Pretty much guaranteed. I take that back. But it's a good bet. If it is truly bent, you may as well replace it to eliminate it as a cause. Tie-rods are cheap. Easy to replace. Make note of how many turns the old one is at and put the new one in the same place. Look for other loose components and replace at this time in the same manner. Most autopart stores will lend you a pickle fork or whatever special tools necessary. Then take to the alignment shop and your done (hopefully.) Shops charge way too much to replace one for as easy as they are to replace. The shop will be able to tell you if something else is wrong when they try to align it. If they find something else wrong and want an arm and a leg, post here and we'll advise.
Another thought. Someone must have hit something pretty hard to bend one (I think). It is possible that something else could have got damaged. Hope not. g
-Adam
