When the power steering is completely kaput, the car drives like an old 3-ton truck built before 1950. Those were pre-power steering trucks, and you could not turn the steering wheel when the truck was not moving. Training on driving those trucks devoted substantial time on positioning the front wheels when you were trying to maneuver the truck; the wheels had to be positioned while the truck was still moving. Generally, the driver position the wheels in the direction he next intended to go before the truck was stopped. (I got my instruction with these trucks when I was a counselor at a Boy Scout camp and when I was in the Army.)

My experience with kaput power steering on my car ( a '98 e 300) happened in early August when the serpentine belt jumped its pulleys and tracks and wasn't turning anything. This happened about a half mile from my home, and I drove the car home where I could work on it. I could not turn the wheels when the car was sitting still; I could turn them with some difficulty when the car was moving. I was able to get the car home but had to make a really wide turn to get it into my driveway, because the usual turn was not possible.

Several months ago, my power steering pump failed. I discovered it failed when I looked under the hood to see where the screeching was coming from. I drove home at that time. The steering was fairly good even thought the system had lost a considerable amount of its fluid.