Steering complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I towed my 2000 Chrysler LHS on a two-wheel tow dolly behind my rv from papillion, ne to fort benning, ga. Since there were no pull-through sites available when I arrived at the campground at ft. Benning, I had to remove the car from the dolly so I could back the rv in. Once off the dolly, I found that I couldn't drive forward. Both front tires were facing in different directions. Next morning car was transported to a Chrysler dealer in columbus, ga who repaired the steering. Turns out that the inner tie rods separated from the rack-n-pinion assembly. The power steering rack had been replaced by baxter Chrysler of omaha, ne on aug 24, 2004. Dealer rep in ga indicated that if I had been driving when the parts separated, the car would have rolled and I and my wife could have been killed. …
Vehicle steering would start pulling to the right and then the left. Noise coming from front end and very loud at times while turning. And sometimes would not turn it would lock up no control then you would get control of the steering. We had car into the dealer and they could not find a problem. Vehicle then started getting were it was hard to turn left ,it was like the power steering would quit and then start back .vehicle would turn right no problem. We had this checked again,it was under warranty. The dealer said the could not find any thing wrong. I hit a deer ,when I tried to turn to miss him steering locked up would not turn. Then I had a accident where I hit someone in the rear. I tried to miss as I realized they were stopped and the steering would not let me turn .I was not charged with following too close due to vision obscured by the sun. …
Rack and pinion and outer tie rod failure on my 1999 Chrysler LHS. I purchased the car approx 30 months ago and it only had 3000 miles or 5400 kilometers. The steering failed on August 10 2008. I was pulling out of the driveway and the steering froze and I could not with all of my strength turn the wheels to the left.....when it failed, the car only had 34,544 kilometers and now has 35000. I have had it repaired at a local garage at the approx. Cost of 1400.00 dollars. Seems to me that the car has very low mileage and I have been doing alot of reading about this and this should definitely qualify as a recall item. What I really think is that Chrysler should make every attempt to repair and repay all of the consumers that have already had their vehicle repaired. …
(1) events: normal driving. (2) loss of steering control on 1997 Chrysler LHS. Due to luck there was no accident or injury, although failure at a different time would easily have resulted in severe injury or death. Failure is not yet fully analyzed, but appears to be due to failure of either inner tie rod bushing or inner tie rod mounting bolt. Steering control of left side front wheel was completely lost. I will provide update when exact nature of failure is available. For legal reasons I am proceeding carefully in analyzing this failure. Complete documentation will be available after analysis is complete.
I just purchased the cursed 97 Chrysler LHS . Driving it home I noticed sloppy steering conditions. And I hit a pothole and my car jerked over to the next lane and almost hit an oncoming vehicle. When I got home I went straight to the tie rods and of course they were loose at the inner tie rod. So im stuck with an unsafe car that I cant drive. Thanks alot you billionaire freaks.
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.
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. …
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 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 ? 30120(g), NHTSA has decided to limit the scope of the petition vehicles to 1993-1995 models,…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chrysler LHS years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1996 (49), 1995 (32), 1999 (22), 2000 (20) and 1997 (10) model years. Steering complaints make up 36% of all complaints for the 1996.
Is there a recall for Chrysler LHS steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for any Chrysler LHS model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Chrysler LHS steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles; 19% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the rack and pinion (36 mentions), followed by the linkages › tie rod assembly (30).
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.