NHTSA Complaint #10049478 — 1996 DODGE INTREPID

IN APIRL 1996 I PURCHASED A NEW 1996 DODGE INTREPID (VIN 2B3HD56F3TH52925) FROM PHILIPS MOTORS IN PHILIP SD. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AND 30,000 MILES I BEGAN TO NOTICE A GRINDING NOISE AND CLUNKING IN THE STEERING WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE FROM A "COLD SOAK" CONDITION. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AND ONCE THE CAR WARMED UP, THE NOISE WOULD CEASE. OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST 5 YEARS I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO FIVE DIFFERENT REPAIR SHOPS IN AN ATTEMPT TO ISOLATE AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. ONLY WHEN I MOVED TO GERMANY (CURRENT ASSIGNMENT IN THE USAF) DID A GERMAN MECHANIC DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM; WORN RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR BUSHING WHICH ARE ALLOWING THE ENTIRE UNIT TO SHIFT LEFT AND RIGHT WHENEVER THE STEERINGWHEEL IS MOVED. OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS I'VE LIVED WITH THIS PROBLEM, I'VE NOTICED A CONTINUED DEGREDATION IS STEERING CRISPNESS AND INCREASE NOISE AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. ONLY WHEN I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET DID I FIND 2 SERVICE RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM (19-03-97A AND 19-001-01). THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN SO BAD, ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO I NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR IN A SHARP TURN ON A COUNTRY ROAD HERE IN GERMANY. I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER FROM THE TURN (WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE FRONT TIRE HITTING THE CURB AND BOUNCING ME BACK INTO THE LANE) -- NO ONE WAS HURT AND THE CAR (EXCEPT THE TIRE) WAS UNDAMAGED. I FIND IT AMAZING THAT PUBLISHED SERVICE BULLETINS GO UN-NOTICED AND HIGH RISK COMPONENTS SUCH AS STEERING SYSTEMS GO UN-RECALLED DESPITE POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES. MY PARTICULAR PROBLEM IS FURTHER EXASPERATED BY THE HIGH SPEED NATURE OF GERMAN AUTOBAHNS.*AK