The front end of my 01 outbk wgn (60,000 mi) waggles back and forth a few times instead of stabilizing and centering. Happens when at 40 mph+ I turn the wheel to 10 oclock or 2 oclock then back to 12 oclock. Also the steering wheel is a bit jumpy and deflects or seems to grab and not return in smooth manner. This is subtle but evident when compared to other outbk wgns. Dealer did algnmt, tightened some things, checked steering fluid, and I switched tires, but no improvement. Now dealer suggests replacing steering rack. Before I pay big $ for this, does anyone have experience/suggestions on how to proceed? Thanks.

 

Front end back and forth waggle caused by turning steering wheel from 12 to 2 oclock then back to 12 on straight flat road. There also is a bit of a waggle when front end is tossed up in air as when crossing an intersection w/a dip and hump. Reminds me of my old '91 Legacy wgn when it needed new struts. However, the steering wheel itself does seem to behave oddly as described in original post. Thus my quandry.