1996 Dodge Intrepid Steering Problems
Owners have filed 152 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 1996 Dodge Intrepid, 30% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 82,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “rack pinion” (45% of reports).
- 152steering complaints
- 82,500median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,250typical repair cost reported by owners
- 12%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rack pinion: mentioned in 68 of 152 complaints (45%)
- Tie rods: mentioned in 30 of 152 complaints (20%)
- Loss steering: mentioned in 11 of 152 complaints (7%)
- Water pump: mentioned in 8 of 152 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the 1996 Dodge Intrepid at $2,250, and half of them between $1,800 and $2,750.
Based on 12 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1999–2006), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 24 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 152 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Dodge Intrepid steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Intrepid | 10 | 8% | 77,926 |
| 2003 Intrepid | 6 | 6% | 60,000 |
| 2002 Intrepid | 15 | 5% | 68,500 |
| 2001 Intrepid | 37 | 6% | 53,500 |
| 2000 Intrepid | 80 | 8% | 58,000 |
| 1999 Intrepid | 59 | 6% | 79,902 |
| 1998 Intrepid | 29 | 8% | 101,875 |
| 1997 Intrepid | 61 | 18% | 97,249 |
| 1996 Intrepid | 152 | 30% | 82,500 |
| 1995 Intrepid | 105 | 18% | 133,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering for the 1996 Dodge Intrepid. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
On 15mar12 at approximately 5:30pm i was driving around a slight curve when the steering wheel suddenly pulled to the left. I immediately corrected while letting off the accelerator. After i regained control, the steering still felt extremely loose. *tr
I have owned a 1996 dodge intrepid for 6 months now and when i bought the car i was aware that the steering was a little loose, what i did not know was that the entire rack and pinion system as well as most of the tie rods around them were completely shot. My steering wheel grinds when i turn it…
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 dodge intrepid. While driving approximately 5 mph on normal road conditions, proceeding to make a left turn. There was a loud popping noise outside of the vehicle. Suddenly, there was a complete loss of steering. Immediately, the driver stopped in the middle of the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Dodge Intrepids have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 152 owner complaints about steering for the 1996 Dodge Intrepid (30% of the 505 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Dodge Intrepid steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 82,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the 1996 Dodge Intrepid?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,250 (half paid between $1,800 and $2,750), from 12 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 1996 Dodge Intrepid?
The most frequent phrase is “rack pinion”, in 68 of 152 complaints, followed by “tie rods” (30).
Other 1996 Dodge Intrepid problems
See all 1996 Dodge Intrepid problems or steering problems across all Intrepid years.