NHTSA Complaint #11638752 — 2017 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

We experienced a failure of the entire steering rack assembly and tie rod ends and also the control module for the steering system. The repair cost was just under $5,000.00. I question why the entire rack and pinion steering system needed to be replaced. I ask what component failed on on the steering rack and what specifically fail on the steering control assembly. No logical answer was provided. I told the dealer I brought the Van in for a diagnosis of concerning steering corrections taking place even with the steering adaptive function turned off. I explained replacing everything involving the steering of the car should correct the issue but it did not feel like a diagnoses and more like a shotgun approach that I would be forced to pay for. I explained by wife drive this vehicle and she had a trip planned to travel across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and I believed the erratic behavior of the steering was to dangerous to change driving. I rented a replacement van to ensure her safety. The problem was recreated by the Dealership and the estimate to replace everything involving the steering system was provided as the fix. I have the steering assembly at my home but no one has opened or inspected what components failed. This failure appeared around 81,000 miles on our 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited. I have owned 5 Chrysler products and have never had a rack steering assembly fail even with most of our vehicles exceeding 200,000 miles.