2000 Intrepid Steering Problems: Please Read.

Hi:

I posted a few months back about a problem that started with the
steering system in my 2000 Intrepid (base model, 2.7L engine).

Basically one day the steering locked up going around a tight corner. I
managed to wrestle the wheel back to straight, but at that point it was
misaligned.

Over the last few weeks this has happened, to a much lesser extent,
quite a few times. Every time it happens, the steering wheel misaligns
a little more when driving straight. At this point, the wheel has made
a complete 360 and is back to the normal position.

The steering is also a little loose now, in my opinion.

I got little response when posting this previously (someone with a
similar problem said they were told the entire rack needed replacing,
but they replaced the power steering fluid, and the problem went away).

I'm not much interested in a quick fix, rather, I want to know my family
is safe. But I also don't want to be gouged for unneccesary work.
Therefore, I did a little research, lo and behold, it's major problem
with 1993 - 2000 Intrepids involving a law suit:

http://www.daimlerchryslervehicleproblems.com/

I'm heading to a Chrylser dealership, but I want to know what to ask.
My car has almost 200,000 kms on it, so I'm not looking for warranty
work, just the proper fix at the right price.

The above link talks about inner tie rod bolts. Another site says
somethign similar:

"Did your steering bolts go on your Intrepid, causing you to lose
complete control of your car?"

http://intrepidhorrorstories.blogspot.com/

Even another site (a forum) talked about gears being stripped, etc.

My main question is, does this sound right for my problem? Can bolts be
replaced, or is it a much bigger problem? Is there any way I can check
this out myself (I'm fairly mechically capable)?

This might be pertinent: when my car had less than 10,000 kms on it,
the power steering pump blew out and dumped power steering fluid all
over the road. The pump was replaced under warranty and it never
happened again.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

KJ

 

Basically one day the steering locked up going around a tight corner. I

<snip lawsuit text>

So you want to make sure your family's safe, but you're afraid of paying too
much, eh? And obviously, you're willing to wait the two or three years it
will take for any case to go through the trial process, since you've waited
several months so far without having it fixed.

So either you're trolling or waiting for Darwinian natural selection to
happen. I'm guessing the former, but the latter wouldn't upset me. Just
out of curiosity, which is it?

--Geoff

 

And you continued to DRIVE the car to this point, KNOWING that something
is in the process of tearing itself apart in the steering mechanism, and
that at any second it could fail completely at highway speed, causing
you to kill innocent people in other vehicles (nevermind yourself)?

What are you doing, campaigning for a Darwin award? Do you expect
sympathy for such stupid actions, knowingly putting your life at risk
and then looking to blame it on "defective design?" Yes, designs CAN be
"defective." But even if it is a factory defect, you, as the
(presumably) intelligent owner/operator of the vehicle, got an ample
warning of an impending mechanical failure. If I were a lawyer, I'd
argue that you forfeited your right to any claim by continuing to drive
the car.

family is safe.

Your actions say otherwise, and the Chrysler-bashing site you quote
indicates a high probability that you are a troll.

 

I would have the car TOWED to a dealer.

 

(snip)

Thanks anyway.

 

Thanks for also not answering. The car is at the dealer.

I was merely looking for information so I can communicate with them. If
you don't have that information, I would suggest looking for a flame
fest at alt.religion or something.

 

On second review, sorry, you didn't say anything wrong.

Steve got me going a little I guess (as in hook, line and sinker).

 

You've got a lot of nerve, waiving around a lawsuit and then accusing others
of being inflammatory.

Hopefully the cost to fix the car will be some large multiple of *what you
have*. Then you can take your stupidity on the bus with you.

--Geoff

 

Jeebus, sorry for providing all the information I could. What is this?
Has this friggin' group been collectively sued or something? You
might wanna do a little searching in here and see I own three Chrysler
vehicles, a 1995 Jeep Gran Cherokee, a 2000 Intrepid and a 1974 Dart
Swinger. Doesn't sound like I have much of an ax to grind, but I guess
you friggin' mind readers know better.

Yes, that's right. Maybe you like giving blank cheques to mechanics, I
don't. And since they just now suggested the entire rack needs
replacing, and since I've found other information on tie rock bolts that
is contrary to their opinion, I don't feel I've done the wrong thing by
not blindly handing $1,200 to them. But I'm sure that method works for
you, good luck with it.

No, actually, since the car has been driving fine, I let it go for too
long. I'm a pretty busy guy, and we've been driving the Jeep for
highway travel, if it's any of your business. I only just found that
information before posting. That site was the first, or one of the
first, items that popped up after a quick Googling.

Are you insane? So basically you're saying you would like to see me
killed in an accident. That's real classy.

I've got a third option, I'll let you guess how I'd like to involve you
in slowing my car down if it goes out of control.

 

You expect me to gleefully provide information for you to sue despite
your own willful risk-taking by continuing to drive the car after an
OBVIOUS failure in a CRITICAL system, and therefore take money out of
all our pockets?

Sorry.

Besides, I've heard *nothing* in legitimate automotive forums about any
inherent flaw in either the first- or second-generation LH car steering
mechanism. Its the same parts, with minor variations, made by companies
like Saginaw, Moog, and TRW, that are found on numerous brands of cars.

 

(snip)

No, I expect nothing of you. You have jumped to an erroneous conclusion
and obviously intend to continue to feel you're right about it. I was
merely looking to have an idea about what was wrong before visiting a
dealership. I applaud your thickheadedness, but unfortunately, have no
more time for it. Good luck.

 

Please show me where I "waived around " a lawsuit. Look, it's quite
simple, if you can help, please do. If not, shut your friggin' yap and
get back to gouging people too lazy to educate themselves.

Thanks again Jethro. You know, there's a reason you go home at the end
of the day covered in grime, and I don't. I'll let you figure that out
with your vast intelligence.

 

So you've been driving a car for a couple of months after you already
know there is something VERY wrong with the steering? If you don't
care about your own life please atleast consider that my family is out
there on the road with you.

Steve B.

 

Just to tone everyone down....

he never said he was interested in a lawsuit. The site he found was
regarding a lawsuit so he thusly described it. So cool it about him filing
a lawsuit. He wants to be knowledgable about the problem and avoid being
ripped off. Lets face it, plenty of dealers do rip people off from time to
time... or diagnose a problem improperly and cost the customer money even if
not intending to rip the customer off.

On the other hand, no one should be driving around a car with a questionable
front end.

 

By the way the website with the lawsuit is quite humorous. As far as I
know, all car manufacturers will call 1 quart per 1000 miles normal.....
which indeed sucks... but it isn't just Chrysler.
The part about the car running out of oil between oil changes was really
funny.
Hope you get your car fixed ok.

 

Not sure why I'm still bothering. I went back and read my post a
couple of times now, it's not inflammatory at all, and I said nothing of
the kind. I said there was a problem, asked advice in here and was told
changing the power steering fluid would fix it. I found out *this
morning* it was major problem.

I'm at least starting to understand that the responses I'm getting are a
combination of protecting information ("take money out of our pockets")
and over sensitivity about Chrysler defects. It may well be that this
group has been subjected to trolling in the past regarding Chrysler
defects, but you're quite simply wrong in this case.

 

Too late. Seen it happen to too many people on Usenet. Once the smell
of blood permeates, all the usuals are hungry for a taste. But hey, at
least people responded this time I asked.

Thank you for reading my original post, and again, sorry for the
unwarranted attack.

Which is why the car is at the dealer now, the very day I realized the
problem was bigger than I thought. Again, the car drove fine. The
wheel grabbing only happened when steering tight curves, which by
definition, happens at slow, safe speeds.

Unfortunately for me, I have to take them on their word that the entire
rack needs replacing, since my attempts to find information about were
met with a snowball of infantilism and pettiness.

 

I really only read the part about the steering. I usually avoid people
with an agenda. I've had pretty good luck with vehicles in my years of
ownership, including my Chrysler vehicles. A car with 200,000 kms of
incident free driving (actually, I had three very early problems, all
under warranty: the power steering pump, a bad wheel bearing and the
cam sensor quit too), will have a problem or two. I'd buy the same car
again, since it's the only full size car I can afford. In fact, I'd say
they give them away.

I'm sure it will be fixed. $1,200 is nothing compared to peace of mind.
Not to sound like a parrot, but I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a
$175 tie rod bolt problem first. I now wish I had found nothing in a
Google search. Ignorance is bliss.

Thanks again.

 

Yeah - I like the part about changing p.s. fluid fixing a problem that
caused the steering wheel to clock itself 360°! Right!!

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

Your not being rational about this. Your steering wheel moving 360°
would not be related to tie rod bolts (I assume you're referring to tie
rod bushings wearing out here, which does happen, but does not lead to
problems like you're claiming), nor to p.s. fluid needing replacing
(which you indicated in another post might solve the problem). Rack is
much more likely.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")