Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 1900101 | 03/23/2001 | 1900300 | 619127 | Some owners may experience loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to side. *tt | 05/15/2001 |
| 1900300B | 10/06/2000 | 190300A | 618868 | Some vehicles may experience loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to side. *tt | 05/03/2001 |
| 0042 | 09/13/2000 | 615695 | Advance service information for loose steering. *tt | 01/28/2001 | |
| 190300A | 09/08/2000 | 190300 | 6092235 | Experiencing loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to side. *tt | 11/29/2000 |
| 190300 | 06/02/2000 | 614153 | A condition may exist where a loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to side. *tt | 09/29/2000 | |
| 190899 | 12/31/1999 | 610017 | Information when servicing the inner tie rod end to steering gear attachments. *tt | 04/14/2000 | |
| 190397 | 02/14/1997 | 52029 | Steering gear cold - squawk noise. *tw | 07/17/1997 | |
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||||
| 190798 | 10/02/1998 | 602894 | Information on steering gear mounting bushing service. *ak | 11/16/1999 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | ||||||
| PE99044 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 06/28/1999 | 10/29/1999 | STEERING SYSTEM RACK AND PINION | ||
| Consumers have submitted 36 reports involving failures of the tie rod bushings or bolts at the attachment of the tie rod to the steering rack and pinion unit in the subject verhicles.ten of these incidents were reported to have resulted in a loss of vehicler control.additionally, 27 reports have been received which allege failure of the steering gear rack and pinion unit, including five which resulted in a loss of vehicle control.no vehicle crashes were reported, but the failures are of concern in that they may pose a compromise to steering control.a prelimiary evaluation has been opened on this issue. | ||||||
| EA99031 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 10/29/1999 | 09/13/2001 | STEERING SYSTEM RACK AND PINION | ||
| There is no summary currently available | ||||||
| STEERING - COLUMN | ||||||
| DP03002 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 05/07/2003 | 07/22/2003 | STEERING COLUMN SEPARATION | ||
| Mr. larry a. sackey submitted a petition to the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) by letter dated april 18, 2003, requesting that nhtsafurther investigate the defective collapsible steering shaft system on 1987-1995 vehicles manufactured by the daimlerchrysler corporation.in part because of 49 cfr | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 10/10/2007 | 108970 | ||
| Lots of play in steering 7 to 8 inchs. had to replace rack and pinion. cost $650. went out again august of 2010. | |||
| 02/23/2003 | 1 | ||
| Lost of steering and brakes due to cracking and failure of subframe.*mr the consumer took the vehicle to the service dealer for repairs it cost approximately $1040.00. the consumer then found out there was a recall for the control arms. the consumer contacted the dealer to receive reimbursement for repairs he had to pay, the consumers claim was denied and he was told that the warranty had expired. *cb (recall #99v215000) *jb | |||
| 11/16/2002 | 0 | ||
| Consumer states she placed her auto in reverse turned the steering wheel so that she could turn her car and heard a pop noise, then when she placed her auto in drive to go forward the steering column would not turn the wheel. the steering wheel turned but the wheels did not. ts | |||
| 12/03/2001 | 5 | 05/01/1997 | |
| There is a weld breakdown in the steering mounting. | |||
| 12/03/2001 | 6 | 05/01/1997 | |
| Car has been diagnosed as structural breakdown in steering mounting and control. *ak | |||
| 03/10/1999 | 1 | ||
| Bolts that hold the rack and pinion steering were sheared or missing causing the driver to loose control of the vehicle. | |||
| 02/01/1995 | 7 | 02/01/1995 | |
| Front end and steering problems since the first day of ownership, several repair attempts however continues to experience loss of steering and noise. | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| 11/01/1997 | |||
| Power steering gear box seals cracked, causing a leak into the front struts and eats the gromet away, which may cause the front end to drop and may result in an accident. been replaced 2 times. please provide further information and vin#. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP | |||
| 10/28/1999 | 2 | 09/27/1994 | |
| Pe99044, intermittently while making a sharp turn, steering system loses all power which may result in a crash. common problem. car originally taken in for transmission , transmission was rebuilt. the day car was picked up, noticed problem with steering. *ak | |||
| 02/01/1997 | 5 | 02/01/1995 | |
| Power steering pump replaced five times, steering rack replaced four times (two have cracked), however continues to have steering problems. | |||
| 02/09/1999 | 5 | 03/01/1995 | |
| Power steering rack being replaced again - 4th time; power steering pump being replaced again - 5th time; right strut assembly replaced twice; transmission leakag; tranmission replaced; right tie rod replaced; right stabilizer link replaced; replace ending serpentine drive belt; repair gas tank leak; repair ac connector & wires; replaced ac compressor; replaced water pump; replaced timing belt - both the dealer and chrysler have been contacted on many occasions - currently vehicle is at dealer again to replace power steering pump and rack; however claim that parts are on national back order - vehicle has been at dealer for almost 2 weeks - this vehicle is very defective and appears to be unrepairable - one more than one occasion i was driving this auto when power steering went and rack split - should i be expected to ever behind the wheel of this vehicle again?? *ak | |||
| Vehicle has been in the shop sixteen times for repair service. the power steering belt came off and the consumer lost control of the vehicle upon applying the brakes to stop. the water pump has been replaced. also, the air conditioner unit has been worked on four times, and the dealer can't find the problem. vehicle is still in the shop for the 17th time. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 05/12/2004 | 101000 | 10 | 06/01/2003 |
| This vehicle was purchased used. 2 weeks after purchase the rear brake bads failed causing them to grind on the rotors. brakes and rotors were replaced. drivers side seat support is broken. power steering pump has a leak. transmission clutches burned out requiring replacement. water pump failed along with failing timing belt & timing belt tensioner causing needed replacement. engine has several oil leaks. rack & pinion system is shifting, causing a thumping sound and vehicle shifting while cornering at times. selt belt on drivers side doesn't retract properly. brakes perform poorly, requiring excessive pedal to stop vehicle. fuel rail is leaking fuel, awaiting mechanic determination if it's covered under the recall. *ak | |||
| 09/16/1997 | 2 | 06/01/1997 | |
| All defects listed below were repaired satisfacty under warrentee except for the air conditioner. *ak | |||
| 04/13/1999 | 1 | 10/01/1997 | |
| Car nice to look at but starting to smell like a lemon. no safety defect mentioned in summary. *ak | |||
| 02/19/1997 | 1 | 03/01/1995 | |
| Auto has exhibited a consistent problem being a grinding noise accompanied by difficulty in steering. this problem manifests itself particularly in cold weather. dealer has replaced: right strut assembly, right tie rod end, right stabilizer link, right upper strut mount - replaced the steering rack on two occasions and the steering pump on three occasions. despite these efforts, the problem persists. i have been advised by a dealer mechanic that the car is unsafe to drive yet i cannot get chrysler corp. to remedy the problem. | |||
| 11/13/1995 | |||
| Had a failure in the power steering and caused it to pull sharply to the right while driving. please describe. tt | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 11/08/2005 | 1 | ||
| I was having some uneven and premature front tire wear problems. i thought that the inner tie rod bushings were simply worn out. i found out instead that one of the bolts that hold the inner tie rod ends to the steering rack had actually sheared/ broken, and this was allowing the excessive slop in the steering. obviously, if the bolt would have sheared all the way off, sudden and catastrophic (possibly deadly) loss of steering would have occurred, without warning. in order to remove/extract the broken bolt, the steering rack had to be removed from the car to facilitate access to the broken bolt with an extractor. this is an expensive 6 hours of labor job, to repair a simple broken bolt. not only is it ridiculously expensive to repair, this is an item (the tie rod to steering rack bolt) that should never break from normal usage of the automobile. i subsequently found from on-line research that this is not an uncommon problem in the chrysler lh platform cars. also, that there have been many consumer complaints, and several lawsuits due to alleged defective design, insufficient service/inspection procedures, or materials, relating directly to the lh platform steering, including severe accidents caused by this identical failure. also complaints of chrysler offering no assistance to the consumer (including me) in regards to this very dangerous (and expensive to repair) defect. *jb | |||
| 03/29/1999 | 1 | 01/01/1998 | |
| Need to know what to do. transmission and tie rod nedd repaired. i can't afford to do it again. help me, please..... | |||
| 3 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| I`ve had my transmission fixed 3 times and its going out again. the brakes have been replaced 3 times also the stabilizer bar, tie rods, and wheel bearings have been replaced on both sides. the car leaks oil and anti-freeze. the sun roof doesn`t close half the time, and the tail lights don`t work on the right side. also on the highway one time all the water ran out of my car while i was driving. *ak | |||
| 02/09/1999 | 5 | 03/01/1995 | |
| Power steering rack being replaced again - 4th time; power steering pump being replaced again - 5th time; right strut assembly replaced twice; transmission leakag; tranmission replaced; right tie rod replaced; right stabilizer link replaced; replace ending serpentine drive belt; repair gas tank leak; repair ac connector & wires; replaced ac compressor; replaced water pump; replaced timing belt - both the dealer and chrysler have been contacted on many occasions - currently vehicle is at dealer again to replace power steering pump and rack; however claim that parts are on national back order - vehicle has been at dealer for almost 2 weeks - this vehicle is very defective and appears to be unrepairable - one more than one occasion i was driving this auto when power steering went and rack split - should i be expected to ever behind the wheel of this vehicle again?? *ak | |||
| 02/19/1997 | 1 | 03/01/1995 | |
| Auto has exhibited a consistent problem being a grinding noise accompanied by difficulty in steering. this problem manifests itself particularly in cold weather. dealer has replaced: right strut assembly, right tie rod end, right stabilizer link, right upper strut mount - replaced the steering rack on two occasions and the steering pump on three occasions. despite these efforts, the problem persists. i have been advised by a dealer mechanic that the car is unsafe to drive yet i cannot get chrysler corp. to remedy the problem. | |||
| 09/03/1997 | 6 | 05/29/1997 | |
| Tie rods broke twice. in addition, replaced transmission/premature wear of front brakes/comuter failure/driver's seat broke and check engine light came on/off. *ak | |||
| 1 | 03/09/1996 | ||
| Clock spring in steering is defective, causing air bag/cruise control to malfunction. | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - ARM - IDLER AND ATTACHMENT | |||
| 02/16/2005 | 70087 | 1 | 10/05/2003 |
| I experienced a loud clunking sound when i turned the steering wheel. also when i drove over uneven pavement or an uneven entry to a driveway i could hear the same sound and could feel it through the steering wheel. i had a dealership check it out and they found that there was a bolt that had worked itself loose on the lower control arm. i have found information on the internet related to steering failures leading to death on several vehicles with the same steering components that my car has. fortunately i caught this early enough to prevent a disasterous even like other people have experienced. they tightened the bolt. i understant that chrysler corporation has changed the torque specifications and the bushing used on the tie-rod ends in order to prevent the type of failures that many people have experienced. if you would like to look at the information that i found concerning steering components, premature transmission failure and premature engine failure, go to: http://www.daimlerchryslervehicleproblems.com here you can read all about the multitude of problems that chrysler products are experiencing. | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 11/08/2005 | 1 | ||
| I was having some uneven and premature front tire wear problems. i thought that the inner tie rod bushings were simply worn out. i found out instead that one of the bolts that hold the inner tie rod ends to the steering rack had actually sheared/ broken, and this was allowing the excessive slop in the steering. obviously, if the bolt would have sheared all the way off, sudden and catastrophic (possibly deadly) loss of steering would have occurred, without warning. in order to remove/extract the broken bolt, the steering rack had to be removed from the car to facilitate access to the broken bolt with an extractor. this is an expensive 6 hours of labor job, to repair a simple broken bolt. not only is it ridiculously expensive to repair, this is an item (the tie rod to steering rack bolt) that should never break from normal usage of the automobile. i subsequently found from on-line research that this is not an uncommon problem in the chrysler lh platform cars. also, that there have been many consumer complaints, and several lawsuits due to alleged defective design, insufficient service/inspection procedures, or materials, relating directly to the lh platform steering, including severe accidents caused by this identical failure. also complaints of chrysler offering no assistance to the consumer (including me) in regards to this very dangerous (and expensive to repair) defect. *jb | |||
| Tie rod end broke between firewall and engine, causing loss of control. dealer has been notified.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Left and right tie rod loose.*et | |||
| 1 | |||
| Left and right tie rods loose and rack and pinion is leaking. nlm | |||
| 01/10/2000 | 1 | 08/01/1996 | |
| The vehicle was out of control because the factory did not install bolts that secure tie rods to power steering piston. yh | |||
| 04/14/1997 | 1 | 02/01/1995 | |
| Tie rod end and right stabilizer link replaced. | |||
| Vehicle has had numerous problems inclucing: three transmission replacements, the air conditioner stopped blowing cool air, a shimmy in the steering wheel, a clunking in the front ent (tierod end bushings), and front rotors burned out. | |||
| 1 | 04/01/1995 | ||
| Tie rod ends failed. | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 05/25/2006 | 80000 | 1 | 06/01/1996 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 mph, a snapping sound was heard followed by a loss of steering. the contact stopped and exited the vehicle to call a friend. the friend noticed two bolts lying on the ground that appeared to be part of the steering. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined the steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced and the steering system needed to be flushed. the manufacturer was also alerted of the problem. updated 7/3/2006 - *nm | |||
| 1 | |||
| Rack and pinion is leaking. nlm | |||
| 1 | |||
| Pe 95 033; when going up an incline vehicle will experience a shimmy. dealer claims it is due to faulty rack and pinion.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Left and right tie rods loose and rack and pinion is leaking. nlm | |||
| 10/28/1999 | 2 | 09/27/1994 | |
| Pe99044, intermittently while making a sharp turn, steering system loses all power which may result in a crash. common problem. car originally taken in for transmission , transmission was rebuilt. the day car was picked up, noticed problem with steering. *ak | |||
| 02/19/1997 | 1 | 03/01/1995 | |
| Auto has exhibited a consistent problem being a grinding noise accompanied by difficulty in steering. this problem manifests itself particularly in cold weather. dealer has replaced: right strut assembly, right tie rod end, right stabilizer link, right upper strut mount - replaced the steering rack on two occasions and the steering pump on three occasions. despite these efforts, the problem persists. i have been advised by a dealer mechanic that the car is unsafe to drive yet i cannot get chrysler corp. to remedy the problem. | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK | |||
| 05/12/2004 | 101000 | 10 | 06/01/2003 |
| This vehicle was purchased used. 2 weeks after purchase the rear brake bads failed causing them to grind on the rotors. brakes and rotors were replaced. drivers side seat support is broken. power steering pump has a leak. transmission clutches burned out requiring replacement. water pump failed along with failing timing belt & timing belt tensioner causing needed replacement. engine has several oil leaks. rack & pinion system is shifting, causing a thumping sound and vehicle shifting while cornering at times. selt belt on drivers side doesn't retract properly. brakes perform poorly, requiring excessive pedal to stop vehicle. fuel rail is leaking fuel, awaiting mechanic determination if it's covered under the recall. *ak | |||
| 02/01/1997 | 5 | 02/01/1995 | |
| Power steering pump replaced five times, steering rack replaced four times (two have cracked), however continues to have steering problems. | |||
| 02/09/1999 | 5 | 03/01/1995 | |
| Power steering rack being replaced again - 4th time; power steering pump being replaced again - 5th time; right strut assembly replaced twice; transmission leakag; tranmission replaced; right tie rod replaced; right stabilizer link replaced; replace ending serpentine drive belt; repair gas tank leak; repair ac connector & wires; replaced ac compressor; replaced water pump; replaced timing belt - both the dealer and chrysler have been contacted on many occasions - currently vehicle is at dealer again to replace power steering pump and rack; however claim that parts are on national back order - vehicle has been at dealer for almost 2 weeks - this vehicle is very defective and appears to be unrepairable - one more than one occasion i was driving this auto when power steering went and rack split - should i be expected to ever behind the wheel of this vehicle again?? *ak | |||
| 02/13/1997 | 3 | 04/01/1995 | |
| Steering rack has been replaced three times. | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 08/01/1998 | |||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| Vehicle has had numerous problems inclucing: three transmission replacements, the air conditioner stopped blowing cool air, a shimmy in the steering wheel, a clunking in the front ent (tierod end bushings), and front rotors burned out. | |||
| Pipe which connectes to steering column broke. two bolts that held pipe broke causing steering wheel to come off . owner notes that pipe should have been welded. *ak | |||