Tl*the contact owns a 1996 dodge intrepid. While driving approximately 5 MPH on normal road conditions, proceeding to make a left turn. There was a loud popping noise outside of the vehicle. Suddenly, there was a complete loss of steering. Immediately, the driver stopped in the middle of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the residence. A certified mechanic inspected the vehicle. The failure was contributed to broken bolts which supported the tie rod bushing, and the rack and pinion. The vehicle was repaired for the malfunction. The failure mileage was unknown. The current mileage was 177,000.
1996 Dodge Intrepid: loss of power steering
16 of the 504 complaints about the 1996 Dodge Intrepid describe loss of power steering.
- owner complaints
- 16
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 8 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Loss of power steering by model year
What owners say
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. If you go to this site : http://www.allpar.com/fix/intrepid-steering.html you will see a clear picture of 2 center bolts that connect the inner tie rods to the rack and pinion steeing. These were the 2 bolts that suddenly broke leaving the car with no steering control. If that had happened a week earlier when I was traveling with my son on a super highway I am quite sure that several people would be going to the hospital or worse. After the incident, I fould on the internet that this is a common problem with this car. I feel that a recall should be done to replace these bolts. His car had 112,000 miles on when the incident occured. You're recall of these cars I feel would save other people's lives. Thank you!
While backing out of driveway, right side inner tie rod connecting bolt broke causing loss of steering to right front wheel and total loss of contol of vehicle. Further inspection revealed failure of both inner tie rod bushings.veh towed to dealer for repair. Daimer chrysler contacted and refused to compensate for repairs. Cost of repair $ 1600.00 which includes cost of a remanufactured steering unit because the tie rod bolt shearred off inside the unit.
Two bolts sheared off bracket in rack and pinion, causing a loss of steering. Contacted chrysler, and chrysler will open a file out on the problem. But, vehicle has too many miles, and no warranty/ recall.
While driving approximately 5 MPH, bolts in rack and pinion steering broke, resulting in loss of steering control. Consumer was able to stop vehicle without incident. A private repair shop diagnosed the problem. Please provide any additional information / attachments. *note: parts available for inspection.
Loss of steering due to poorly designed rack and pinion bushings that mount the assembly to the chassis, 90 degrees of excessive amount of play in the steering causing .crashed into the a hill side at 15 miles perhour.vehicle is impossible to drive in a straight line, excessive wear on tires.most important, possible life threating defect.vehicle had this since I bought it,not as bad but gradually deteriorated with time.$1500 to repair, the bushings cannot be replaced since they are pressing into the assembly. Please advise!!!
My problem started out with the steering making a popping noise when turning to the left. This problem had worsened to a point where the steering would lock up at a certain position while turning left. It gradually progressed to be a safety issue and also started to be a problem when turning right. Now this problem is so bad my wife refuses to drive the car at all, especially if the children are in the vehicle. I had just noticed recently that the middle portion of the gear rack, where the tie rods connect, is very loose. It almost seems that the rack may be broken at that area. The car has never been in any accident at all. It is obvious to me that this part is defective, and may be a hazard to the vehicle ocupants as well as people in other vehicles. This defect has the potential for loss of steering capabilities at any time.
Engine overheated. Consumer pulled to side, added coolant, and it immediately reheated. Took vehicle to dealer, and they said engine head gasket needed to be replaced. Also, vehicle was unsafe because there was no power steering when car went dead.
Left tie rod failed originally in june 99. In jan. 2000. The left tie rod separated from the rack and pinion gear assy. Tis resulted is loss of steering, but car was brought to a safe stop. This is the second failure of the tie rods and the firstt failure of the rack and pinion gear assy. I have never seen a car have this kind of failure before. I have grave concerns about trusting the safety of the rack and pinion steering on this car.
While driving 5 MPH out of a parking lot steering rack and pinion broke, causing no steering control. Please give any further details.
Two different sets of rubber bushings in the steering have failed on this vehicle. The tie rod end bushings failed on the right side causing a shimmying in the steering wheel. The more dangerous failure is the four rack and pinion bushings that hold it in place. The failure of these bushings allow the entire rack to move laterally, causing loss of steering control in sudden maneuvers. One night while avoiding a dog in the roadway, I attempted to move the car a foot to the left, but instead the car lurched all the way into oncoming traffic, nearly causing an accident. The dealer makes you buy the entire rack at a cost of $700 or more because no aftermarket manufacturer makes this component yet. I complained while the vehicle was still under warranty at 32000 miles of a creaking in the front while turning the steering wheel, but they did not identify the problem until complete failure at a later date.
Steering rack bushings,sway bar links,and inner and outer tie rod ends. Experienced loss of steering control, barely avoiding a major accident with children in car.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Some owners may experience loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to side
- Some vehicles may experience loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to side
- Advance service information for loose steering
- Experiencing loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to side
- A condition may exist where a loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to...
- Information when servicing the inner tie rod end to steering gear attachments
- Information on steering gear mounting bushing service
- Steering gear cold - squawk noise
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1996 Dodge Intrepid power steering loss
Is loss of power steering a common problem on the 1996 Dodge Intrepid?
16 of 504 owner complaints about the 1996 Dodge Intrepid (3%) mention loss of power steering. The model year with the most reports is 1996.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1996 Dodge Intrepid?
There are 0 recalls and 8 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1996 Dodge Intrepid
Ball joint 63Fuel leak 32Headlights 24Fire or smoke 20Overheating 17Steering noise 16No deployment 13Fuel smell 10Brake failure 9Harsh shifting 9Knocking 8Pulling 7Wipers 7Airbag light 6Stalling 6Grinding brakes 5Check engine light 5Transmission failure 5
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