I had been putting off fixing my steering for months because I was worried about the cost and did not know who to trust. My Grand Cherokee was wandering on the highway and the wheel felt loose, plus there was a clunk every time I turned into a parking spot. I finally went to a shop that does steering repair and alignment service and they found the problem was worn tie rod ends and an alignment that was way out of spec. They replaced the parts and did a proper alignment, and honestly the difference is night and day. The car tracks straight now, no more clunk, and I feel safe driving again. The price was fair and they did not try to sell me anything extra. If you are dealing with similar issues, do not wait as long as I did.

What mileage was the Grand Cherokee at, and did they replace the inner tie rods too or just the outer ends? Also, did the alignment printout show how far out of spec it was? I've got a bit of wander on mine and wondering if it's the same issue.

Tie rod ends fail gradually, so the wander creeps up and you adjust to it without noticing. That's why the difference feels so dramatic afterwards. Worth rechecking the alignment after a few weeks, because new parts settle slightly and the numbers can shift a little.

Glad it's sorted, but I'd double check one thing. Worn tie rods are common, yet on a Grand Cherokee a loose wheel feel can also be a worn track bar or steering box play. Did they check those on the lift, or only replace the ends and align it?

My Commander did the same thing and I ignored it for about four months. Tie rod ends finally gave enough play that the front tyres were scrubbed on the inside edges. Cost me a new pair of tyres on top of the repair, so waiting really isn't worth it.

Wandering on the highway plus a clunk on turn-in is the textbook worn tie rod end symptom. Good call on doing the alignment straight after, since new tie rods throw the toe out immediately. Skipping that step wears tyres fast.