This is not the manufacturer's fault. The problem would have shown up long before 174,000 miles. You didn't say what the recall involved or how long ago it was done so it's impossible to know if something was done incorrectly at the dealership.
The place to start is by seeing what is moving when you turn the steering wheel and what isn't. Regardless of what is broken or disconnected, you'll likely need a new clock spring under the steering wheel. That's a wound-up ribbon cable in a plastic housing under the steering wheel. That cable can only wind up or unwind slightly more than the steering wheel normally travels lock-to-lock. Turning the steering wheel even one additional revolution can snap that cable or make it fold over on itself until it will break from doing that repeatedly.
Oct 23, 2015 at 6:52 PM
