Is 117,000 miles far amount of milage on it when it would start to fail?
I imagine the “bell curve” for this failure goes from 100k to 500k. You’re on the short end.
The age/mileage indicates that the car’s mileage is likely stop and go and short trips which would significantly increase the per mile wear on many systems on the car including the power steering. Rolling down the highway with occasional lane changes is much less stressful on the steering than maneuvering through city streets and parking lots.
Outside of saying hitting a bad pothole, what causes the Rack and Pinion to go bad?
Aggressive turning at higher speeds can wear the r&p out. Heavier vehicles wear the r&p quicker too.
Rubber.
The seals that hold the fluid in are made of elastomeric materials. They dry, shrink, and even crack when they get old, and can no longer hold pressure. It happens to rack & pinion systems, hydraulic lines on construction equipment, brake cylinders, and even garden hoses.
I may get lucky, according to the rep at the extended warrenty company that I got when I bought the car back in 2014, the R/P is covered. NOW all I have to do is have the dealership “confirm” that it is the R/P that is bad and needs replacing and all I will be out then is the $100 deductible, now gotta hope the dealership agrees with the 3 other independent places I took the car to and it’s the R/P. Car goes in next Friday for inspection…