1997 Dodge Intrepid Steering Problems
Owners have filed 61 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 1997 Dodge Intrepid, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 97,249 miles. The words owners use most often: “rack pinion” (34% of reports).
- 61steering complaints
- 97,249median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,300typical repair cost reported by owners
- 20%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 21 of 61 complaints (34%)
- Tie rod: mentioned in 14 of 61 complaints (23%)
- Front end: mentioned in 9 of 61 complaints (15%)
- Power steering pump: mentioned in 5 of 61 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the 1997 Dodge Intrepid at $2,300, and half of them between $2,050 and $2,400.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2000–2008), 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 16 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 61 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 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 1997 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge intrepid. The contact noticed that the ball joints, tire rods, sway bar bushing and motor mounts wore prematurely and needed constant repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, did not offer any assistance since there were no recalls. The…
Rack and pinion / steering issues in 1997 dodge intrepid. After just driving 65-70 on the i-15 in southern california, i felt an odd vibration and pull in the steering of the 1997 dodge intrepid i was driving. Exited the highway and attempted to turn into a business parking lot to examine the issue…
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 dodge intrepid. While attempting to operate the vehicle, the contact noticed that the steering column was inoperative. A technician stated that the rack and pinion fractured and needed to be replaced. In addition, the bolt in the kit offered by the dealer has a smaller…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Dodge Intrepids have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 61 owner complaints about steering for the 1997 Dodge Intrepid (18% of the 344 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 1997 Dodge Intrepid steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 97,249 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the 1997 Dodge Intrepid?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,300 (half paid between $2,050 and $2,400), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 1997 Dodge Intrepid?
The most frequent phrase is “rack pinion”, in 21 of 61 complaints, followed by “tie rod” (14).
Other 1997 Dodge Intrepid problems
See all 1997 Dodge Intrepid problems or steering problems across all Intrepid years.