NHTSA Complaint #10250635 — 2000 DODGE INTREPID

THE 2000 DODGE INTREPID ES 3.2L MODEL HAS A RACK AND PINION PROBLEM. MINE STARTED AROUND MAY OF 05 AT ABOUT 63,000 MILES. IT STARTED OUT JUST AS A CLUNKING NOISE. I HAD REPLACED ALL KINDS OF PARTS WITHIN THE PAST FEW YEARS LIKE LOWER AND UPPER BALL JOINTS, INNER TIE RODS (TWICE), FRONT END ALIGNMENTS, ETC., THINKING THAT THE NOISE WOULD BE FIXED. AFTER ALL THAT WAS REPLACED ON THIS CAR, I FIGURED THAT THE CAR WAS JUST MADE THAT WAY. AS OF THIS YEAR, THE STEERING STARTED MAKING A LOUDER CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING AND STRAIGHTENING THE WHEELS. AT THIS POINT IT JUST KEEPS GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER. I'VE HAD THIS LOOKED AT TWICE BY DIFFERENT MECHANICS. THE DEALER IN PITTSBURGH SAYS THAT THE REPLACEMENT IS $875.00 (WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR) AND THAT IT IS ON BACK ORDER AND THAT THE REMANUFACTURED ONES ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF CONSUMERS HAVING THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEMS WITH MANY CHYRYSLER/DODGE VEHICLES. IT SEEMS ALOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN SENT TO YOU. THE ONE SITE IS: HTTP://WWW.DONTBUYDODGECHRYSLERVEHICLES.COM/DODGE_CHRYSLER_STEERING_PROBLEMS.HTM THERE WAS ANOTHER SITE THAT I CONTACTED EARLIER THIS YEAR (WWW.DODGECHRYSLERSTEERINGPROBLEMS.COM) (WHICH AS I LOOKED TODAY ARE NO LONGER THERE) AND THEY SAID TO CONTACT YOU WHICH I AM DOING. PLEASE REPLY TO THIS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. WHEN I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS, THEY SAID MY YEAR SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM! GUESS WHAT... IT DOES! AS I LOOK AT THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE LISTED BELOW, LUCKILY I CAN SAY I DON'T HAVE TO CLICK ON YES TO ANY OF THEM OR TO PUT IN THE NUMBER OF DEATHS.....AND HOPEFULLY I WON'T NEED TO. BUT FROM WHAT I'M SEEING, MY DAYS ARE NUMBERED. *TR