1996 Eagle Vision Steering Problems

HELLO. I HAD A SCARY INCIDENT ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 2014, AND HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT AND IF IT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. I WAS DRIVING ON A STATE HIGHWAY IN PG COUNTY MD WHEN I HEARD A LOUD BANG AND MY CAR SUDDENLY SWERVED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT AND CROSSED THE CENTER LINE INTO THE PATH OF AN ONCOMING DUMP TRUCK. OBVIOUSLY I WAS ABLE TO REACT QUICKLY ENOUGH AND FORCE MY CAR BACK INTO THE CORRECT LANE AND THEN OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT TOOK EVERY BIT OF STRENGTH I HAD. THE TRUCK WAS JUST ABOUT 30 FEET AWAY AND IF THE BREAK HAD BEEN A SECOND OR SO LATER THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO TIME TO REACT. MY MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A BROKEN STRUT ASSEMBLY AND THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN ONE BREAK LIKE THAT. IT WAS PRETTY TRAUMATIC TO THINK I COULD HAVE BEEN DEAD... OCCASIONALLY I READ ABOUT AN ACCIDENT WHERE A VEHICLE CROSSES THE CENTER LINE INTO THE PATH OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. WE ARE LEFT WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT THIS WAS DUE TO DRIVER INATTENTION OR IMPAIRMENT. WHEN YOU INVESTIGATE, DO YOU EVER FIND THAT THESE ACCIDENTS ARE DUE TO THE FAILURE OF A VEHICLE PART? IF SO, CAN YOU SEE WAYS THAT THESE ACCIDENTS CAN BE PREVENTED, PERHAPS BY HAVING CERTAIN PARTS INSPECTED REGULARLY? THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10575984

Incident

Jan 17, 2014

Mileage

125,000 mi

I BOUGHT A USED 1996 EAGLE VISION TSI IN 2006. SHORTLY, I REALIZED THERE WAS A LOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID THE RACK AND PINION STEERING WAS GOING. I SAID "WHAT DO YOU MEAN "GOING"?" HE SAID EAGLES WERE NOTORIOUS FOR THEIR PROBLEMS WITH THE RACK AND PINION AND MINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE I HAD AN ACCIDENT. MY MECHANIC BOUGHT AND INSTALLED A NEW RACK THAT LASTED FOR 1 AND 1/2 YEARS. THIS TIME I TOOK THE CAR TO A DIFFERENT MECHANIC AND DID NOT TELL HIM OF THE RACK PROBLEM BEFORE. HIS DIAGNOSIS: BROKEN RACK AND PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY. BY NOW THIS IS GETTING VERY EXPENSIVE I WANT TO KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS OBVIOUSLY FAULTY ENGINEERING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10384660

Incident

Jun 28, 2006

Mileage

96,000 mi

1996 EAGLE VISION STEERING ALL OVER THE ROAD BAD RACK AND PINION DANGEROUS AND SEEMS TO BE IGNORED BY EVERYONE FOR YEARS SAFETY IS OF THE UTMOST AND IF YOU GUYS DO NOT DO A BETTER JOB THEN YOU SHOULD NOT BE AROUND.HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO DIE BEFORE SOMEONE CLAIMS THERE IS A MALFUNCTION IN DESIGN THERE ARE 1000'S OF COMPLAINTS OVER THE YEARS AND NOW THERE IS DUPLICATED REPAIRS BECAUSE OF POOR DESIGN DO SOMETHING OR GET OUT OF THE CONSUMER BUSINESS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10274205

Incident

Jun 12, 2009

Mileage

85,000 mi

1996 EAGLE VISION TSI HAS A SEVERE CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT. THE BOLTS HOLDING THE INNER TIE RODS TO THE RACK ARE SHOT AND CLOSE TO FAILURE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS CAR HAS HAD SAFETY RELATED STEERING PROBLEMS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10247313

Incident

Oct 30, 2008

Mileage

112,000 mi

COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. I WAS ENTERING A PARKING GARAGE WHEN POWER-ASSISTED RACK AND PINION FAILED, COMPLETELY DISENGAGING THE STEERING WHEEL FROM THE FRONT WHEELS. DUE TO SLOW SPEED, NO CRASH OCCURRED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10182636

Incident

Feb 14, 2007

Mileage

130,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE STARTED TO WOBBLE. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING NORMAL DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE STEERING INNER BUSHING WAS BURNED OUT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS BEFORE THE WOBBLING. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS MOST COMMON IN VEHICLES WITH LH PLATFORM.

NHTSA ID

10165465

Incident

Aug 3, 2006

Mileage

150,000 mi

THIS WILL BE THE 4TH REPLACEMENT OF TIE ROD ENDS, TWICE ON DRIVER'S SIDE AND TWICE ON PASSENGER'S SIDE FOR 1996 EAGLE VISION, A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR.*AK

NHTSA ID

10104828

Incident

Dec 30, 2004

Mileage

34,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES THE STEERING RACK AND PINION BUSHING AND THE INNER TIE ROD BUSHINGS ARE WORN OUT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO PULL STRONGLY TO THE RIGHT AND FOR THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE TO WEAR OUT. THIS SAFETY HAZARD HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES. *TT

NHTSA ID

567582

MY MAJOR COMPLAINT WITH THIS CAR IS THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK HAS FAILED 2 TIMES WITHIN 64262 MILES. THE OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE LINKAGES AND POWER STEERING PUMP(S) ARE LESS TROUBLING BUT MAY BE RELATED. IT IS MY OPINION THE TIRE WEAR HAS BEEN NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY THE FAILURE OF THE STEERING COMPONENTS. I HAVE GONE THROUGH 2 SETS OF GOODYEAR EAGLE GAS GUARANTEED AT 48,000 EACH (96,000 TOTAL) IN ONLY 68905 MILES. THE FIRST RACK WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AT 32556 MILES. THE SECOND RACK WAS REPLACED AT 64262 MILES. SHORTLY THEREAFTER (65832 MILES) AND WHILE ON A TRIP TO ST. LOUIS THE CAR BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE AND I HAD ROYAL OAKS CHRYSLER-JEEP IN ST. PETERS, MO (636) 928-8000 REPLACE THE INNER TIE-ROD BUSHINGS. UPON MY RETURN TO DAYTON, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE PROBLEM HAD IMPROVED BUT WAS NOT CORRECTED. AT 66396 MILES TOM HARRIGAN CHRYSLER REPLACED 2 MORE BUSHINGS (PART # 4755001), FRONT STRUTS, AND THE LINK-SWAY ELIMINATOR. THE CAR IS NOW SAFE BUT THERE ARE SQUEAKS AND HYDROLIC GROWLING COMING FROM THE STEERING MECHANISM THAT THE MECHANICS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE. THE MECHANIC AT TOM HARRIGAN CHRYSLER INDICATED THAT STEERING PROBLEMS LIKE MINE ARE COMMON ON THE EAGLE, AND OTHER LHS CARS OF THIS VINTAGE. COMMON OR NOT, I SEE MULTIPLE FAILURES OF A MAJOR STEERING COMPONENT AS A SERIOUS SAFETY THREAT TO ME AND MY FAMILY. A MEAN-TIME-BETWEEN-FAILURES OF 34,000 MILES IS EVIDENCE TO ME THAT THE STEERING RACK DOES NOT POSESS THE REASONABLE DURABILITY EXPECTED/DEMANDED OF SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT. IT IS ALSO INDICITIVE OF A MATERIAL/MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE FACT THAT SO MANY STEERING COMPONENTS FAILED IN MY EAGLE VISION AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE FAILURES ARE RELATED, AT LEAST IN PART, AND I AM THANKFUL THAT MY WIFE WAS NOT AT THE WHEEL WHEN THE MOST SERVE SHAKING (AND NEAR LOSS OF CONTROL) OCCURRED.

NHTSA ID

754976

Incident

Oct 13, 2000

STEERING VERY VERY LOOSE AND CLUNKY, WITH MUCH SLOP AND RESULTING HORRIBLE TIRE WEAR. UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE IS NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO RACK & PINION ITSELF, IT JUST BECOMES DANGEROUSLY LOOSE DUE TO POORLY DESIGNED MOUNTING BUSHINGS. MFR ADVISES NO BUSHINGS SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT DUE TO "MOLDED DESIGN" (UNLIKE PREVIOUS MODELS OF SAME VEHICLE), MFR CLAIMS THAT ONLY OPTION IS TO PURCHASE "ENTIRE RACK AND PINION ASS'Y AT $1,040 (PARTS ONLY)" EVEN THOUGH ONLY FAILURE IS THEIR MOUNTING BUSHING DESIGN. *AK

NHTSA ID

736497

Incident

Jun 16, 2000

PROBLEM WITH RUBBER BUSHINGS THAT MOUNT STEERING RACK TO BODY, AND RUBBER BUSHINGS AT INNER TIEROD ENDS. THESE RUBBER BUSHINGS COMPLETELY DISSINTAGRATED AND WERE COMPLETELY GONE. THIS CAUSED DANGEROUS STEERING CONDITIONS. THIS CN'T BE AN ISOLATED CASE. IT MUST BE POOR QUALITY MATERIAL THAT DOES NOT STAND UP TO THE JOB. THE FACT THAT THIS HAPPENED TO TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF RUBBER BUSHINGS WOULD INDICATE THIS. VERY DANGEOUS CONDITIONS ARE CAUSED BY THIS PROBLEM. IT MAKES THE CAR TOTALY UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

NHTSA ID

729273

Incident

Jan 10, 2000

EA99031/STEERING SYSTEM RACK AND PINION: WHILE BRAKING AND TURNING INTO THE DRIVEWAY, VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND INFORMED THAT RACK AND PINION STEERING NEEDED REPLACEMENT. DEALER CONFIRMED RACK AND PINION PROBLEM, REPAIRED IT AT OWNER'S COST. MANUFACTURER CONTACTED, DENIES THAT DEFECT EXISTS. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

862820

Incident

May 1, 2000

IRREGULAR STEERING AND TIRE WEAR FALL 98. INNER TIE ROD BUSHING NEARLY GONE. NOW SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. IS THIS RELATED TO DEFECT INVESTIGATION PE99044?

NHTSA ID

711243

Incident

Nov 18, 1998

TIE ROD PROBLEM ALSO. *AK

NHTSA ID

720322

Incident

Jan 1, 2000

EXCESSIVE PLAY IN STEERING, CAUSING TIRE WEAR, AND POTENTIAL FOR OVER/UNDER STEERING IN EMERGENCY SITUATION.

NHTSA ID

781761

BOLTS IN STEERING HAVE COMPLETELY SHEARED OFF.PREVIOUSLY, COOLING SYSTEM FAILED.PRESSURE BUILDS UP IN THE SYSTEM. THE PRESSURIZED PLASTIC COOLANT RETURN BOTTLE EXPLODED, RESULTING IN OCCASIONAL LEAKS.

NHTSA ID

538308

Incident

Jul 13, 1998