Steering Problems of Chevrolet Bolt Ev - part 1

The steering wheel on my 2019 chevy bolt is feeling stiff and harder to turn when making a right and left turn.

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The steering rack is binding and has malfunctioned. The steering wheel does not return to center after turning and vibrates or wobbles while driving, which may impair steering control and makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. The problem was diagnosed and confirmed by a certified automotive repair shop. No warning lights or messages appeared. The only prior symptom was progressively worsening steering-wheel operation over time.

See all problems of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt Ev 🔎.

The electronic steering gear (steering rack) on my 2021 Chevrolet bolt has malfunctioned, causing the steering to feel rough, stiff, and sticky. Crucially, the steering wheel fails to naturally return to the center position after completing a turn, forcing me to manually pull the wheel back straight. This poses a severe safety hazard, as the vehicle will continue turning off the road or into oncoming traffic unless actively corrected, and the increased physical resistance makes precise lane adjustments difficult at highway speeds. There were no warning lights, error codes, or diagnostic messages on the dashboard prior to or during this failure, as the issue is strictly mechanical.

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I am reporting a potential steering system safety defect involving my 2017 Chevrolet Bolt Ev. The problem began at approximately 22,800 miles. The steering wheel developed a grinding noise, a noticeable catching/binding sensation when turned, and would not return to center normally after a turn. The condition could be felt even while the vehicle was stationary and not running by turning the steering wheel back and forth. While driving, I could feel the steering pull and catch when turning left or right. The problem gradually became worse over about two months. There were no warning lights or dashboard messages. I first tried to have the vehicle inspected by a Chevrolet dealership, but that appointment was canceled. I then took it to lee johnson Chevrolet in kirkland, wa. At 23,661 miles, the dealer test drove the vehicle and documented that they verified my concern. Their diagnosis stated that the steering gear had “internal worn gear damage” and required replacement of the steering gear/rack assembly. The intermediate steering shaft bolt was also involved in the repair. I paid $4,406. 56 for the repair which includes a separate $301. 24 diagnostic charge. The vehicle was not covered by warranty. The repair appears to have corrected the problem. I am concerned this is a premature manufacturing or component defect rather than normal wear. The vehicle has never been in an accident or collision and had fewer than 24,000 miles when a safety-critical steering component required replacement. The progressive grinding, binding, pulling, and failure to return to center made the steering increasingly unpredictable. I have also found numerous reports from other Chevrolet bolt owners describing similar steering problems. I believe NHTSA should investigate whether premature steering gear failure in 2017 Chevrolet Bolt Evs is a broader safety defect.

Component: electric power steering (eps) steering gear / rack and pinion assembly. What happened: the steering gear binds internally. After a turn the wheel does not return to center and must be forced back to straight; steering feel is stiff and clunky. On at least one occasion the wheel felt stuck in place partway through a turn and I had to fight it to finish the maneuver. I nearly lost control of the vehicle. Exact date, location and speed of that incident: unknown. The condition is chronic and has worsened over time. I own two Bolt Evs (2017's); both have this defect and I am filing a separate complaint for each. Mileage on this vehicle: approx 96,000 but it's been bad since 80,000 (at the very least). Safety risk: binding steering requires manual correction after every turn, increasing risk of overcorrection, unintended lane departure and delayed emergency response. Worst at intersections, on/off ramps and parking lots. The driver cannot anticipate when the wheel will stick. Warning lamps / prior symptoms: [no warning lamps, messages or codes appeared] earliest symptom: [stiff or notchy steering]. First noticed [right away when I bought the car used]. Confirmed by dealer or shop: [not yet presented] inspected by manufacturer, police or insurance: no. Available for inspection: yes — vehicle and original steering gear assembly. This failure is widely reported across Bolt Ev and euv model years. Gm service information contains a diagnostic procedure for poor return of the steering wheel, indicating the manufacturer is aware of it. No safety recall has been issued, and dealer repair runs $2,500-$3,500 because the subframe must be lowered to reach the rack. Videos of the repair are available online, which also include plenty of discussion about the symptoms and dangers: [xxx] and [xxx] I request that NHTSA open an investigation into the Bolt Ev/euv steering gear as this should 100% be a priority safety recall. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Steering rack is starting to fail at under 47000 miles, car pulls to right during acceleration and pulls left when decelerating. Steering wheel does not return to the center and a slight left pull on the wheel has to be maintained at all times so the car doesn't merge right into traffic. It is available upon inspection request. I almost didn't realize it pulling to the right and almost merged into another car on the highway. It has not been confirmed yet by a third party. It has not been inspected yet. No warning lights or messages occured when it started happening.

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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.

Power steering assist cut out while driving and traction controllight came on. There is now no steering assist. The car is with the dealer shop and their diagnostics indicate the the steering column needs to be replaced. Dealer shop now says the steering column is on extreme backorder with no time estimate of availability. The car is almost impossible to steer at low speeds. The power steering rack and pinnion assembly was replaced back in August of 2023 due to the rack binding, so that part is realatively new.

See all problems of the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt Ev 🔎.

Steering wheel does not return to center on turns when driving at low speeds.

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 stiffened over several weeks. Then steering wheel would not automatically return to center while turning while driving. Diagnosed by service as a fault with steering column. This is apparently very common in chevy bolts.

When driving my car from the airport at bradley International in CT (parked for a week), I experienced a terrible vibration in the steering wheel which has been intermittent. The vibration went away at lower speeds. I brought the car in to the shop on 5/18/2026 with 74,000 miles on the car. They told me I had to replace rotors, brakes, calipers, brake fluid, and do a front end alignment because the rotors have failed internally. The ev doe not use braking as frequently and this was taken from the chevy forum: issue: frozen or seized calipers the issue: because bolt drivers heavily rely on regenerative braking, the physical brake pads and calipers are used far less frequently than in gas-powered cars. This can cause rust and debris to build up, leading to frozen calipers, uneven pad wear, or a sticking/grabbing brakes. The fix: have a trusted mechanic or a dealer regularly inspect and service the friction brakes. Regular preventive maintenance like flushing the brake fluid every few years is highly recommended to prevent moisture accumulation and seized calipers. The resultant failure is a safety issue and chevy has decided to call it a pm problem. This is not acceptable and is all over the forums as an issue for these cars. I saved all parts and had them record everything on the car, except for the fluid. There are other recalls for this component. I would like it investigated and determination made on the issue. The invoices will be in my possession tonight.

The steering wheel does not return to center after turning while driving the car (unlike every other car). It has been reproduced by an independent service center. There are no error codes or warnings. This is a continuous problem that always happens and makes steering the vehicle more difficult.

See all problems of the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt Ev 🔎.

The steering wheel takes more effort to turn than it should and does not return to center after making a turn. It has been like this since I bought the car used, and I did not realize until recently that it should not be like this. Comments on some online forums indicate that this is a common issue with chevy bolts, usually requiring a steering rack replacement. This is a complex operation requiring certified ev technicians (I am told) and very expensive. I am not sure if gm has addressed this issue in any way.

Steering randomly will fail to return to center in turns, causing the driver to have to manually turn wheel back to center. Happens in both sharp and sweeping turns in both the left and right direction while accelerating, decelerating, and maintaining speed. Issue occurs several times a week. I nearly hit an oncoming car head-on in a very gentle sweeping left hand turn on may 10th when my bolt continued turning left rather than re-center when I stopped giving it left steering input. I was going about 35 and decelerating gently for a stop sign at a t intersection at the bottom of a mild downhill slope of 5 to 10 degrees. The car I nearly hit was approaching in the opposite lane on the inside of the curve. When the left hand curve straightened out, my steering wheel (and wheels) did not return to center. My car continued across the yellow double lines. I had to quickly jerk the wheel to the right to avoid a collision. *I had to physically return the wheel to center through manual input to get my car to drive in a straight line. * I narrowly avoided a head-on collision. There was no advance warning. Having the steering randomly behave unexpectedly and in direct opposition of the vehicle's design, and *every* other vehicle's design is very dangerous. This is a known issue across many, many bolts. Replacing the steering rack/column for this known safety issue on all generations of the Chevrolet bolt is an expensive repair. Please investigate and issue a safety recall and force gm to correct this known safety defect that they should have already voluntarily recalled.

The steering has become stiff; the steering wheel does not return to center after a turn without driver assistance.

Steering clunks during low speed maneuvers, shimmy started while rounding a curve at highway speed on uneven pavement. Local garage has identified it as a broken steering gear. Car has only 36000 miles.

While driving at a low speed (approx. 5–10 mph), the front passenger-side lower ball joint suffered a catastrophic structural shear without warning. This caused the wheel assembly to collapse outward and the cv axle to pull out of the transmission. The failure caused a complete loss of steering control, veering the vehicle into a curb. Physical evidence (outward axle pull and high-side rim scratches) indicates the mechanical failure preceded the impact. This occurred at only 38,155 miles on a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt Ev. Outward dislocation: photos show the cv axle pulled out of the transmission and the wheel leaning out (positive camber). A curb impact would push these components in. This proves the wheel fell away from the car first. Pre-impact grinding: the interior barrel of the rim and the brake dust shield show heavy rotational grinding and metal-on-metal scoring. This confirms the suspension collapsed while the wheel was still spinning at speed, prior to the car coming to a stop. Structural shear: the lower ball joint stud suffered a complete transverse shear. High-resolution photos of the broken stud face show distinct "beach marks" (concentric rings), which are the physical fingerprint of a slow-growing metal fatigue crack rather than a sudden impact fracture. Rim damage profile: deep gouges are located on the flat face of the wheel spokes rather than the outer lip. This confirms the wheel was already at an extreme tilt (collapsed) when it made contact with the curb. Conclusion: the vehicle was maintained and driven under normal conditions. This was a spontaneous, catastrophic structural failure of a safety-critical component. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this as a potential manufacturing defect for the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt Ev.

See all problems of the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt Ev 🔎.

I bought my 2023 Bolt Ev new on Dec 2024. Around Jan 2025 I start hearing clicking behind the steering wheel when I turn to make parking maneuvers. By April 2025 the clicking is loud and a common occurrence. The steering no longer returns to center and it is noticeably hard to turn the steering wheel. I brought it to the dealership and was repaired under factory warranty for being a faulty part. The issue, which was a leak causing the steering rack to bind, was fixed. See the attached Chevrolet dealership documentation for further details. I have not noticed any further issues after driving for month after repairs were done.

The steering wheel gets stuck, is difficult to turn, and doesn't return to center. Issues with this make the car much more difficult to drive and makes it impossible to sense the state of the road with the steering wheel. This can lead to loss of control. No warning lamps or messages informed me of this issue.

The steering sticks when making turns and does not return to center. This causes the steering to drift on the highway and reduces the ability to steer in a straight line. I have not reproduced or confirmed it with the dealer. No inspection and no warning lamps. This issue occurs for a large number of Chevrolet bolt owners.

Steering doesn't return to center when moving. When moving at low speeds steering is heavy. Possible steering gear issue. Always present while driving vehicle and turning.

The steering wheel locks and stiffens on turns to the left or right refusing to come back to center on its own. In the middle of the turn the wheel locks up. Been told by multiple dealerships and forums I've read online it's a known issue with the car needing a steering gear replacement. A job that costs $4-5k per gm based on labor. There's no warning lights. Gm has reproduced issue and based on this forum multiple accounts of this have happened to others [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The steering has become harder to turn and will not return to center after turning a corner. When driving the steering wheel will stay in the position you have turned it to. I feel like this is dangerous and a safety risk especially at highway speeds. I have taken it to my local Chevrolet dealership and they said the rack and pinion steering is bad and needs to be replaced. $2365 parts and labor and realignment. The vehicle had 50058 miles on it when I noticed it. It now has approx. 52,500 miles on it. There were no warning lamps or safety messages.

Steering, rack and pinion is failing after 44k miles, steering gear is binding internally.

Vehicle steering wheel fails to return to center after sweeping turn. Found it’s a common issue and is incredibly dangerous and should be recalled!.

Steering wheel does not return to center, requiring driver input to do so. Force needed to turn the steering wheel continued to increase throughout the past year, getting abnormally difficult and unlike any other vehicle. Had the steering rack replaced, which corrected the problem.

The steering on my car is sticking and failing. When I make a turn, the steering wheel does not go back to the center on its own. I have to physically pull it back, otherwise the car will keep turning. When driving straight, the steering wheel gets "stuck. " I have to use extra force to make small adjustments, which makes the car jerk. The steering also makes clunking noises. This is extremely dangerous because it makes the car very hard to control, and I could easily drift into another lane, overcorrect, or crash.

The steering rack on the Chevrolet Bolt Ev does not return to center on turns. Over the course of the past 25k miles, my particular model has slowly began to lock up on deep turns. This occurs on sharp rights, lefts, and on both on and off ramps - especially the ones that loop around. The steering rack gets stuck on sharper turns and continuous turns, requiring force to return back to center or to get out of the turn. With hands off the wheel, the vehicle maintains its turn radius and without driver input, would inevitably turn into a barrier, object, or even another vehicle. Issues began around the 80k mark, possibly sooner, and dealer did not fully disclose this occurrence. The steering binding is a safety issue, and if left long enough might fully bind up causing an accident. It reduces my ability to sense road traction conditions and make fine adjustments.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the steering gear in this vehicle began to fail around 40k miles. It clunks at low speed, doesn't roll out of turns, and recently has begun to oscillate during straight driving. I will keep the old part for inspection once replaced. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the cars steering does not return to center during a turn. Now, the steering is shaking violently during driving. It will likely seize if left unfixed. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes. I also have video. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? this is a well documented issue with chevy steering. I will include an ai overview screenshot.

Steering gear and torque sensor failure at 39,000 miles. Car is unsafe to drive and costs over $3500 to fix. The problem has been diagnosed at a dealership. No warning lights or codes apparent, problem is worsening and the car is becoming unsafe to drive. Steering gear or rack could be available for inspection.

I have a faulty electric power steering, it prevents the steering wheel to return to center.

Clicking/clunking under driver's feet.

Steering wheel fails to return to center after turns — potential steering gear defect 2023 Chevrolet Bolt Ev steering wheel fails to return to center after completing turns, particularly at low speeds. Steering requires manual input to re-center the vehicle after every turn. No warning lights or audible alerts. The issue is not attributable to alignment, tires, or tire pressure, as I have had new oem-spec tires installed and an alignment performed without any improvement to the steering. I brought the vehicle to the dealership to address this safety concern. They stated unable to replicate the issue and sent me away without performing repair. The dealership charged me for an alignment but provided only post-alignment figures — no before measurements, making it impossible to determine whether any corrective action was actually taken or whether the alignment was a contributing factor. This is a safety concern as it requires constant driver correction after every turn, increasing risk of overcorrection, unintended lane departure, and delayed response in emergency situations. Condition is hazardous in low-speed environments such as parking lots, intersections, on/off ramps, and residential streets where frequent turns are made and rapid corrections may be necessary. Issue is not isolated to my vehicle or model year. Owners of 2017-2019, 2022, and 2023 chevy Bolt Evs have reported identical symptoms across multiple owner forums, with hundreds of documented complaints. Community research and independent mechanic diagnoses consistently identify the steering gear (rack and pinion) as the root cause, with internal binding cited as the failure. Gm's own service manual includes a diagnostic path for "poor return of steering wheel," confirming gm is aware this condition exists. No recall or service bulletin issued addressing this widespread concern despite years of owner complaints spanning all Bolt Ev model years. Request that NHTSA investigate and consider issuing a recall.

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.