Two days ago, I checked the power steering fluid on my 2004 Silverado C1500 and found that it was 8 ounces below the full line. I crawled under the truck and found that the rack and pinion steering assembly was leaking fluid.
Yesterday, the dealer confirmed that the rack and pinion steering assembly was leaking and would need to be replaced under warranty. The dealer ordered the new part and told me that I could continue to drive the truck until the part comes in next week, as long as I check the power steering fluid on a daily basis. This is by far a better solution than my having to get a rental car. The dealer assured me that the power steering fluid level did not get low enough to damage the power steering pump.
The repair order reads:
Customer states vehicle is leaking P/S fluid. Possibly coming from rack. Check.
Cause: P/S pinion rack "leaking" WOP P/S pinion rack (ordered 09/09/04)
Nobody at the dealership seemed surprised that the rack and pinion steering assembly failed with so few miles on it. I have since talked to two other C1500 owners who had prematurely failed "racks"; one failed at
12,000 miles and the other at around 20,000 miles.Is the C-1500 rack and pinion steering assembly a poorly-designed part that will continue to give me trouble for the life of the truck?
If the pinion rack were to fail out of warranty, what would be the approximate cost of having the unit replaced and the wheels aligned?