I recently bought a 2011 Odyssey EX and I noticed that whenever I turn the wheel at slow speeds (even at rest) I can hear a creaking noise. I took it to a mechanic to have an oil change and at the same time asked him to try to figure out the creaking noise. He told me "the noise is coming from somewhere in the rack and pinion steering, we'd have to replace the whole steering system".

Given how big a job this is, should I go to that extent to fix a creaking noise when I don't know really how severe it is? Or should I wait until it's actually impacting the performance of the steering? Or should I take it to a dealership and see if they can give me more information? I don't want to leave my wife stranded with our three kids somewhere but I also don't want to dump money into replacing the whole steering system to fix a noise that is bothering me but may not actually cause any functional problems.

 

creaking noises when steering are usually balljoints. theres three: upper, lower and tie rod end.

you can check if they need to be replaced by feeling for play, shaking it and/or turning the steering wheel while on the ground.

i say you take it to another shop to figure out the problem and get a better estimate. if its just truly a noise from the powered steering rack then sure, just wait until it fails. youll still be able to drive the car until its replaced.

 

 

I have the same problem. I have a creeking noise when making slow turns. This happened AFTER I had the rack and pinion replaced under warranty. What do you think it would be?

 

If it's kind of serious, I suggest that solve it as soon as possible though you think you can tolerate it. Don't wait till it impacts the performance of the steering.