Component

STEERING:RACK AND PINION:PINION SHAFT

107 NHTSA complaints about steering:rack and pinion:pinion shaft issues across 19 makes and 65 models.

The steering:rack and pinion:pinion shaft is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 107 filings from 19 manufacturers and 65 distinct vehicle models, a footprint large enough that defect engineers can isolate part-family patterns across different platforms that share the same supplier or the same federal motor vehicle safety standard.

Among filings citing this component, owners have reported 6 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the PONTIAC GRAND PRIX with 6 filings, followed by OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE and DODGE DURANGO. These severity counters are what separates a nuisance complaint trend from a pattern NHTSA is likely to escalate into a Preliminary Evaluation.

Component-level analysis is how the Office of Defects Investigation spots cross-manufacturer supplier issues — the same airbag inflator, the same takata-style ignition switch, the same brake hose material — before they become industry-wide recalls. When you see a single component accumulating large complaint volume across several unrelated nameplates, that is usually a signature of a shared supplier or a shared federal standard being stressed by real-world conditions. Use the affected-vehicles table below to see whether the pattern is concentrated on a handful of models or distributed evenly, and cross-reference each model's full recall and investigation history before drawing conclusions about any one nameplate.

107
Complaints
65
Models Affected
6
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 6
2 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE 5
3 DODGE DURANGO 5
4 CHEVROLET IMPALA 5
5 CHEVROLET TAHOE 4
6 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX 4
7 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 3
8 CHEVROLET S10 3
9 CHEVROLET MALIBU 3
10 CHEVROLET LUMINA 3
11 PONTIAC G6 2
12 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 2
13 FORD EXPLORER 2
14 DODGE RAM 3500 2
15 DODGE RAM 1500 2
16 DODGE INTREPID 2
17 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 2
18 DODGE DAKOTA 2
19 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY 2
20 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2
21 BUICK REGAL 2
22 TOYOTA TACOMA 1
23 TOYOTA RAV4 1
24 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 1
25 TOYOTA CAMRY 1
26 PONTIAC TRANS SPORT 1
27 PONTIAC SUNFIRE 1
28 PONTIAC GRAND AM 1
29 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME 1
30 NISSAN VERSA 1

Recent Complaints

2011 FORD FUSION

OUR 2011 FORD FUSION'S ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILED AND LOCKED UP. FORD HAS RECALLED 455,000. OUR MAKE,MODEL, AND YEAR MATCH BUT FORD TELLS ME OUR VIN DOES NOT. THIS IS A HORRIFIC SAFETY ISSUE. NO

2010 NISSAN ROGUE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN ROGUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PINION NUT BECAME LOOSE AND THE DRIVESHAFT DETACHED FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH. THE

2014 AUDI A4 ALLROAD

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 AUDI A4. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE STEERING BECAME STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PAUL MILLER AUDI (179 US-46, PARSIPPANY, NJ 07054, (973) 575-7750)

2008 NISSAN VERSA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN VERSA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED THREE OTHER TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS D

2002 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE VIBRATED VIOLENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH TIME THE SPEED WAS ABOVE 65 MPH. THE VEHIC

2006 LINCOLN TOWN CAR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LINCOLN TOWN CAR. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING A FAILURE ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V704000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPEN

2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. WHILE DRIVING UP A MOUNTAIN AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE INTENDED TURN. AS A RESULT, THE VE

2005 DODGE RAM 1500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHAN

2007 FORD F-150

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNO

2005 DODGE DAKOTA

2005 DAKOTA CLUB CAB. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE GEARS AND REAR AXLES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR, FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THE VEHICLE LURC

2009 DODGE RAM 1500

I WAS SITTING AT A RED STOP LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I RELEASED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AND PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. AT THAT TIME I HEARD A LOUD BOOM AND THE TRUCK SHOOK AS IF WE WERE

2006 PONTIAC G6

BOUGHT CAR ON 07/02/11, RETURN CAR TO DEALER ON 07/05/11 DUE TO POPPING NOISE IN STEERING WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AT ANY SPEED, EVEN WHEN SITTING STILL. DID NOT DO THIS WHEN I TEST DROVE IT. START

2006 TOYOTA RAV4

HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE IN STEERING WHEEL. ARRANGED SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER. DEALER SAID IT WAS NECESSARY TO REPLACE COMPLETE STEERING RACK AND STEERING SHAFT WITH "AN INTERMEDIATE SHAFT". $2.5

2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU

AT 46,500 MILES , MY STEERING STARTED MAKING A CLICKING NOISE. THE CHEVROLET DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS A BAD RACK AND PINION AND STEERING SHAFT. THE BOOTS ARE INTACT. THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF OVER $1,

2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500

STEERING SHAFT CLUNK NOISE, WON'T CHANGE GEAR SOMETIMES. *TR

2005 DODGE DAKOTA

I BOUGHT A 2005 DODGE DAKOTA V6 4 X 4 LESS THAT THREE MONTHS AGO. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT. I BOUGHT A NEW PUMP AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR $172.00 & PUT IT IN. THE TRUCK IS STILL NOT WORKING. I

2007 PONTIAC G6

THE STEERING COLUMN MAKES NOISE AND IT CAN BE AN HAZARD AND EVERYONE THAT HAS A PONITAC G6 HAD HAVE THIS ISSUE. *TR

2001 DODGE DURANGO

BRAKE LINE BROKE/AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING/POWER STEERING RACK/REAR SUSPENSION,LEAF SPRINGS/RUST. *TR

2002 PONTIAC GRAND AM

LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACE FOR LEAKAGE 5/06 WATER PUMP REPLACED FOR LEAKAGE 9/06 POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION REPLACED FOR LEAKING 2/08 MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH STILL MALFUNCTIONING ALL

2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU

THREE STEERING COMPONENT EVENTS: POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY REPLACED @ 13,765 MILES POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY REPLACED @ 15,515 MILES STEERING SHAFT REPLACED @ 23,01

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve steering:rack and pinion:pinion shaft issues?
The NHTSA has received 107 complaints about steering:rack and pinion:pinion shaft problems across 65 vehicle models from 19 manufacturers.
How dangerous are steering:rack and pinion:pinion shaft defects?
STEERING:RACK AND PINION:PINION SHAFT issues have been linked to 6 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most steering:rack and pinion:pinion shaft problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for steering:rack and pinion:pinion shaft issues is the PONTIAC GRAND PRIX with 6 complaints.
Where does PlainCars get its safety data?
All vehicle safety data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database, which collects reports from vehicle owners about safety-related defects.

Data Sources

Vehicle complaint data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database. Includes consumer-reported safety issues filed with NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Severity counts cross-reference NHTSA FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) for fatal incidents where a corresponding FARS record exists.

Component categories are standardized by NHTSA. Crash-test ratings where shown are drawn from the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Complaint counts, crash reports, fire reports, and fatality data reflect consumer-submitted reports and may not represent all incidents.

Disclaimer: This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for vehicle purchase decisions. NHTSA complaint data is self-reported by consumers and has not been verified or investigated. A high complaint count does not necessarily indicate a defect. Always consult a qualified mechanic and check official NHTSA recall notices before making safety-related decisions.

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