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 | ||||||
| EA99031 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 10/29/1999 | 09/13/2001 | STEERING SYSTEM RACK AND PINION | ||
| There is no summary currently available | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 11/15/2009 | 120000 | 1 | |
| 1.cluncking,grinding, doesn't steer properly 2.every time it's on the road 3.parts will be replaced when we have the money to do so. *tr | |||
| 11/11/2008 | 1 | ||
| Front end shaking and popping replaced tirerods a lowercontrol arms. *tr | |||
| 05/06/2008 | 116000 | 1 | |
| 1996 chrysler lhs, loose steering. discovered steering at risk of total failure, tie rod/rack & pinion bushing completely disintegrated. if not discovered in time, could have caused complete failure of steering due to bolt shearing, perhaps causing fatal or at the very least, extremely injurious accident.. *tr | |||
| 11/01/2003 | 133294 | 1 | 08/01/1997 |
| While driving at a low speed in a parking garage the steering failed and the vehicle could not be turned in either direction. the dealer determined that two half-inch bolts for the inner tie rod broke in the steering rack. the dealer replaced the steering rack and inner tie rod bushing. the consumer has the parts in his possession. *ak *nm | |||
| 59000 | 1 | ||
| Steering wheel has too much play in it due to a failure in the bushing. the bushing needs to be replaced ,but the part is on national back order.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| The steering was very sensitive, it took little pressure to change direction of the wheels.*jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer noticed when turning the steering wheel to the left or the right, vehicle would not respond to the steering and continued to travel straight. dealer and manufactured had been notified. ts a popping noise was also associated with this condition. *tt *jb | |||
| 02/05/2001 | 1 | ||
| While attempting to back into driveway, consumer lost control of the steering, the front wheels were completely independent of the steering wheel, and the front wheels were independent of each other, vehicle was towed and consumer was informed that the steering gear and and tie rod end needed to be replaced.*jb | |||
| 01/15/2001 | 1 | ||
| Steering has a lot of play, and is very loose. *ak dealer found problem to be with the tierod ends, both inner. *slc | |||
| 1 | 07/01/1998 | ||
| Failed bushings cause steering problems. no replacement part available!*ak | |||
| While driving the steering became uncontrollable. dealer says the bushing was defective. *ak | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| 12/14/2002 | 1 | ||
| Once exiting the highway and approaching a stop into a driveway the owner heard a popping sound. he was informed that several bolts that go into the steering box had sheered. the vehicle had lost total steering. the owner still has the bolts/broken parts. please describe details.*jb | |||
| 09/16/2002 | 12/01/2096 | ||
| According to my independent chrysler mechanic,the steering gear box disintegrated and became completely detached from the steering gear. the front wheels did not respond to the steering wheel; the car had no steering control.*ak | |||
| When going over a bump there is a clunking noise. also, the steering box moves back and forth. vehicle has been inspected by an independent mechanic. please provide additional information.*ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP | |||
| 1 | 09/15/2000 | ||
| Power steering pump is leaking causing it to make noises. *slc | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 01/02/2002 | |||
| Power steering went out. dealer determined that bushings on steering rack had worn out. *ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 10/25/2000 | 1 | 08/01/1996 | |
| I have been told by other owners that they have had the exact same problems with there lhs. i have bought several sets of tires because of this. also i was told that the tie rods would wear out again.cost for repairs were 831.47. this is unreasonable for a car so new. i have never had such costly repairs onsuch a new car. this should be a recall. this is definatly a manufacture defect. after new repairs my car is already macking some of the previous sounds.somthing is not right.this could be dangerous. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Unable to contact manufacturer they were not interested they have no problem contact number or email contact. no safety defect listed in the summary. *ak | |||
| 08/23/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1997 | |
| Car has loose or wandering steering | |||
| 12/21/1998 | 06/01/1996 | ||
| Each of the failures occurring in my 1996 chrysler lhs has been costly. the failure of the o rings, the failure of the steering linkages, and lastly, the failure of the rack and pinion bushings. the critical failure of each of these components occurred with the items made of rubber. in the case of the rack & pinion, my mechanic finds it incredible that he cannot just replace the bushings. as it is he has to buy a new rack assembly + charge me for the labor and expense of removing and replacing the rack. i think that this is a manufacturers design defect, and should be paid for by daimlerchrysler! | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 01/16/2008 | 1 | 04/26/2004 | |
| Still in need of repair, needs rack & pinion bushings, right outer tie rod end, already had inner tie rod replaced. *tr | |||
| 09/22/2003 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle experienced steering wheel failure.*mr (nar) while driving both tie rod bolts broke. this caused the vehicle to continue on a straight path although the consumer was turning the wheel. the consumer feels that since the manufacturer knew about the faulty component that they should reimburse her for the amount of the repair. *nm | |||
| 09/15/2004 | 35000 | 4 | |
| The tie rod ends wore out prematurely. consumer stated he was going on the fourth set of tie rods at 125,000 miles. *ak | |||
| 01/28/2004 | 20000 | 1 | 03/07/1997 |
| Inner tie rod ends only last realistically about 10,000 miles,become completely unserviceable in 20,000. i am sure chrysler is aware of this poor design/material problem. additionally, the steering box also has problems with the mounting bushings. be advised that i have replaced the inner tie rods twice, then the bushings when they became available in after market form. chrysler, after my many complaints, replaced the tie rod ends(once again) and the steering box due to movement of the box due to bushing wear. once again, the tie rod bushings need to be replaced. this car now has almost 80,000 miles. isn't this ridiculous. having at one time been a front end mechanic i know how dangerous this problem is. the car is a 1996 chrysler lhs. i expect some relief from this.*ak | |||
| 09/01/2001 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| Power rack and pinion bushing failed to where rack was moving when i turned the wheel giving the driver so much play in the steering it was hard to control the car i assume the front steering linkage which was prematurally worn also contributed to this uncontrollable steering.the left rear trrailing arm completly failed when it rust all the way thru causing the car to be uynsafe to do drive as the axile was splayed out and pushed back. i really give the milage of just 75000 that this was a premature complete failure of the suspension system and a very unsafe condition that could have had serious ramification had i not been able to bring this car under control. as for the a/c evaporator chrysler fixed trhat as well as the transmission and the recalled fuel rail. *ak | |||
| 01/15/2001 | 1 | ||
| Steering has a lot of play, and is very loose. *ak dealer found problem to be with the tierod ends, both inner. *slc | |||
| 12/22/2000 | 1 | ||
| Both inner tie rods came apart and were replaced. *mjs | |||
| 10/27/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1996 | |
| While driving drivers side tie rod end rattling due to tie rod wearing out. consumer feels that the rod may fall off, and there will be no steering.*ak | |||
| 05/10/2000 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Inside tie rod bushing failed shortly after being saturated with anti-freeze from water pump failure. *ak | |||
| After the replacement of cv joint boot, vehicle started to vibrate. vibration caused the tie rod end bushings to go bad. dealer has inspected vehicle, and will repair again at the owners expense. *ak | |||
| 2 | 10/01/1996 | ||
| The problem started last year with a cold sqwak noise when steering the car. i had that fixed but the problem started again 9 months later and developed into a major problem. i had the car towed to the dealer because the steering seemed loose and i was having trouble controling it. they replaced the inner ti rods and sent me on my way. i returned the car a few days later after being told by another garage that the steering was still loose under the car. they then told me i needed a new rack and pinion steering replacement. i hesitated and took the car to another chrysler dealer for repairs. they told me the car needed outer ti rod replacement along with a wheel alingment and also that the inner ti rods were not installed properly. they also told me that this problem should have been diagnosed at the original dealership. this could have been a disaster if left to go unrepaired. after some research i found that this is not the only time there has been problems with the steering on these cars. i feel there has been some negligence on the part of the 1st dealer and also chrysler. i notified them after this started and they told me i was on my own. i had the car fixed but i think that this might be a design problem that should be addressed. | |||
| 06/22/1999 | 2 | ||
| Vehicle experienced two difference incidents: first, while traveling on freeway at 70 mph tie rod end broke, causing loss of steering (no collision or injuries). second incident occurred while traveling on the freeway at 60 mph, rack and pinion came locked due to valve failure and caused steering wheel to lock, almost causing a vehicle collision (again no damages to other vehicle or injuries received). on both occasions, repairs was done at consumer's cost. *ak *ml | |||
| 10/01/1999 | 07/19/1999 | ||
| When driving at high speeds tires would wobble and vibrate due to the bushing on the inner tie rod going bad. dealer said the rack and pinion also needs to be replaced.*ak | |||
| 10/08/1999 | 2 | 11/01/1998 | |
| My car was repaired at olson tire - store # 06-17 in port st lucie florida on may 11, 1999. my invoice says they replace a rack and pinion unit and a tie rod end at a cost of $1521.86 including labor and applicable taxes. on friday, oct 8, 1999, i was backing out of parking space when i heard a clunk i looked around saw that i did not hit anything and tried to pull forawrd. the car just rocked in place. i got out and saw that my d. side tire was turned and the p.side tire was straight. bottom line was that the bolt that holds the rack in was sheered off (broke). according to what i have been told , these bolts just don't break. my warranty company will not pay for the repair beacuse a bolt is hardware??? and olson wanted to chrage me $300++++ to fix the problem. i am very concerned about thisbolt. had i been driving when this occurred , there could have benn some very serious consequences. where do i go from here?? | |||
| 08/01/1998 | 2 | 09/01/1996 | |
| Tire rod end broken. dealer wants 410.00 to repair part. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 01/16/2008 | 1 | 04/26/2004 | |
| Still in need of repair, needs rack & pinion bushings, right outer tie rod end, already had inner tie rod replaced. *tr | |||
| 09/06/2004 | 100000 | 1 | |
| When turning at low speeds, the rack and pinion snapped and failed. the consumer lost steering control. the consumer managed to pull over and had the vehicle towed. please provide more information. *jb | |||
| 12/10/2003 | 1 | 08/04/2003 | |
| I purchased a used 1996 chrysler lhs in august. when the weather turned cold, i noticed a knocking sound in the general vicinity of the right front tire upon turning the steering wheel soon after starting the car. after researching the problem online and being made aware of other similar symptoms that resulted in dangerous loss-of-steering situations, i took my car into my local chrysler service center. the car was diagnosed as having a bad rack-and-pinion gear assembly. *la | |||
| 08/12/2002 | 2 | 07/01/2098 | |
| In january 2002 a chrysler certified mechanic put bushings into my steering mechanism. i say put them there because the previous ones (less than 2 years old, had compeltely dissintegrated. in august of this year my husband was approaching the end of a freeway. when he braked to slow down, the bolt on the d side fell off and the steering mechanism fell apart. he was travelling approximately 55mph and had absolutely no control over the car at the moment the steering mechanism fell apart. it is a miracle there was no accident, injuries or deaths as he was swerving from one side of the highway to the other. the d side wheel was completely independent of the steering.*ak | |||
| 09/01/2001 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| Power rack and pinion bushing failed to where rack was moving when i turned the wheel giving the driver so much play in the steering it was hard to control the car i assume the front steering linkage which was prematurally worn also contributed to this uncontrollable steering.the left rear trrailing arm completly failed when it rust all the way thru causing the car to be uynsafe to do drive as the axile was splayed out and pushed back. i really give the milage of just 75000 that this was a premature complete failure of the suspension system and a very unsafe condition that could have had serious ramification had i not been able to bring this car under control. as for the a/c evaporator chrysler fixed trhat as well as the transmission and the recalled fuel rail. *ak | |||
| 1 | 03/01/1999 | ||
| The rack and pinion mounting bushings failed. nlm | |||
| 1 | 05/01/2000 | ||
| Rack and pinion steering failed, steering will is not straight and the wheel pops and scrapes when turning the wheel. nlm | |||
| 06/22/1999 | 2 | ||
| Vehicle experienced two difference incidents: first, while traveling on freeway at 70 mph tie rod end broke, causing loss of steering (no collision or injuries). second incident occurred while traveling on the freeway at 60 mph, rack and pinion came locked due to valve failure and caused steering wheel to lock, almost causing a vehicle collision (again no damages to other vehicle or injuries received). on both occasions, repairs was done at consumer's cost. *ak *ml | |||
| 10/01/1999 | 07/19/1999 | ||
| When driving at high speeds tires would wobble and vibrate due to the bushing on the inner tie rod going bad. dealer said the rack and pinion also needs to be replaced.*ak | |||
| 10/08/1999 | 2 | 11/01/1998 | |
| My car was repaired at olson tire - store # 06-17 in port st lucie florida on may 11, 1999. my invoice says they replace a rack and pinion unit and a tie rod end at a cost of $1521.86 including labor and applicable taxes. on friday, oct 8, 1999, i was backing out of parking space when i heard a clunk i looked around saw that i did not hit anything and tried to pull forawrd. the car just rocked in place. i got out and saw that my d. side tire was turned and the p.side tire was straight. bottom line was that the bolt that holds the rack in was sheered off (broke). according to what i have been told , these bolts just don't break. my warranty company will not pay for the repair beacuse a bolt is hardware??? and olson wanted to chrage me $300++++ to fix the problem. i am very concerned about thisbolt. had i been driving when this occurred , there could have benn some very serious consequences. where do i go from here?? | |||
| 09/20/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1996 | |
| Steering gear failed by leaking steering fluid on inside bushings on tie rods. bushings degenerated and suddenly had substatial play. caused steering wheel to have about 4 inches of play and made car difficult to keep in the road even at low speeds. car would veer left then right - causing oversteering just to keep it straight. cost of repair has been estimated at $2,000. dealer (jim cogdill dodge) says car is not drivable in current condition. | |||
| 10/12/1997 | |||
| When driving at any speed steering wheel lockrd up, and consumer had no control. then rack pinion broke, causing one wheel to go to the right and one to the left. consumer applied the brakes, and vehicle came to a stop. *ak | |||
| 02/02/1999 | 1 | 01/01/1997 | |
| As we were turning into a parking lot, the car shuttered and then made a noise and felt like a flat tire. i stopped the car and looked for a flat and found none. the car then would barely go forward or backward and i had no steering control. next morning, in daylight, front tires were aimed at a 90 degree variance. bolts holding steering rack had sheered and bend/broke tie rods also. i see a similar previous report in your files. i do not know what would have happened in high speed situation! | |||
| 12/21/1998 | 06/01/1996 | ||
| Each of the failures occurring in my 1996 chrysler lhs has been costly. the failure of the o rings, the failure of the steering linkages, and lastly, the failure of the rack and pinion bushings. the critical failure of each of these components occurred with the items made of rubber. in the case of the rack & pinion, my mechanic finds it incredible that he cannot just replace the bushings. as it is he has to buy a new rack assembly + charge me for the labor and expense of removing and replacing the rack. i think that this is a manufacturers design defect, and should be paid for by daimlerchrysler! | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK | |||
| 07/10/2005 | 94537 | 2 | 06/20/1999 |
| I'd parked my 1996 chrysler lhs in a parking lot for a couple of hours on 7/10/2005. the vehicle has 95k miles on it. as i returned, and backed the vehicle up to exit the space, i heard a loud pop. suddenly the car no longer responded to steering. upon examination, i found the inner tie rod bolts had sheared off where they connected to the steering gear. both bolts had sheared off at the same length, and the retaining plate was still in place, preventing the bolts from loosening/rotating. if this had occured while i was driving down the freeway, i'd be dead. i haven't had it repaired yet, but i've kept the old tie rod bolts. i don't know how easy i can get out the sheared ends from the steering gear, but i would suspect it won't be in good shape when i finish. | |||
| 03/16/2005 | 1 | 11/10/1999 | |
| I am having problems with the transmission down shifting on it's own at low speeds. also the vehicle keeps veering to the right and left. have replaced the control arms two times due to break of bushings. the bolts attaching the steering rack do not keep it secured to the chassis and moves as the steering wheel is operated. there was a recall issued for the suspension control arm bracket in 1999. i have not been notified of this recall and need to know how to receive notification to have the part replaced. the vehicle's manufacture date on the driver's door indicates the manufacture date august/1995.*ak | |||
| 01/02/2002 | |||
| Power steering went out. dealer determined that bushings on steering rack had worn out. *ak | |||
| While driving 15 mph the bolts that hold the steering rack sheared off, nearly causing loss of vehcile control. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 11/29/2002 | |||
| While traveling on the highway the vehicle steering column is uncontrollable without prior warning. the steering wheel will wander left to right please fill in additional information. ts | |||
| 08/20/1999 | 06/01/1999 | ||
| There was an extremely loud shutter and shake when this happened. car does seem to operate the same since this problem. gas mileage has gone down by three mpg, even after a tune up by chrysler and fuel system cleaning. shortly after some fuses blew., now at 75,000 there is a lound growning sound when you steer to the left. brakes have been replaced and need it again. airconditioner has funny damp smell. how does one find out if this car has been in an accident? | |||
| 10/12/1997 | |||
| When driving at any speed steering wheel lockrd up, and consumer had no control. then rack pinion broke, causing one wheel to go to the right and one to the left. consumer applied the brakes, and vehicle came to a stop. *ak | |||