Reported this to the dealer less than a month of owning the car. No response. No defects discussed in summary.
Consumer states that a popping noise could be heard while turning the steering wheel, the vehicle had been taken to the dealer several times, however no problems were found, now that the vehicle has 24000 miles on and is out of warranty, the dealer is stating that the rack and pinion steering needs replaced.
While driving 5 mph out of a parking lot steering rack and pinion broke, causing no steering control. Please give any further details.
Rubber bushings in steering rack and pinion gear deteriorated prematurely causing sloppy steering.