NHTSA Complaint #11326643 — 2014 DODGE CHARGER

VEHICLE WAS MAKING A GRUMBLING NOISE AT VERY LOW SPEED WHILE TURNING IN ANY DIRECTION, SUCH AS BACKING OUT OR A DRIVEWAY & TURNING WHEELS TO FACE THE PROPER DIRECTION TO EXIT. THIS LED ME TO TAKE THE CAR INTO A VEHICLE REPAIR SHOP WHERE CERTIFIED ASI MECHANICS COULD INSPECT & HOPEFULLY REPAIR. WHAT THEY DISCOVERED WAS THAT THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL WAS FAIRLY LOW. THEY SIMPLY ADDED THE PROPER & SPECIFIC FLUID TYPE THAT IS USED IN THAT PARTICULAR VEHICLE MADE BY THE CAR MANUFACTURER MOPAR. THIS SURPRISINGLY FIXED THE ISSUE TO WHAT I AM ASSUMING WILL BE A TEMPORARY RESOLUTION. BASED ON MY OWN EXTENSIVE RESEARCH & COMMON KNOWLEDGE, I HAVE DISCOVERED THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE. SOMEHOW THE FLUID IS LEAKING, OR SEEPING OUT SOMEWHERE FROM THE ALLEGEDLY SEALED STEERING SYSTEM. WHAT I DISCOVERED BASED ON RESEARCH, IS THAT OBVIOUSLY A SEALED SYSTEM SHOULD NOT LEAK, OR SEEP, & WITH IT BEING SEALED IT CANNOT EVAPORATE. MOST ISSUES W/THE VEHICLE STEERING PUMP HAVE BEEN LEAKS FROM AROUND THE 2 SEALS OF THE RESERVOIR FLUID TANK. A REPLACEMENT TANK & SEALS CAN BE PURCHASED SEPARATELY RATHER THAN ENTIRE PUMP ASSEMBLY WHICH IS VERY EXPENSIVE. ANOTHER COMMON ISSUE IS THAT THE "RACK" OUTER SEAL LEAKS. UNFORTUNATELY THE ATF+4 STOCK FLUID IS AGGRESSIVE ON THESE SEALS & THEY CAN/WILL BECOME POROUS OVER TIME & LEAK. ADDITIONALLY, THE PUMP, IT'S HOSES, & THE SEALS ON THE ENDS OF THE RACK ARE NOW KNOWN AS LEAK POINTS. THE ENTIRE SYSTEM SHOULD BE RECALLED & REPLACED AFTER FIXING THESE ISSUES. IF THE FLUID BECOMES TOO LOW THE VEHICLE & ITS DRIVER/OCCUPANTS WILL EXPERIENCE A POWER STEERING FAILURE IN WHICH THE STEERING WILL SIMPLY SHUT DOWN & NOT PERFORM ITS FUNCTION - STEERING! I DON'T NEED TO COMMENT AS TO HOW EXTREMELY DANGEROUS THIS COULD BE; NOT JUST FOR OCCUPANTS IN THE SAID VEHICLE, BUT THE OCCUPANTS IN OTHER VEHICLES. MY YOUNG SON DRIVES THIS EXACT VEHICLE, & I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED. *TR