Steering Tie Rod Assembly Problems of Dodge Intrepid - part 1

As I was backing into a parallel parking space, I heard a loud pop from under the front of the car, just as I tapped the curb with my back tires at 2 mph. I went to pull forward to straighten the car and attempt the parking job again, when I realized that I could no longer turn the wheels. The steering wheel turned with ease in my hand, but the tires did not budge with the steering wheel. I had recently had the driver side tie rod and bushings replaced and had an alignment done about a month ago, now I have no steering. Had the car towed to a local mechanic because I'm in a small town and the nearest dealer is 45 miles away. They said that the bolts holding the tie rods to the rack had "popped out. " not sure if this is manufacturer defect as both bolts popped out or if it was the result of a poor mechanical repair at the last shop, but after reading many reviews on the car, it is possible this is a manufacturer issue. However the mechanic stated "in my 25+ years of mechanical work, I have never seen this happen where it was caused by something the driver did or could have prevented. ".

See all problems of the 2003 Dodge Intrepid 🔎.

My pregnant wife was leaving a friends wedding with my three year old in the car, she was turning around on a side street she lost all steering I was there in a separate car I went out and checked for the problem. I found that both bolts that connect the inner tie rods to the rack and pinion steering had been broken completely. This is my wife's daily driver she has it on the freeway everyday.

See all problems of the 2002 Dodge Intrepid 🔎.

Steering problems 2002 Dodge Intrepid. Steering gear replaced at approx 60,000 miles then inner tie rod bushings failed at 196,000 miles now they have failed again at 224,000 miles 18 months and there is major play in the steering of the car as well as movement in the tire leading to possible excessive tire wear.

I have owned a 1996 Dodge Intrepid for 6 months now and when I bought the car I was aware that the steering was a little loose, what I did not know was that the entire rack and pinion system as well as most of the tie rods around them were completely shot. My steering wheel grinds when I turn it left and right now and my steering has a horrific drift when turning from extreme to extreme. The bushings on the rack and pinion (as told by my mechanic) are completely gone. The broken pieces are rattling and vibrating so violently that the shimmying I feel on my car is actually caused by the steering. When I brake at high speeds (50mph) the steering pulls to either an extreme left or right. After doing research, I found out that I wasn't the only one struggling with these same issue. It seems like every owner of a 1996 Dodge Intrepid is experiencing the exact same issues. My mechanic said to me that he has no guarantee that my steering will work right. Driving down the road now I'm afraid I'll lose control of the vehicle. My girlfriend might frequently drive the vehicle but I am afraid that the steering may go out when she is driving it. I spoke with my mechanic and I am in the process of getting the defective parts replaced. I plan to save the parts that are defective in hopes that I will get some compensation for them.

See all problems of the 1996 Dodge Intrepid 🔎.

2000 Dodge Intrepid, the consumer was traveling westbound, when his right front tie rod broke causing him to go off to the left side of the roadway striking the concrete median. (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0344-91) updated 08/06/10.

See all problems of the 2000 Dodge Intrepid 🔎.

I bought this car used in June 2009. Less than a year later I began having problems. At first there was a loud knock on the right side under the hood, which ended up being the control arm- completly loose and almost disconnected. It hadn't been like that when I made this waste of a purchase. Over the last 20 months (12/2/2011), the problems have progressively gotten worse (and more expensive). The loud bang is back, adding to it a lack of full control of steering. I now have to replace the tie rod (entire system) and the rack and pinion. I understand why this car was discontinued, just not why there was no recall.

See all problems of the 2004 Dodge Intrepid 🔎.

Almost lost control of the steering while driving on the interstate highway. Car started shaking so we pulled of to the side of the road as soon as possible. The inner tie rod bushings were completely gone with just the bolt and washer holding the tie rod on the steering rack. Had to replace the inner tie rods, but still need to replace the steering rack.

Backing out of a parking space in 2000 Dodge Intrepid ES with 140k miles, there was a loud pop and had complete loss of steering in the front left wheel. The bolt that secures the tie rod to the rack and pinion had completely pulled out of the rack and pinion. If this had occurred while driving, it would have resulted in a major accident. Rack and pinion needs to be replaced to fix the problem. I did not have the part replaced, so I still have the old part. I have parked the car and refuse to drive it.

Severe steering problems. Wheel locks when turned completely to right or left. Wanders on dry pavement, almost impossible to drive in wet weather. Have been told to replace steering rack and inner tie rods.

See all problems of the 1998 Dodge Intrepid 🔎.

Bolts holding tie rods to steering gear (rack) broke. Unable to steer vehicle. Fortunately, I was just leaving my parking lot and didn't cause any accidents and/or injuries. Paid $700 to have car fixed.

Noticed play in steering getting worse as time went on so I went to a local firestone to have tires replaced and complete alignment done on vehicle. They replaced the tires but refused to do an alignment because they said there was too much play in the inner tierods and that the steering gear may need to be replaced. They quoted me a price of 300. 00 for each inner tierod and said I would have to find a different shop to replace the rack and pinion because they can not. Car still drifts all over the road and the steering still has play. I refuse to have my two small children in this death trap.

I first noticed that the steering wheel was a bit off center and it has since gotten to the point that there is excessive play in the wheel and the vehicle is very difficult to control. The steering also makes a clunk noise when the wheel is turned back and forth. After doing some research and inspecting the steering system I found that the inner tie rod bushings are almost gone. This is an extremely dangerous design flaw and had it continued the bolts may have sheared and resulted in a total loss of steering. I will now need to replace the inner tie rod bushings, bolts, and plate.

There are severe problems with the steering and front components such as tie rods, bushing failure- multiple replacements, etc. Steering hasn't been right for years. Low mileage, strange noises, handling. Car doesn't stay in alignment, wheel doesn't return to center, car jumps out of driving lane.

1997 Dodge Intrepid, inner tie rod bushing failed while taking the vehicle to get front end alignment, I was told the inner tie rod bushings needed replacing. I am in the process of repairing the bushing now. I have found one bushing completely gone except for the metel bushing part, and the other nearly as bad, suspect it would be totally gone in another month or two.

See all problems of the 1997 Dodge Intrepid 🔎.

I took my 2002 Dodge Intrepid to dealership to check out a vibration in the front end of the vehicle and to have some other service performed. I told them the front end (wheels, steering) vibrated at certain speeds and when braking. Service was performed and I was told that the vibration was a "tire problem". As I drove the vehicle home the vibration proceded to get worse. When I checked the vehicle it took all of 5 minutes to find that the right inner tie rod end was worn out and the source of the vibration. I have subsequntly found that this problem is endemic of the Intrepid, and as such should have been readily visible to a Dodge mechanic.

In the fall of 2005,the bushings on the tie rods were replaced due to excessive wear. On July 10 2006,my wife backed out of driveway into street,but could not go either forward or backward. A tow truck was call quoted $1460. 00 and car was transported to dealer. Dealer quoted $1460. 00 to replace steering rack & rods.

After driving approximately 12 miles to work the car was pulled into a parking space and while straightening the wheels a loud pop was heard and the car had no steering. The inspection revealed that (2) two 1/2 inch threaded bolts (that bolt the tie rods to the steering rack had sheared off. One of the tie rod bushings was gone and the area the bushing was in was extremely worn, requiring replacement. The rack and pinion was replaced on this vehicle at 20,000 miles under warranty. The car was repaired by removing the rack, backing out the old bolt ends and installing new bolts. The one tie rod was replaced. I contacted Chrysler corporation customer service and they offered no help on the repair. The district rep was ask to help and he denied any help. (he did not even look at the damage. I was told that he would not over rule detriot).

My son was traveling to work on August 10 2005. He was driving a 1996 Dodge Intrepid. He was turning a corner when his steering control was suddendly and completely lost. His car went over a curb at an elementary school before he was able to stop. No one was hurt. Inspection of the car showed that 2 bolts that connect the tie rods to the rack and pinion steering were completely severed. A picture here is worth 1000 words. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2002 Dodge Intrepid. While driving approximately 10 mph around a tight curve, the vehicle jerked to the right without warning. Sludge was removed from the vehicle on three occasions. The contact heard a ticking sound coming from the steering. He stated that the passenger side front tie rod is bent, but the bolt is still attached. The tire has excessive wear and had to be changed three times. The VIN was unknown. The current mileage was 62,000 and failure mileage was 30,000.

2000 Dodge Intrepid with 60,000 miles. The steering failed. It started with a lot of loose play in the steering. Wheel. Currently when driving straight the wheel was upside down. This problem started approximately 10,000 miles ago, complete failure occurred on July 27, 2005. The vehicle became impossible to drive in a short period of time. The vehicle is currently at the dealership, and they have not looked at it. It showed rack and pinion steering failure symptoms. Chrysler was not willing to help with the problem. The vehicle did not go in a straight line, the tires were recently replaced and the vehicle was balanced and aligned. The tie rod was replaced.

The 2000 Dodge Intrepid ES 3. 2l model has a rack and pinion problem. Mine started around may of 05 at about 63,000 miles. It started out just as a clunking noise. I had replaced all kinds of parts within the past few years like lower and upper ball joints, inner tie rods (twice), front end alignments, etc. , thinking that the noise would be fixed. After all that was replaced on this car, I figured that the car was just made that way. As of this year, the steering started making a louder clunking noise when turning and straightening the wheels. At this point it just keeps getting louder and louder. I've had this looked at twice by different mechanics. The dealer in pittsburgh says that the replacement is $875. 00 (which does not include labor) and that it is on back order and that the remanufactured ones are no longer available. I went online and found an unbelievable amount of consumers having the same type of problems with many chyrysler/Dodge vehicles. It seems alot of them have been sent to you. . Read more...

The bolt that held the tie rod to the rack and pinion broke in the consumer's 1997 Dodge Intrepid which caused the right front wheel to collapse under the vehicle.

Consumer complained about a tie rod problem. When driving over a bump in the road consumer felt front end shake. Some times, front end shook without hitting a pot hole or bump in the road which affects the driver's control and movement. Consumer took the vehicle back to the dealer, and was told that there was a problem with the tie rods. Provide further details. . . . . . . . .

While driving 40 mph power steering failed. Consumer had difficulty to maintain control of the vehicle, and and pulled over. Vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the inner and outer tie rods broke, and needed to be replaced.

While driving off from a stop sign consumer lost control of the vehicle. It would not move forward, and consumer found that the front wheels were bent inward. Vehicle was backed up into a parking space on the street. Consumer claimed that the left and right tie rod bolt sheared off.

Car started shaking violently at around 55-65, took it to the mechanic and tie rods had to be replaced. Has much other damage (maybe partly due to the bad tie rods or maybe due to the deficient design) that I can file other reports on if needed.

Tie rods broke without warning. As a result, when turning in either direction steering feels like it's sliding or that the wheel is coming off.

Tie rods broke without warning. As a result, when turning in either direction vehicle felt like it was sliding or that the wheel was coming off.

Third failure of my Dodge 97 Intrepid for power steering and tie rod failure. Replacements were as follows: 3/27/98 7,999 miles-power steering pump replaced(previous owner) 11/2/01 41,530 miles-thump noise in front end-repaired strut assembly (previous owner) 11/9/01 41,923-I purchased vehicle from Dodge ewald-driving home I heard a thumping in the right wheel upon turning. Took back to dealer who replied "this is normal" I stated no way!!!! replaced strut assembly and frozen outer tie rods and adjusting sleevings. 8/7/02 68,116 miles-pulling out of driveway-steering went. Towed to dealer. Replaced rack assembly and inner tie rods. 2/16/04 85,344 miles-backing out of parking spot-thump heard, no control of steering and right wheel severely facing in. Towed to dealership. Replaced rack assembly, tie rods. Wheel alignment done however took hands of steering wheel and immediately pulled to the right. Took back to dealership told that right wheel is worn (I wonder why!) -spoke to service and informed them that this part was replaced three times-stated that there is obviously something wrong. Also each time the "rack" had to be special ordered due to none in stock (I now know why!) previous time I had to pay deductible but this last time my warranty expired and was told that the parts are only guaranteed for 1 yr. I had to pay $1,600 for this repair! researching this problem on-line has revealed that this is a well documented problem on the Intrepid vehicles-multiple years!!!!!.

While backing out of a parking lot at 2 mph consumer heard a cracking sound coming from the vehicle. A few seconds later steering wheel began to spin in circles, without actually steering the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who told consumer that steering bolt sheared off. The tie rod grommet deteriorated which caused vibrations. The consumer almost lost control of the vehicle. The dealer replaced the steering rack, inner and outer tie rods and grommets.

While traveling on the highway, the consumer heard a knocking noise coming from the front of the vehicle, causing rack and pinion to go out. . The consumer noticed slack in the steering and rattling in the front at around 75000 miles. The steering became stuck during left and right turns. . The tie rods were replaced and also the rack and pinion needed to be replaced, however the consumer declined the repairs.

Consumer states while turning a corner felt like wheels was going to fall off. Had vehcile service, the inner tie rod went bad. Nlm.

While traveling on highway heard a noise coming from the front of vehicle. Dealership is aware of problem. *akboth of the inner tie rods and eight bushings needed replacement. The dealer informed consumer that this failure was premature.

When are you guys going to take some action against this very serious design/part failure. I have searched the database and there are a lot of complaints about steering failure. This will cost someone their life if it hasn't already. Here is the problem. The bushings on the inner tie rod deteriorate. On my car it happened to the passenger side bushing at 30,000 miles. I was able to replace the tie rod(they didn't just sell the bushing). At about 33,000 the other one went out so I replace it. Had I not known what to look for (the wavering to the left and right on a straight road allerted me) I could have eventually sheered the bolts on the gear housing. At 71,000 the stearing started acting up again. Well this time the bushings that hold the gear housing to the frame have deteriorated. Fortunately it was caught in time. What happened here was as you steered left or right the gear housing would move about three inches. As you would oversteer, the steering gear box would go as far one way as it could then it would actually turn the wheels. It is obvious to me that there is a major defect in the design of the steering. Please do something before someone dies and before we have to waste more money paying Dodge for something that should break this easy. They sell us a piece of crap and we have to pay them big to repair it. Do something already!.

While driving tie rod fell off.