Chrysler has clearly known about defective and "dangerous" Steering design in Dodge Intrepid, 300M, LHS, New Yorker, Concorde and Eagle Vision vehicles since 1993. Daimler Chrysler knows the entire "design" is defective and will do everything in its power to avoid responsibility.
Chrysler
has been under investigation by the NHTSA for more than 55,000 warranty claims
for Steering problems with Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler 300M, Concorde, LHS and Eagle
Vision vehicles and 1,450 reports of steering control
problems. Some including complete loss of steering control with 1993-1996
models, reported as of 1999 alone. These statistics do not include 1997
and second generation models (1998-2004) and does not include LH vehicles
that may have been brought in for warranty service, where a Chrysler dealer
claimed to be "unable to duplicate" a steering related problem. Furthermore,
this report also
does not include consumers who may have experienced failures under 36,000
miles past the 3 year factory warranty period, (3 years/36,000 miles whichever
comes first). We believe that Chrysler has actively concealed the defect from
consumers while deliberately misleading the NHTSA about the defect resulting in
the NHTSA closing this defect investigation. Chrysler has had nearly 10 years to
properly address and correct these common problems while Chrysler's patch
attempts or attempts to put a "band-aid" over this defective steering design
have failed. The fact is that premature steering rack and pinion failures
continue even with newer Intrepid, 300M, LHS and Concorde vehicles (2000-2004). Over
the years Chrysler has even issued internal Technical Service Bulletins to
dealers that "quietly" and "delicately" address certain common Steering related
problems. January 1, 1997 Chrysler implemented a running change improving the
durability and heat tolerance of its inner tie rod bushings in attempt to deal
with common steering problems. October 6, 2000 Chrysler also implemented a
running change of the inner tie rod connecting bolts with a stronger bolt
design, allowing for higher torque specifications in another attempt to deal
with common steering problems. We feel that this is not nearly enough for what
experts call a "negligently designed and dangerously defective steering system".
We believe this design puts dangerously high load forces on inner tie rod ends
and connecting bolts when steering is turned and that the design of the steering
system is not fully compatible with the front suspension system thereby causing
or contributing to cause sudden, premature and unnecessary failure of its
various assemblies and components. What we
suspect tends to happen is that the connecting bolts tend to take the brunt of
these forces and either shear off or the threads strip. As Chrysler attempted to
put a "bandaid" over this problem by increasing the strength of the connecting
bolts and increased the bolt torque specifications, we suspect that with the
increased bolt strength, and connecting strength, the forces then tends to be
transferred to the rack and pinion assembly itself, which often prematurely
wears out as a result of this design.
This
is probably why the standard throughout the industry has been an end take off
Rack and Pinion steering system. Chrysler did not to follow an industry standard
which is far safer and much more reliable. Chrysler has a history of not
following safer industry standards as it has done in the past with unsafe Gen3
Seatbelts, unsafe liftgate latches and lack of brake shift interlock on some
vehicles. The location of the steering assembly, located in a high temperature
area behind the engine, right above the transmission or "transaxle" could also
contribute to or accelerate these failures. The fact that in another bandaid
attempt Chrysler revised the Inner Tie Rod Bushings to be more durable and heat
tolerant could suggest this. It is alleged in a lawsuit where a mother and her
child suffered brain damage due to the steering failure with an Intrepid, that
Chrysler rejected a safer, more compatible end take off design proposed by TRW
because an Audi had a center take off design and Chrysler wanted an alleged
European feel for their LH Platform. However, Audi's had a more compatible suspension design, different steering
positioning and geometry where they were not prone to premature and/or sudden
failures as LH vehicles. The founder of this website, including many others have
had accidents, some serious and could have been killed due to steering related
problems. There have even been serious injuries and possible deaths while
Chrysler continues to choose profits over putting lives at risk. Chrysler's view
seems to be a cost-benefit ratio where it is cheaper to let these circumstances
happen where a few people could become hurt or killed and Chrysler doesn't have
to pay to redesign and replace all the defective parts. Many consumers have been
left to pay an average of $1200 for replacement when beyond warranty. We believe
many consumers have been lied to by Chrysler and its dealers through claiming
not to have any prior knowledge of this defect and denying responsibility,
thereby forcing consumers to live with the dangerous condition, sell the vehicle
at a loss or incur the expensive of repairing the defects, especially when under
warranty to reduce warranty costs and prevent defect liability. We believe
Chrysler has pressured dealers to reduce warranty costs, even for common
problems and defects where dealership technicians were reluctant to diagnose
steering related problems unless the failure was urgent and obvious at the time
to push consumers past Chrysler's 3 Year/36,000 mile warranty period. In these
cases, a dealer would claim it was "unable to duplicate" steering problems that
were covered whenever possible. This would seem evident due to some consumer
complaints stating dealers claimed they were "unable to duplicate" problems that
independent mechanics were able to find and diagnose, such as clunking and
wandering. Common symptoms of steering
problems with these vehicles are typically loose steering, excessive play in the
Steering, vibration, wandering, pulling, steering out of alignment, difficulty
aligning, sudden changes in steering responsiveness, steering wheel doesn't
return smoothly and/or properly after executing a turn, steering easier to turn
in one direction, excessive tire wear or tires frequently out of balance, clunks, rattle
over bumps,
rubbing noises or binding. We have had reports of Steering problems developing
in nearly brand new vehicles. The average report of Steering failure with these
vehicles seems to be about 20,000-70,000 miles.
We believe the variation of mileage these failures occur may depend on several factors. Factors such as quality of road conditions, amount of cornering and maneuvering required over a period of time that could possibly also have an affect on how premature of a failure consumers might experience. For example, consumers who's daily drive involves limited cornering with excellent road conditions may not see such a low mileage failure. We strongly believe this steering design needs to be recalled due to the unique vulnerability and sensitivity of this steering design that is substandard to all other steering designs in the automotive industry. We believe Chrysler should be forced to redesign and recall the steering rack Unfortunately, consumers should know that Chrysler will do anything in its power to avoid responsibility for defective steering in Chrysler LH vehicles. In the meantime, due to what seems to be a serious durability issue with the LH Steering system, the number of failures and Steering related accidents with Chrysler LH vehicles (Dodge Intrepid, 300M, Concorde, LHS) will only keep growing as consumers put more miles on these vehicles at their own risk. Please see additional details and sample consumer complaints below.
Chrysler LH Steering System "DEFECTIVELY designed" says another complaint (Chrysler LH Series of Vehicles - Dodge, Intrepid, Chrysler 300M, LHS, New Yorker, Concorde and Eagle Vision)
Design puts dangerously high load forces on Inner Tie Rod Ends when Steering is Turned. The design of the Steering System was not compatible with other systems in the vehicle including drivetrain and the front Suspension System thereby causing or contributing to cause sudden, premature and unnecessary failure of its various assemblies and components. The Steering System was designed in such a way that it was difficult to undertake and properly perform inspections, repairs and maintenance on the various assemblies and components of the system including inspections. A defective design Chrysler and TRW has known about while jointly and actively concealing the defect from consumers while deliberately misleading the NHTSA about the defect. Many consumers were lied to by Chrysler when Chrysler would deny responsibility for the defect, thereby forcing consumers to live with the dangerous condition, sell the vehicle at a loss or incur the expensive of repairing the defects. Misconduct includes selling vehicles with defective unsafe Steering then forcing consumers to pay for replacement parts, which many suffered the same defects as original parts. "The acts of Daimler Chrysler and TRW as set forth in this complaint manifested a flagrant disregard for the safety of persons who might or could have been harmed by the defects in the steering system in the Chrysler LH vehicle family."
"The attitude of Daimler Chrysler and TRW regarding the defects in the Steering system of Chrysler LH vehicles, upon the discovery of those defects, was reprehensible and was motivated, in whole or in part, by a desire to conceal the defects from consumers and governmental regulators, to continue trying to maximize market share with the LH Platform of vehicles, to CONTINUE PROFITING from the sale of aftermarket parts, and avoid the immense costs associated with an admission that the LH vehicles contained a safety related defect in the Steering system and should be recalled"
2000 Chrysler 300M
Premature Steering Failure (Bolt sheared off without warning, part of bolt still
in unit)
Submitted 10/10/05 By Consumer - I would be more than happy to join any potential class action suit against Chrysler on this issue. My 300M recently experienced a complete loss of steering casualty due to the shearing off of bolts from the Rack and Pinion Steering mechanism. Luckily, my wife and I were just pulling out of the parking lot and no one was injured and no damage occurred to the car.
Accident Story Regarding White 2000 Dodge Intrepid Below
"Suddenly the car shot to the right and would not respond. I turned the wheel left, but the car kept going right. I hit and bounced off the right guardrail, traveled across 3 lanes and hit the center concrete divider. My car was totaled and if not, but for the grace of God I would not be here today."
On June 2, 2002 I was driving from Atlanta, Georgia to our home in Decatur, Alabama. Soon after crossing the Alabama State line on Interstate 20 (speed of 70 mph) my 2000 Dodge Intrepid started drifting to the right while I was holding the steering wheel steering the car down the center of the right lane. I would have to fight the car (not real hard) back to the center of the lane. After I returned the car back to the center of the lane it would be fine for several miles then it would happen again. I thought this was being caused by the convex surface of the highway. This continued for approximately 100 miles when suddenly the car shot to the right and would not respond. I turned the wheel left, but the car kept going right. I do not remember what happened after that. (My husband, following me in another car, witnessed the entire incident and the remainder is as told by him). I hit and bounced off the right guardrail, traveled across 3 lanes and hit the center concrete divider. Thankfully there was a break in traffic and I did not hit anyone nor cause any one else to have an accident. My car was totaled and if not, but for the grace of God I would not be here today. Something happened to cause the accident. I felt sure something went wrong with the car but I did not know what. The insurance adjuster totaled the car and said if anything broke they would not be able to tell due to the severe damage.
Chrysler 300M Steering Failure at 68,000 Miles causing 300M to flip with four young children in vehicle
The steering failed on my 300M in January of 2005 and everything I have read mirrors our experience exactly. The car is quite unusual here and is identical to the US model. My car was 1999 and had about 110,000 km on the clock which makes it just under 70,000 miles which seems to be the usual failure rate. I live in a hilly area with many mountain type roads. My accident happened one Sunday morning on the way to church. I had my wife plus three of my four young children in the car. We took a short cut which involved navigating a steep mountain type road. After a succession of hair pin bends I pulled out of a left bend onto a gently curving road. It was at that point that the steering became divorced from the wheels. The wheel just swung from side to side in my hand without resistance. The car veered to the right where the field to the right of the road started to bank. The car therefore climbed the bank and flipped over leaving the car on its roof. My side was crushed but I managed to climb out and drag all of my family out of the car. The severity of the bends predicated that my speed was low, I guess between 30 and mph. The policed attending confirmed there was no ice on the road. The tires were excellent condition. Subsequently at the garage that took the car in they tried to move the car to get it onto the transporter for breakers yard but there was no response from the steering. They had to use a wheel jack to get it into position. I have written to Chrysler on more than one occasion. - O. Thornton
2001 Chrysler 300M Steering Problems Possible Contributing Factor In Son's Death
My son David's problems with his car started when he began experiencing loose steering problems and a noise in the steering when you went over bumps. We brought the car into our mechanic and they replaced the front stabilizer links. The problem seemed to be fixed but within a week or two the loose steering and the clunking came back. We were not aware of all the problems these cars have and he continued to drive the car around town for a couple more weeks. On the night of July 29th as he was coming home he hit a curb and continued down the street for about 25 yards and slammed into a big oak tree on the other side of the road. He for some unknown reason did not steer out of the way, and he was killed. The police cannot figure out why it happened the way it did. We do not know for sure whether it was the cars fault but my son was a good driver and the police say that speed was not a factor. We have a terrible feeling that the car may have played a major role in our sons death. Let us know if there is something we can do to help others. J. and T. Holman
Chrysler has been under investigation by the NHTSA for more than 55,000 warranty claims for Steering problems with these vehicles and 1,450 reports of steering control problems, some including complete loss of steering control with 1993-1996 models, reported as of 1999 alone. These statistics do not include 1997 and second generation models (1998-2004). Despite Chrysler's "band-aid" attempts (making the inner tie rod bushings more durable, strengthening inner tie rod bolts to allow for higher torque specs), the problems still continue and we believe this is because the design itself is defective and unsafe. When consumers are within warranty Daimler Chrysler along with their dealers often deny and pretend these problems do not exist to prevent defect liability like the dealers myself and many others have dealt with. We believe that Chrysler may be trying to avoid another "red flag" by avoiding warranty claims and diagnosis of steering problems whenever possible. This would seem evident due to some consumer complaints stating dealers were unable to find definite problems that independent mechanics were able to find and repair.
Typical Complaint Example (Complaint Made To NHTSA)
I had to replace the Steering Rack on my 1999 Dodge Intrepid after only 27,000 miles. The Steering wheel had excessive play in it and several times would not go in which direction I was turning. The mechanic said that there was nothing I could have done to cause this, or prevent it. He has replaced Racks at 80,000 and 100,000 miles with other vehicles but never as low as 27,000 miles. He said the internal gears were all worn out. I was concerned for the safety of myself and any passenger in a car that looses its Steering. Chrysler did not want to assist in any way. They said the warranty was up. They only regretted that I had a problem. I cannot believe the lack of concern for such a potentially dangerous situation. It cost over $1300.00 to repair!
2 Serious Injury Steering Lawsuits Against Daimler Chrysler
daimler_chrysler_dodge_intrepid_steering_court_complaint.pdf - chrysler_steering_dodge_intrepid_court_complaint.pdf
September 13th 2000 TSB SB615695 Advance Service Information (D-Mail) to dealers titled "Inter Company Correspondence", states "More explicit warnings to dealership technicians". Mentions potential for bolts "shearing off" if not torqued to revised torque specifications. Also states Washers P/N 05017820AA must be installed along with revised bolts. The document "claims" the bolts were revised for more convenient access to the bolt head however states the last part of the document where the revised bolts are mentioned "includes important notes" (we believe the bolts were revised in an attempt to prevent them from shearing off).
Summary of Other Related Technical Service Bulletins Sent To Dealers for Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler 300M, Concorde, LHS, Eagle Vision:
Oct 02, 1998 TSB SB602893 "New Power
Steering Fluid" for various models including "LH Vehicles". Document states the
factory fill in Power Steering Fluid was revised for the 1999 Model Year from
MS5931 to MS9933 where the new fluid has better properties at low and high end
temperatures where the properties of the fluid also remain more stable as the
fluid ages. The document states to use the new revised Power Steering Fluid.
Dec 31, 1999 TSB SB609986 "Vehicle Leads or Pulls"
discusses potential for alignment issues and even potential "Steering Gear Valve
Imbalance" being the cause of "Vehicle Lead or Pull".
Dec 31, 1999 TSB SB610017 "Service Torque for
Inner Tie Rod End to Steering Gear Attachment" discusses new service torque.
Oct 06, 2000 TSB SB618868 "Loose Steering" "Loose
feel or clunk in the Steering Wheel as moved from side to side. Discusses play
between Inner Tie Rods and Steering gear due to failing Bushings.
Mar 23, 2001 TSB SB619127 "Loose Steering" "Loose feel or clunk in the Steering Wheel as moved from side to side Supersedes Previous TSB. Discusses play between Inner Tie Rods and Steering gear due to failing Bushings.
Wikipedia Members Aid Chrysler In LH Common Steering Problems Cover-up And Aggressively Censor Link Added To External Links
Submitted By Consumer Who Has Also Had Premature Chrysler LH Steering Problems -
I would like to let your website know that certain Wikipedia members and contributors seem to be aiding Chrysler in a cover-up regarding the common premature problems and defects related to Chrysler LH Vehicles (Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler 300, LHS, Concorde and Eagle Vision)
It makes no sense that even a link to this website and this information is strictly not allowed to be added to the wikipedia articles on these vehicles, attempting to cite it is "spammy" and "vandalism", yet dodgeintrepid.net and lhforums.net are allowed to add links to advertise their forums. This would seem clearly biased and prejudice, limiting any type of negative publicity, even if it is fact as if they are personally trying to protect Chrysler rather than helping to inform people about the common, premature potential problems regarding the design of Chrysler LH Platform Vehicles (Intrepid, 300, LHS, Concorde and Eagle Vision). I feel as if they are actively trying to censor this information unfairly and aiding Chrysler in this cover-up. The hundreds of thousands of complaints, the thousands of NHTSA complaints, the photos of broken or sheared bolts, the internal TSB's are all fact, not made up and therefore at the very least I can see absolutely no reason a simple link to this website and this information would be aggressively censored by any wikipedia member. If information links are not allowed there should not be an information link section and sites like dodgeintrepid.net and lhforums.net should also be removed.
To confirm this, we followed Wikipedia Guidlines by adding additional facts about Chrysler LH Vehicles to LH Vehicle article and they were removed the following day.
Steering Concerns
Chrysler had been under investigation by the NHTSA for more than 55,000 warranty
claims for Steering problems with 1993-1996 Chrysler LH vehicles and 1,450
reports of steering control problems. Some including complete loss of steering
control with 1993-1996 models, reported as of 1999 alone. Over the years
Chrysler has issued internal TSB's to dealers that address certain common
Steering related problems.
Here are the Wikipedia member names involved in
blocking this information: 1. Alexf 2.
CZmarlin 3. Kariteh
Video By Consumer - 2002 Dodge Intrepid Steering Noises, Wandering Under 10,000 Miles - Chrysler Denies Problems
See
a video sample a consumer provided of Steering problems developing in a 2002
Dodge Intrepid under 10,000 miles as an independent witness driver with no prior
knowledge of problems describes Steering related concerns. Also video evidence of
crunching and clunking noises, abnormal rubbing and groaning noises from the
Steering, and premature excessive tire wear ALL WHILE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIPS DENY
ANY PROBLEMS. Problems continued regardless of 3 alignments.
Click here to watch the video streamed directly from YouTube (Flash Player and sound is required)
Here Are Just Some Samples of Actual Consumer Testimonials We Receive Daily
|
From J. Ogden - I was turning my 2004 Intrepid and heard a popping noise. After that I could not turn the wheel without all of my strength into turning the wheel. From G. McClintock - I own a 2001 LHS and experienced pulling problems and clunking in the front end within the first 15,000 miles. I had three front end alignments (two by DCX dealerships, 1 by independent) with no improvement. From A. Lee. - I have a 2004 Dodge Intrepid, which I have been going back and forth for repairs for a thumping, popping noise in the front of the car. I have had brakes, struts, strut mounts, rotors, tires and front end alignments done on this car. I have now been told the problem is the rack and pinion. The dealership wants $1100.00 for the repair. I have just read this website and find it very scary. I have also had a motor put in my car in June. The dealership denied my claim for a motor while under warranty saying I did not get my oil changes done at a dealership. I would be interested in hearing from you. From D. Dignam - Thank you for your continued pursuit of Daimler Chrysler for the ongoing defects of the products they sell. Last night I lost control of my 2000 Concrde LXI. After making a low speed turn at 10mph, the steering wheel locked. I am fortunate there was no oncoming traffic as I crossed to the other side of the road and was able to stop without further incident. In my previous experience as a dealer mechanic (20yrs.) I have never seen a complete mechanical failure as dangerous as this. I was aware of loose steering and bushing issues, but a complete failure of the rack is criminal negligence and should be addressed as such. Please add this to the list of failure issues in the hopes that we the consumer can stop being put at risk for the sake of corporate profits. From J. Barker - I experienced a total loss of steering, in my 2001 Chrysler LHS. When I turned my wheel I heard what I though sounded as if I had ran over a 16oz plastic pop bottle. My car continued left while I was turning right. My steering was very loose and I was able to turn my steering wheel quit freely, however my wheels stayed in the same position. I wasn't injured, as I was just exiting from my garage, however I was heading to work and this could have been a very dangerous situation. I am angered by the fact that this is an apparent know problem. My car is currently at a Chrysler dealership waiting for them to have the opportunity to take a look at it. We decided in the meantime to check for any addition problems or complaints, like I had experienced. I am glad we did. Thank You From G. Barbara - I believe it was in 2003 that my 2001 Dodge Intrepid began experiencing a major steering problem. Every time I took a turn, the wheel would keep turning in that direction. Dealer had to replace the whole steering system. I was lucky I didn't get into an accident. That was around 30,000 miles. Now, at 59,000 miles, I have a car payment of $300.00 a month, and no car. It seems that the motor is pretty much dead. First I was told it was the water pump was putting coolant in the engine. They replaced the water pump, said they cleaned out the engine, and gave me the car back. About two weeks later, the engine started sounding awful. I took the car back into the dealership, and now they tell me my engine is no good. Due to the fact I owe too much on this car, I am stuck. I would NEVER want another Chrysler vehicle. From J. Graham - I just ran across your website and noticed there have been many problems with the steering racks on the Dodge Intrepid. I have a 2000 Dodge Intrepid and had to replace the steering rack around 60,000 miles. The company who replaced it said it was very odd that it wore out that soon, and said it wasn't normal. I had the same problems, just a lot of play in the steering wheel. From C. Tuck - We have a 2000 300M that was purchased with 36,000 miles on it. We heard a clanking noise that was under the hood, but couldn't decide where exactly it was coming from, since it only made noise on bumpy roads. Now that our extended warranty is up, and the car only has 65,000 miles on it, it makes the noise all the time and the steering wheel shakes. Now our mechanic is saying it is the bushings for the rack. This seems odd as the car has so little miles on it. From D. Schneider - I drive a 2000 Dodge Intrepid R/T and was recently diagnosed with a rack & pinion that needs replacement. Before I drop the $1500 on a repair, I did some research and discovered steering problems. From D. Playfair - Just found the http://www.dodgechryslersteeringproblems.com website and figured I should report an issue I had with my Concorde. The steering wheel developed over an inch of free play in it. I took it to the dealer, who said the rack had to be replaced. The car had about 65000 miles on it when this happened. From L. Arnold - I have a 1997 Chrysler LHS. It has been extremely well maintained. I had been having problems with clunks and crunching noises, and had my serviceman check the steering. I ended up having to spend $1,454 last week and two days without my transportation due to the necessity of having all the bushings replaced and the rack and pinion. Other cars I have owned included Buicks, Fords, Mazdas, and Mercurys and NONE have ever had to have these repairs done, even after 100,000+ miles. I did a search on the internet and found your site, where you requested that anyone who has experienced steering problems with Dodge or Chrysler contact you. From R. Forkum - My sister in law was driving down the road today with my child in her 2000 Chrysler Concorde and her steering locked up when trying to make a left turn. She managed to wrestle the steering wheel around enough to get pulled over, but was really scared. She took the car to a mechanic and they said that she needed a new rack and that it would cost $700.00. This is a very dangerous problem with these cars and they should be recalled. From J. Everitt - Steering Sticks on 2001 Chrysler 300M with less than 60K miles. The car is at a 5 star dealer as I write this message. They have already replaced a coupler and that bill was over $400. We drove away from the dealer only to find that the steering was continuing to stick. They test drove with us and agreed it was not fixed. Now they say it is the steering rack and want another $1300 to fix it. By the time it is all said and done we are looking at over $1800 to take care of this problem and how long until it fails again? From J. McLoughlin - I have a 2001 Chrysler Concorde and was recently driving and had to make a left hand turn. Without any warning I was not able to simply turn the wheel. I had to forcefully, with both hands put all my might into the steering in order to make the turn. When I brought it to my mechanic, he told me the steering rack needed replacing and that this seemed to be a common occurrence with these cars. I was quoted approximately $800 to repair the rack. From R. Cantu - I have a 2001 Dodge Intrepid that has had the worst steering problems imaginable. My steering wheel continuously turns left without ever turning the wheels. I have also lost track on how many accidents I have LUCKILY avoided. THANKS A LOT CHRYSLER for risking my life! From D. Burks - I have a 2001 Chrysler 300M and the power steering works about 20% of the time. Most of the time it is very difficult to turn the wheel at slow speeds. The car has about 30,000 miles on it. From C. Deutsch - My 1999 300M fits the description, to a tee, of problems related to LH-series rack, pinion and tie rod end problems described on your web pages. Around 45,000 miles my 300M's steering began deteriorating. The symptoms (clunkiness, looseness, excess free play in the wheel, lateral drift, etc) worsened as the mileage increased. The car was still under the extended warranty. I made approximately six visits to my "5-Star" dealership over the ensuing 18 months during which I repeatedly described and demonstrated the problems to the Manager. Continually, I was told, point blank, that there was nothing wrong with the steering. I persisted, because I suspected that major components like the steering should not have problems of this severity with such relatively low miles. During that period, the dealership did replace the inner tie rods under warranty (for a $100 deductible). This, however, did not solve the problem and as expected, my dealership on two subsequent occasions found nothing wrong, but did in fact torque certain components "as tight as we could get them". Months later, only after a threat of a lawsuit against Chrysler were I to have an accident in which it could be shown the steering was at fault, did the Manager agree to replace the rack and pinion as well where it functioned acceptably until late 2005 when, at around 89,000 miles, the same symptoms and an inconsistent drift. The second rack only had about 17,000 miles on it before the symptoms reappeared. I wish this were the end of it, however I pulled off the freeway and into a parking lot and as I turned the wheel to the left to negotiate a parking space, the steering completely failed. I felt an extra resistance, then nothing. The steering wheel spun lock to lock; the front wheels didn't move. Suffice it to say I could just as easily have been on the freeway and become another fatality statistic. Three days later my service writer called me and told me that the "steering gear bolts had sheared off." I told her I thought paying for a rack with such low mileage (21,000) was ridiculous. I am now afraid of driving my car at any higher speed or over any long distance. If what you've presented in your web page is true and provable, my car is a death trap. The whole matter is disheartening, as I've taken good car of my car. Over the past seven years, this has been the most disappointing and frustrating car ownership experience I've ever had. My 300M is beautiful, but it's the biggest piece of garbage I've ever owned. Thank you for creating your website. From C. Powell - My Chrysler 300M developed steering problems when the car had about 45000 miles on it. I have been told by two mechanics that it is dangerous enough to spend the $1000 to have it repaired. They told me that the Rack and Pinion needs to be replaced. From K. Snow - My 1999 Chrysler 300M had its rack and pinion steering replaced at around 52K miles. Chrysler refused to admit it was a premature failure and pay for any of the replacement cost. Now at 103K miles, the steering seems to be showing some possible signs of problems again.
From J. Stenberg - I bought my
1999 Dodge intrepid with 19K miles on it. 22K miles I needed new tires due to
the alignment on the front end. I replaced the tires and had it in the shop 7
times over the course of 3 months for steering issues and From J. Gilmore - Yes I have a 1996 Chrysler LHS and had and still have problems with the steering. I bought new inner tie rod bushings, new outers, new wheel bearings, new cradle bushings, and just bought four new tires and the steering still wonders, has a clunk when I turn it left or right, squeaks when turning it, going down the interstate I have to keep turning it back and forth to keep it going straight. I had it aligned and they said they couldn't get it 100%. I ran a Carfax on the car and no report of a crash. I guess I will change the rack and see if that helps, if not ill sell it and buy me a good dependable car i can trust. You think Chrysler would have to recall these. I think its "bullshit" you pay good money for something you need to be afraid to drive. I know a lot about cars, I've worked on them all my life and there hasn't been one I haven't fixed until this one. |
From K. Olesnevich - My wife went to pick up someone to take to dinner in our 2000 Dodge Intrepid. After taking a right hand turn the car refused to return back to going completely straight. It wound up steering right and would not steer straight and would not turn left of center at all. I went to help her and the car would not go straight at all and locked up so as not to go left of center at all. Luckily she was not traveling fast because she would have crashed. We had it towed home and I called 5-6 Dodge Dealers this morning and all said they never heard of it. What a bunch of liars. Earlier today we were on the highway driving. From F. Swinkels - Hello, we have a 2000 Chrysler 300M as a family car. Yesterday at 108,000KM the steering wheel and the wheels started as if they had a life of their own. The steering mechanism just broke off! Luckily it happened at a parking lot and not at the daily trip with the children to school. THIS CAR COULD HAVE EASILY KILLED MY FAMILY. THIS CAR IS VERY DANGEROUS.
From R. Harris -
I have a 2001 Chrysler 300M
and was just told by my mechanic that needs a new steering gear.
The car has just 60,000 miles on it. it will cost me From C. Gallardo - I own a 1997 Intrepid that I received as a gift 2 years ago. In December 2004 the steering got very loose and we took the car in for repair. The tie rods and bushings were replaced. In December 2005 the same thing occurred but we have not yet had the money to get it repaired again. The car makes squeaky noises all the time in the wheels and we generally feel it is unsafe to drive on the freeway. I'm a single mom and the cost of repeatedly repairing this is horrifying as is the feeling that I am not able to control the vehicle. I don't have the money to replace the car either. It was originally a gift to me from Charity Cars who received the car as a donation. At this point I don't even know what to do to keep myself and my daughter safe. From M. Palya - I am another victim of a Rack and Pinion steering failure in a Dodge Intrepid. This failure happened at around 60,000 miles. As usual, Dodge refused to even pay for part or the extra charges for realignment! I paid about 1200.00 total for this safety defect. I sent this to MD attorney General mediation, only to have Dodge refuse to do anything. From D. Birman - I am currently having problems with the steering in my '99 300M. The problem is intermittent but when it happens it is dangerous. The steering locks up when trying to straighten out after a turn (either right or left) for a couple of seconds and then seems to release. It has on one occasion while driving in a straight line felt like there was no power steering for a few seconds. I have had it looked at by two different front end/suspension people and they are scratching their heads. The car is going into the Chrysler dealer on Wed. (Jan 11th). On the phone they claimed they are not familiar with any routine or common steering problems associated with the Chrysler LH series. From C. Lunney - I am currently having a problem steering my vehicle, it has a rattle in the front and the car drifts. Took it to a mechanic and he said it's the inner tie rod. 2000 300M 46,000 miles, Thanks. From R. Brooks - My LHS has an awful clunk in it and a bad tendency to drift. It takes an extra second to respond to steering input during cornering. I just popped the hood and it appears that the entire rack is moving through a rubber isolator. I can't see much since the whole thing is buried under the intake. From K. Riley - We have a 2001 Chrysler 300M with 47,500 miles and we had to install a new rack and pinion and inner tie rods to the tune of $1,600. From D. Baker - Hi, I have a 1995 Chrysler LHS. I took my vehicle to my mechanic on 10-NOV-2005 due to what I thought were worn out tie rod ends, or bushings. What my mechanic found was that where the two inner tie rod ends bolt to the steering rack, one of the bolts was broken in half. The risk of a catastrophic accident is apparent too. Since then I researched this problem on the internet, and found through your website and others that this is not an uncommon problem on these vehicles. From M. Scheibel - I purchased a used 1997 Eagle Vision TSI and had to spend $2,000 for a new steering system after the front end suddenly and violently began vibrating while on the beltway. Fortunately, no one was injured, but I found it ridiculous that a malfunction of this type and severity would occur on a car with less than 84,000 miles on it and in otherwise excellent shape. From L. Fleischer - I have a Chrysler 300M with bad tie rods with less than 50,000 miles. Although I was not hurt and caught the problem I am now faced with a $700.00 bill which my extended warranty will not cover. From J. Richey - I had to replace my Rack and Pinion Steering on my 2000 Dodge Intrepid in September 2003. The steering had a lot of play which led me to take it to a mechanic. Cost me $1000. From G. Colombo - I "owned" a 1996 Dodge Intrepid which had this problem starting at 34,000 miles. The local dealer tried to tell me this was rare but most likely a by-product of wear and tear from improper maintenance of the front end mechanisms. Despite my records showing regular oil/lube services, a $950.00 repair estimate was received. The trouble started out with a loud cracking sound in the front end with a little "slop" noticed in the steering thereafter. The play in the steering gradually got much worse over the next couple of months. With the dealer looking to pass this expense off to me and the safety of my family being my only concern, I decided to get rid of this car and to especially get away from Dodge/Chrysler products all together. I knew this was a much bigger problem then what they were claiming it to be. From J. Viola - 2001 300M I have all the problems your other clients complain ref rack and pinion steering, Clunking, loss of control, unable to return steering wheel as it lock after left turn, steering wheel completely upside down. From M. Moreno - I own a 1996 Chrysler Concorde, and as was looking for the "rack and pinion bushings" where I run into this website. My car does have all of the defects explained in this website. My car only has 66,500 miles on it and this problem started around the 40,000 mile range, and since then, we have continuously tightened the rack and pinion bushing bolts, and they keep on coming loose causing the steering wheel to loose function until about a half of turn to the left or the right. Thank You From W. Wegman - I recently bought a used Eagle Vision TSI and thought it was a beautiful looking car. I have since replaced the wheel bearings, lower control arm and now the rack & pinion and still have not remedied the grinding clunking and pounding coming from my passenger side steering what a piece of crap I will never get out of it what I have put into the piece of junk and my mechanic is dumb founded as to the cause of the problem. Only 62000 miles on the car thought it was a buy boy did I get duped. Chrysler ought to make good to everyone who owns one of these accidents waiting to happen From P. Wilkes - My son experienced a steering failure yesterday on a 2001 Dodge Intrepid that has approximately 68K miles. As he was making a slow left turn into a parking lot, the steering failed and the right side front wheel came loose from the control arm and caused a skid and forced the wheel to tilt from the top at an angle which broke the wheel and forced the car to a stop. From B. May - Description of Problem: 2001 Chrysler 300M - Steering has excessive amounts of play - approximately 8 inches, or about 1/4 turn of the wheel. From T. Polson - 2001 Chrysler 300M, 45000 Miles Problem: When wheel is turned to make a medium to sharp turn, it sticks on the return to center. Planning on replacing the rack and pinion assembly. From T. Maddox - I own a 2000 Dodge Intrepid. I have had steering problems, my car wanders all over the road, it feels like it's skating, there is play in the steering wheel, when you make a right hand turn and when you try to correct it goes where it wants to. I had two different techs tell me it was the rack. I started looking on the internet to find the part and I came across website and complaint after complaint about my car my specific problems, accidents and deaths. I am scared to death to drive my car. Even when I have it fixed I will still be scared to drive my car not just for myself but my children and my mother who is disabled. I contacted Dodge / Chrysler and like everyone else there is nothing that they will do. Dodge / Chrysler even told me not to believe everything I read on the internet and that they have no complaints or knowledge of this serious safety problem. It is absolutely un-human for Dodge / Chrysler to know of this problem and do nothing about it. I cannot even sell my car knowing what I do. Everyone that owns a Dodge Intrepid and related vehicles should be made aware of the serious problems, it could save some lives. Chrysler should be held responsible these dangerous vehicles. From N. Rivera - Our 96 Dodge Intrepid in 1999 had 64,000 miles the rack and pinion, was making a cracking noise and hard to steer. The mechanic replace the rack because internal damage. Now the car has 150000 miles there was a clunk in the steering when turning the. The rack and pinion needs to be replaced again because a tie rod bolt in the rack and pinion snapped off in the the rack. Anonymous - my wife and I were very lucky indeed that we were only going at a snails pace when we were turning around and the rack bolts snapped off. My Intrepid, in the 3 years of ownership, has had the transmission rebuilt TWICE and the rack replaced THREE times. Looking at the following website, it appears I'm certainly not alone. Believe me when I say I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHRYSLER OR ANY RELATED PRODUCT. Anonymous - I had steering problems with my 300M, hard turning , excessive play in the wheel. When I brought it back to the dealer they informed me it was the steering rack and I had to wait about 10 days for the part to come in. Is this because they are replacing these parts all the time and they can't keep them in stock? The car had approximately 40,000 miles on it. It cost me $1500 to fix this problem. I have all the paperwork at home if you need more information. Anonymous - I just finished a very frustrating experience with Chrysler regarding a failed rack and pinion steering system. The car is all over the road and steers like a boat. They want $1,400 to fix it. There are only 64,000 miles on a meticulously maintained car. Paid $32,000 for a car that is supposed to be in the class of BMW and Mercedes. Of course I am out of warranty and they will do nothing. What really ticks me off is that they know about this problem and are doing nothing. I thought that it was a good safe vehicle from a reputable manufacturer. This is the last Chrysler product that I will buy! |
Below is a sample of just some of the NHTSA Complaints consumers have made for 2000 - 2004 models alone.
Chrysler's LH Vehicle Platform has had an extensive history of premature Steering problems and failures since the 1993 model year. In 1999 a total of 55,000 Steering related Warranty Claims were reported for 1993-1996 model years alone. Despite Chrysler's patch attempts or attempts to put a "band-aid" over this defective steering design, the fact is that premature failures continue even with newer Intrepids, 300Ms, LHS' and Concordes.
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Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2004
Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2004
Chrysler Model: Concorde Year: 2004
Chrysler Model: Concorde Year: 2004
Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2003
Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2003
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2002
Make: Chrysler Model: 300M Year: 2002
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2001 Summary: The steering fluctuated between being stiff when making turns and feeling very loose. The contact stated while making a turn the steering wheel locked. The vehicle was driven to a repair shop where the steering rack was replaced.
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2001
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2001
Make: Chrysler Model: 300M Year: 2001
Make: Chrysler Model: 300M Year: 2001
Make: Chrysler Model: 300M Year: 2001
Make: Chrysler Model: 300M Year: 2001
Make: Chrysler Model: 300M Year: 2001
Make: Chrysler Model: 300M Year: 2001
Make: Chrysler Model: 300M Year: 2001
Make: Chrysler Model: 300M Year: 2001
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2000
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2000
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2000
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2000
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2000
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2000
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2000
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2000
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2000
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year: 2000 |
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year:
2000
Make: Dodge Model: Intrepid Year:
2000 |