RoadVitals

2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Steering Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Steering reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
41
Latest Jan 8, 2026
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
8%
of 511 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 41 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.

Owner reports naming steering

The 25 most recent of 41, in the owner's own words

ElectricalPowertrain (other)Steering
Filed Jan 8, 2026

My transmission blew up and I almost wrecked my truck. No engine lights came on, and still no engine lights are coming on it only has 69,000 miles on it and has never missed a service. Its currently at the dealership where I bought it from

NHTSA ID
11709805
Incident
Dec 8, 2025
Driver assistanceElectricalSteering
Filed Sep 10, 2025

Truck was intermittently losing power steering and shutting off/reseting itself. Was a loss of electrical and was throwing Stabilitrak Service warning. Would not stay on due to truck resetting itself but loss of power happened typically when I was in parking lot or driveway. Could have easily been on the highway which could have been deadly. Dealership found that the battery cables and module were not getting enough power to truck. Replaced these and it seems okay now. Total cost was ~$1200. I see several recalls for battery cable issues but nothing pulling on my 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ crew cab.

NHTSA ID
11686370
Incident
Sep 9, 2025
BrakesDriver assistanceSteering
Filed Aug 12, 2025

sTEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR OBD CODE C0710-5A

NHTSA ID
11680103
Incident
Aug 11, 2025
Steering
Filed Aug 7, 2025

While driving the steering wheel started locking up and jerking. And it’s really hard to turn the wheel. ( power steering drive with care) noted on the dashboard. Very scary.

NHTSA ID
11679209
Incident
Aug 7, 2025
Steering
Filed Apr 19, 2025

While driving steering wheel will lock up and become really hard to move, making it difficult to maneuver out of the road

NHTSA ID
11655603
Incident
Mar 4, 2023
BrakesSteering
Filed Apr 11, 2024

So the recalls were done on my vehicle in September 2023 , I purchased the vehicle in August and after the recalls were performed the truck would seem different but I thought it was just me, we'll I had an alignment done because it was driving crazy , this wasn't done at the chevrolet dealership, so recently we've experience some braking issues and pulling off to the side well I took it to the ryan chevrolet on a thursday and the mechanic kept the truck until Monday so he can diagnose the issue. We'll then he says nothing wrong but recommended I pay for an alignment because ones never been done the original pins were still attached. I declined because I knew better and so he charged me 80. 00 times 2 because I iefused, he was diagnosing the 2 different things I told him we were experiencing. These are the things that can occur if If the recalls arent taken care of, but he didn't care about my concerns, nor did he want to listen , o me I went to big o and I asked about the alignment and they showed me mt truck is perfect in alignment. The brake issues and the going off to the side are getting worse.

NHTSA ID
11582419
Incident
Mar 7, 2024
Powertrain (other)SteeringSuspension
Filed Dec 11, 2023

I purchased this vehicle from Galles Chevrolet in Albuquerque New Mexico as a certified pre owned vehicle. Couple of days after I noticed a vibration coming from the front steering and drivetrain I immediately took it back to Galles and they told me nothing was wrong with it and that the aggressive tires was what I was feeling. So I took it back and drove it for a couple of weeks and the vibration started getting worse so took it back again they rotated and balanced the tires and said it was fine. A few weeks passed and it started again took it back and told me tires were out of round and that was what I was feeling 21/2 months it sat in the back lot until they figured out who was gonna replace the tires. Finally got the truck back and it was ok until the new tires started cupping again and the vibration was back in total I took it in about 8 times in past 18 months for the same issue and to this day has not been resolved. According to GALLES CHEVROLET the technician stated that that was normal for a 2500 4 wheel drive truck with aggressive tires drives and assured me that there’s nothing wrong with the vehicle. Now look at the video and tell me if that’s normal for this truck For some reason it’s not letting me load a video of me moving the wheel up and down side to side where it moves about 3” with the steering wheel locked wheel is very very loose

NHTSA ID
11559557
Incident
Jul 16, 2022
Steering
Filed Dec 1, 2023
Crash reported

While driving my truck on [XXX] , steering locks up, unable to turn the steering wheel. Crashes into guard rail going approximately 57mph, thankfully no other vehicle involved in this matter. I was not hurt, and had seatbelt buckled and then noticed damaged on the drivers side of the truck. Which included front bumper, left headlamp assembly, left front fender, left upper control arm, damage to front and rear doors, bedside panel, rear bumper and both wheels, and tires. Gerber Collision body shop in Henderson, Ky wrote the estimate and did the repairs for approximately $16,000.00 in damage and paint. On 10/02/2023 we took this truck to Kenny Kent Chevrolet for power steering intermittently going out, and they replaced the battery, codes for low voltage to power steering module. Tested battery and found to test bad, so they replaced the battery. Checked for codes and none were found after replacement of the battery, appeared to be the point of failure at this time. That repair was $404.96, kind of strange on part availability for a electric power steering is on BACKORDER! and module is not serviced separately, and even NO RECALLS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11557864
Incident
Oct 27, 2023
ElectricalSteering
Filed Oct 27, 2023

I have a 2018 chevy Silverado 1500 crew cab, I’ve been having problems where the truck warning light would come on saying “service stability control” and the truck would turn off when reversing and while driving on highway and the light flickers and the steer wheel would lock up as well, please help me out, I have searched over the web and have seen other people posting about it and having the same problems but yet Chevy has not done anything about it, this is a safety hazard

NHTSA ID
11552343
Incident
Oct 27, 2023
ElectricalSteering
Filed Jul 28, 2023

The vehicle has just completely died on me at least twice while driving it, the power steering keeps cutting out, and the headlights will dim significantly upon pressing the brake pedal or using turn signals. This has been going on intermittently for months. Upon an internet search, this does not appear to be an uncommon issue.

NHTSA ID
11535165
Incident
Feb 15, 2023
BrakesElectricalSteering
Filed Jun 24, 2023

June 24th 2023 on a sunny day right after i start my truck ( truck still on my drive way) trailer brake system service notice came on. I don't have any trailer on that truck at that time. This truck trailer brake system service notice on & off and beep too, it keep my eye off the road the most time this is danger this vehicle never been to accident or even small hit...PLEASE GET CHEVY FIX THIS PROBLEM , i don't want have a accident because that notice keep came up and keep my eye off the street.

NHTSA ID
11528694
Incident
Jun 24, 2023
ElectricalEngineSteering
Filed May 30, 2023

UNKNOWN The ignition, steering wheel, and electrical. While driving it flickers off and on, turns off the engine, unlocks my doors and turns on again. Yes, our safety as well as others are put at risk this can cause an accident to happen on the road while driving, most likely to get rear ended. Today it gave me a scare because my 2 year old granddaughter was in the truck.

NHTSA ID
11524563
Incident
May 30, 2023
Steering
Filed Apr 27, 2023

For about a month I heard a clunking sound in the steering wheel shaft when I initially started the vehicle and turned the steering wheel. After a few miles of driving it would go away. The vehicle then began to have a hesitation when I would try starting it. Diagnosed as two cells were dead in the battery. Replaced the battery and the steering improved. Two weeks after replacing the battery, I started the vehicle and started to turn out of a parking spot. At that time the steering wheel refused to turn and it sounding like a pump going out. The service steering warning came on. I got it to the dealer and they diagnosed the electric rack and pinion drive belt had broken and sheared the gears in the assembly. The vehicle is a 2018 Chevy 6.2L High Country with 71,000 miles. I was told by the dealer that if this would have happened while driving at highway speed it would have locked the steering wheel in the position at the time of component failure and would have more than likely resulted in a crash. Currently the vehicle is still at the dealer for the last month waiting on the rack and pinion to be shipped. Apparently there isn't any of these parts anywhere in the United States.

NHTSA ID
11519335
Incident
Mar 23, 2023
ElectricalSteering
Filed Mar 3, 2023

While driving down the highway, I heard a ding and the service trailer brake message appeared. Several minutes later, while driving about 30 mph and coming to a stop, I heard the ding again, the service trailer brake message appeared again, then all electric components died. I had no lights or gauges working, the radio turned off, the a/c turned off, I loss all steering capabilities as my steering wheel locked in place, and the engine died. All of this occurred while the vehicle was still in motion. As I pressed the brake and came to a stop, the electronics regained power. A message appeared telling me to lower and raise the driver's side window. I came to a complete stop. Even though the electronics returned, I had to restart the engine. I put the vehicle in park, turn it off with my key, then start it again with the key, all while stopped on a very busy highway. I was able to drive the vehicle home with no further issues. I have not contacted the dealership yet, as they are currently closed as I write this. I will be contacting them and informing them of the issue. I had mentioned a similar issue to the dealership a few years ago. They made a report of the incident, but said there is nothing they can do if they cannot replicate it. This is very dangerous. Losing all electronic functions, including the ability to steer and having the engine die while driving is scary. I can lose the ability to guide my truck and crash the vehicle into something or someone. This puts my family at risk and anyone else on highway that may be in proximity. There is no telling when this will take place. I have had electrical issues randomly happen while starting the vehicle, but not while driving. I may go weeks or months between electrical startup problems. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA ID
11510072
Incident
Mar 3, 2023
AirbagsBrakesSteering
Filed Feb 15, 2023
Crash reported

The contact owned a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at 80 MPH the steering wheel became stiff and the vehicle would not brake without any warning. The contact desperately pressed on the brake pedal but the vehicle would not brake, causing the contact to be struck by another vehicle on the driver's side. No one was injured and no major damage to none of the vehicles. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed a loss. All the air bags deploy but the front driver side. The manufacturer was not unable to reach them. The failure mileage was 69,000.

NHTSA ID
11507517
Incident
Feb 6, 2023
Mileage
69,000 mi
ElectricalEngineSteering
Filed Nov 8, 2022

Sudden loss of vehicle electrical power as well as steering and break control due to faulty negative battery terminal. Engine will stall and steering wheel will kick back and issue a stabilitrak service message. Vehicle will become inoperable while still moving with no way to control.

NHTSA ID
11492793
Incident
May 8, 2022
Steering
Filed Oct 17, 2022

2018 Chevy Silverado Lt. Lost power steering on two separate occasions for 10 seconds to approximately 15 seconds then the a third incident where power steering was lost 100% and did not come. It was a good thing that I was leaving my house. No power steering at all. Turning around to home had to really muscle the steering steering. Did not clear with repeated attempts at engine restarts. Had towed to dealer. Dealer had no idea what was going on or had never experienced this before. Google searches indicated that this power steering issue has been going on since at least 2014. Battery and cables replaced. Incident happened again back to dealer and I suggested reprogramming the ECM and they did. All seemed good until 4 Oct 22 when driving I lost power steering again for about 5 seconds and then returned to normal. This is a real safety issue. I cannot drive with my granddaughter until this is rectified. Dash reported each time Power Steering drive with caution. Like I illuted to that this power steering problem is concerning and going on for years.

NHTSA ID
11489568
Incident
Sep 2, 2022
ElectricalSteering
Filed Jun 8, 2022

The electrical power steering failed on my way home as I turned in to my street my steering became very hard to control nearly causing me to crash into a neighbors vehicle. This is the second time my electrical power steering has failed. About a year ago the original electrical power steering went out and a new one was purchased from a dealer ship and installed by a automotive company. Here we are a year later and it has gone out again but this time almost causing me to crash during a turn into my street. NO WARNING to me at all that my power steering was about to go out. Yes. My 2018 Silverado truck is available if an inspection request is asked of me.

NHTSA ID
11468109
Incident
May 3, 2022
ElectricalSteering
Filed May 7, 2022
Crash reported

At a low speeds while taking a turn, the electrical system clicks off and then clicks back on after about a second. Im able to see the voltage drop while taking the turn. When this happens, the power steering goes out while taking the turn. This exact incident is consistent with the recall of the year 2014 Silverado as stated in this article https://www.zehllaw.com/another-gm-recall-800000-chevrolet-silverado-gmc-sierra-trucks-faulty-power-steering/

NHTSA ID
11463721
Incident
May 7, 2022
ElectricalSteering
Filed Mar 7, 2022

The power steering will randomly go out when turning at slow speeds, or when parking. The entire truck has lost power steering and then lost all power to the vehicle for a split second then return to normal power.

NHTSA ID
11455462
Incident
Jan 28, 2022
Steering
Filed Jan 4, 2022

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the "steering assist reduced" and "service trailer brake" messages were displayed, and the steering wheel experienced a slight resistance while turning in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted regarding the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 75,000.

NHTSA ID
11446105
Incident
Jan 4, 2022
Mileage
75,000 mi
Driver assistanceSteering
Filed Nov 22, 2021

Started vehicle and engine diagnostic displayed that the anti-lock braking system needs to be service, the power steering system needs to be serviced, parking assist needs to be serviced. This issued occurred one other time and a module needed to be replaced. This is the second time this has occurred in a year.

NHTSA ID
11441266
Incident
Nov 22, 2021
Steering
Filed Nov 7, 2021

Power steering reduced

NHTSA ID
11439603
Incident
Nov 6, 2021
ElectricalSteering
Filed May 15, 2021

AT SLOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS WHEN PARKING, THE TRUCK’S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN, I LOSE POWER STEERING, DASH LIGHTS, RADIO, AND THEN THE TRUCK RESTARTS ITSELF AND CONTINUES. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND CHEVROLET DEALERS DON’T W WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. IF NEARLY COLLIDED TWICE DUE TO LACK OF POWER STEERING.

NHTSA ID
11416713
Incident
May 15, 2021
Mileage
24,084 mi
BrakesEngineSteering
Filed Feb 26, 2021

REDUCED POWER STEERING ASSIST ENGINE STALL IPC / RADIO / HVAC GOES BLANK VARIOUS DTC. HAD MY HEAD LIGHTS FLICKERING, HAD STABILITRAK ERRORS, POWER STEERING ERRORS, AND THE WORST OF ALL, THE STEERING WHEEL JERKING OUT OF MY HANDS. ISNT MY VIDEO BUT SIMILAR WHEN I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 5MPH [XXX] PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID
11398093
Incident
Feb 25, 2021
Mileage
47,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .