Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Chrysler LHS owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
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.
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.
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..
Drivers side front wheel lost control while turning left. Car had to be towed. Diagnosing failure today. Believe either tie rod or steering box. If your steering wheel has any play would highly recommend not driving until having it looked at by mechanic. Lives could easily be lost at highway speeds.
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.
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. …
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 this"bolt". …
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.
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.
NHTSA investigations
Steering system rack and pinion
Since opening the preliminary evaluation (pe), odi has received 6 additional complaints.during the pe it was determined multiple failure modes are involved in this matter.the warranty claim rate is high for a steering system concern.the issues reported involve premature wear out at the rack and pinion interface with the inner tie rod end(s), binding and sticking of the steering gear, cracked or broken tie rod ends,…
Steering system rack and pinion
There is no summary currently available
Steering complaints in other LHS years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1996 Chrysler LHS?
NHTSA has 49 complaints about the steering of the 1996 Chrysler LHS, 36% of the model year's 135 complaints. The component named most often is linkages › tie rod assembly (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Chrysler LHS steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 1996 Chrysler LHS, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1996 Chrysler LHS steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 111,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.