Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 120 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 120, in the owner's own words
I am experiencing a commonly reported issue with the steering rack binding and failing to self-center after a turn. Turning the steering wheel left and right has become increasingly more stiff over time. Unreliable steering, especially during turns could potentially lead to an accident/collision.
Steering is binding, does not return to center when turning, it has play in the steering, and rattles and shakes when driving in the highway. Dealer said it needs a steering shaft replacement. The car has been doing this since it had less than 50k miles. There were no warning lamps or messages. Since this is steering, it is dangerous and puts others at risk. The steering binding is a safety issue, and if left along long enough it might fully bind up causing an accident, and also reduces my ability to sense road traction conditions and make fine adjustments; I feel a recall is warranted because of the serious nature of this problem.
Component or system that failed/malfunctioned: The Electric Power Steering (EPS) Gear / Steering Rack Assembly. The component has not yet been removed from the vehicle and is available for physical inspection upon request. How safety is put at risk: When navigating low-speed turns or accelerating from a stop where the steering wheel is rotated to approximately 45 degrees, the steering gear mechanically binds and catches. The wheel completely fails to self-center or return to a straight position on its own. The driver must apply sudden, manual physical force to yank the wheel back to center. This creates an immediate loss-of-control and lane-departure hazard during low-speed maneuvers. Because this is a progressive mechanical wear issue, there is a severe risk of a total steering lockup at higher highway speeds. Confirmation by dealer/independent center & manufacturer inspection: The vehicle has not yet been inspected by a dealer, independent service center, or the manufacturer due to the high out-of-pocket cost of the repair. The owner is operating the vehicle with extreme caution while awaiting a formal safety recall regarding this documented steering gear defect. Warning lamps, messages, or prior symptoms: No electronic dashboard warning lights or error messages have illuminated. The primary prior symptom was a subtle, rotational scraping/friction noise heard coming from the front driver-side wheel well when passing roadside walls or barriers, indicating ongoing mechanical friction within the steering assembly. The 45-degree steering binding first appeared several months ago and has progressively worsened.
The steering has become stiff; the steering wheel does not return to center after a turn without driver assistance.
The steering gear (rack and pinion) assembly exhibits clunking when turning the steering wheel at low speeds, and does not return to center at higher speed (stays in turned position when let go). This is available for inspection upon request. Our safety is put at risk because the steering feels strange and does not behave as with other cars, requiring force to return the wheel to center in a turn at speed. This problem has been confirmed by a qualified service center and they attempted to fix it by replacing the intermediate steering column, but it did not resolve the issue. There were no warning messages.
Sometimes, when driving in a turn, either direction, and hands are released from the steering wheel, the vehicle does not return to center. Force is required to cause the steering to begin returning to center. Once it begins returning to center, seems to always continue to center. This is a dangerous departure from decades of common vehicle operation. An unsuspecting driver can drive into an obstacle or people.
Steering rack broke, wheel won’t return to center. Dealer wants $3k dollars to fix. This should be recalled as the amount of cars it happens to is significantly high.
The steering on the car does not return to center and sticks to the position turned and has to be manually pushed back to center. This is an issue with the steering rack.
The steering does not self-center after making a turn. It feels stiff and remains in the turned position, requiring manual effort to bring it back to center.
Steering doesn't return to center after turning. In sweeping turns, it is quite dangerous as the vehicle wants to push harder into the turn and requires operator to push the wheel back toward center to keep the vehicle on the road
The steering wheel in the Chevrolet Bolt fails to return to center on its own. This is due to the steering rack grease hardening over time. This is a common issue with these cars but I am willing to offer my car for inspection on request. This is a safety and usability issue - my wife has carpal tunnel and struggles to properly return the vehicle to center when making a turn without pain. This does not show any specific warning lights. The component in this car has not been inspected, but the symptoms are always apparent, so it is always reproducible. This is very similar to if the power steering in a gas car were to fail. We have not had the issue fixed yet, but will likely need to do so in order to continue using the car safely.
Steering wheel sticks and doesn't return to center. Service center says the steering rack need to be replaced. The issue creates a significant safety hazard by impeding my ability to control the vehicle during turns, potentially leading to accidents.
Sticking steering wheel. Does not return to center, stiff steering. If steering wheel is not manually return to center, vehicle will continue to turn.
STEERING WILL NOT RETURN TO CENTER. STIFF AND SLUGGISH.
Steering wheel is not returning to center after a turn. It can be dangerous in certain situations where you would expect the steering to center after making a turn. Took it into a mechanic and they said its a common issue on the bolts. Power steering rack is faulty. This needs to be investigated.... Lots of complaints online!
The cars steering is very stiff and won’t return to center without assistance. The vehicles steering is not working as intended. Unfortunately I am unable to see a dealership as the cost to repair is over $4000. The car only has 62k miles and should not be failing so early. This a danger to myself and other drivers
The steering has gotten stiffer over time. It no longer returns to center on its own.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to complete a left or right turn, the steering wheel failed to return to center and was sticking. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the contact was informed that further diagnostic tests were required to determine the cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
My Bolt has 87k miles and the steering sticks in various rotation spots. Accelerating doesn't affect the auto-straightening, as power steering should. I've been told to pull the boots back on the steering rack and regreasing the rack. My mechanic won't do this due to a safety. There are 100s of folks on Reddit experiencing the same issue. Some of these folks have less than 50k miles on their cars. Dealerships around the country are quoting $3-4k to replace the steering rack. This should be recalled, IMO. Thanks! [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The steering wheel intermittently sticks and fails to return to center after turns or minor corrections, especially at low to moderate speeds. This requires constant manual correction to re-center the vehicle, which increases the risk of overcorrection or unintended lane departure. There are no warning lights or noise, and the issue does not appear to be related to alignment, tires, or pressure. Many other Chevy Bolt owners are reporting the same behavior, pointing to a potential defect in the steering gear or rack. This is a serious safety hazard that could result in loss of vehicle control. GM has not issued a recall or service bulletin, and repairs are expensive. See community reports here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The steering feels like it takes more input to control the steering than is reasonable. When coming out of a curve at speed, the steering doesn't return to center and continues to turn requiring additional steering input to come out of the turn.
Steering wheel is stiff and doesn’t return to the center point smoothly especially when going 25 mph and faster. Possible safety issue.
When corning the steering wheel intermittently sticks and fails to return to center after turns, at any speed but especially at low to moderate speeds. This requires me manually turn the wheel to re-center the vehicle, which increases the risk of overcorrection or unintended lane departure. There are no warning lights or noise, and the issue us not appear to be related to alignment, tires, or tire pressure. Many other Chevy Bolt owners are reporting the same behavior. This leads me to believe that this is a potential defect in the steering gear or rack. This is a safety hazard that could result in loss of vehicle control. GM has not issued a recall or service bulletin, and repairs are expensive.
While driving, especially at lower speeds or during small steering inputs (such as switching lanes), the steering wheel does not return to center as expected. Instead, it sticks in the turned position, requiring extra effort to manually re-center the wheel. This issue is intermittent but persistent, and worsens over time. It appears to originate from the steering gear/rack, as there is no abnormal noise or warning lights. The car does not exhibit issues with alignment or tire wear, and tire pressure is within recommended specs. This behavior creates a safety hazard, as the driver must constantly correct the wheel back to center, especially after turns or curves. This introduces risk of overcorrection, lane departure, or delayed reaction in emergencies. Multiple other Bolt owners are reporting similar symptoms in this owner forum thread, suggesting a potential defect in the steering gear or electric steering system. GM has not issued a recall or service bulletin on this yet, and repair costs are substantial out-of-pocket. This issue could result in loss of control if it worsens. Please investigate.
The steering wheel does not return to center when turning either direction. Steering alternates between feeling loose and tight. After doing some research online, this is definitely a common problem with this vehicle among other drivers. Often it doesn't feel safe.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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