The steering system may be overloaded in some extreme cases, causing the rack and pinion to break. Overload is usually caused by the driver turning the steering wheel suddenly and hard, or the vehicle is under extreme driving conditions (such as high speed, sudden braking, strong turning, etc.).

In response to the question of "Can you replace only the rack without replacing the pinion?", the answer is usually no. This is not only because the two are closely connected in mechanical structure, but more importantly, replacing the rack or pinion alone may cause a series of problems, affecting the overall performance and safety of the steering system.