2006 Chrysler Town And Country LWB Steering Problems

“Because I am disabled I bought a used 2006 Chrysler Town And Country Lwb on august 2, 2010. On the way home the steering failed. Because this failure could have caused an accident, I took it to two dealers for estimates and wound up having the rack and pinion and loose tie rods replaced on august 9, 2010.”

“While conducted an oil change, I noticed that both rack and pinion boots are wet with power steering fluid. This is a low mileage vehicle and am disappointed that the steering is already leaking fluid. I have not had this checked with a mechanic as of yet but I imagine that after reading complaints here and on other sites, I will end up having to replace the entire rack and pinion assembly to correct this leak. A simple boot replacement will not be sufficient as dirt and water will already have damaged the assembly. …”

“My car was making a whining noise when the engine was cold. I brought it in to the Chrysler dealer, and they informed me that the power steering pump was leaking, which had resulted in damage to the rack & pinion mechanism. The entire mechanism had to be replaced. Not performing this repair could have resulted in the entire steering system locking up. My professional opinion (I am a mechanical engineer) is that this pump should not have failed at such low mileage (~45k).”

“The van was purchased used in 2007 with approximately 4,000 miles from flemington Chrysler in nj. At approximately 10,000 miles, the rack was found to be leaking and it was replaced under warranty. Soon after, the steering seemed a little tight but we chalked it up to the new components. Fast forward to 2012, the van now has 80,000 miles and the steering has begun to whine, groan and shudder. I have flushed the fluid and now replaced the pump. The whine and shudder are still there so it looks like the rack has failed again. …”

“I made a u turn and the steering column locked which could have caused the vehicle to crash resulting in injury or death. I heard a loud pop while forcing the steering wheel back to the normal driving position. I stopped the vehicle and noticed the brake lights were on. I was unable to get them to turn off, so I took the vehicle to a Chrysler/jeep dealership since it is still under warranty. They said that the aftermarket brake control wiring harness was routed too close to the steering column. …”