Steering Problems of Chevrolet Silverado 1500 - part 1

While driving at a low speed power steering failed. This happened on two separate occasions once while turning into a parking lot the other while doing a u turn. On both occasions I was almost in a crash. The other vehicle had a slam on brakes to avoid my truck. The message on the dashboard was “service power steering drive with care”. The steering wheel is yanked out of my hands each time it loses power. After the ignition is turned off for five minutes the issue is resolved upon restarting the vehicle.

See all problems of the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 🔎.

While driving approximately 30–40 mph through an uphill left-hand curve, the steering suddenly became extremely stiff and very difficult to turn. I do not recall seeing any warning before I noticed the steering becoming stiff. While trying to control the vehicle, I noticed “service power steering” and “service esc” warnings approximately 1–2 seconds later. I cannot say exactly when the warnings first appeared because everything happened very quickly and I was focused on trying to control the vehicle. The vehicle left the roadway onto an adjacent lawn and traveled along a steep hillside beside the road. The driver-side mirror struck a curve sign and broke before the vehicle returned to the roadway. The vehicle also bounced while traveling off the road, and there is additional visible body damage. I do not yet know whether there is hidden steering, suspension, underbody, or other damage. A passenger was in the vehicle and witnessed the incident. Shortly afterward, while taking the passenger home, the steering again became extremely stiff and I again noticed the service power steering and service esc warnings. Because the steering problem occurred twice, I parked the vehicle and have not driven it since because I do not believe it is safe to operate. The vehicle has not yet been professionally diagnosed or repaired and remains available for inspection. I have opened a case with the manufacturer. There were no known steering problems before this incident. The vehicle had an alignment performed earlier the same day.

See all problems of the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 🔎.

While driving vehicle service power steering light came on had no power steering had to wrestle steering wheel no power steering a smaller person would not have able to handle it.

On September 24, 2026, my 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (5. 3l v8, 10-speed automatic) suddenly stopped moving and the steering locked. The truck had to be towed to the Chevrolet dealer. This is a repeat failure. On June 17, 2026, at about 43,700 miles, the truck showed the warning "service transmission now / unable to shift soon" with code p07b4. The dealer ordered part 86277653 (automatic transmission shift control assembly), which was on backorder for weeks. Between June and September the truck was in the shop several times for the same problem and was returned to me as fixed. On September 24 the same failure came back, this time with loss of drive and locked steering. A truck that can suddenly lose drive and steering is a crash risk. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. The vehicle has been at the dealer since September 24 and it is still not repaired. The complaint has been reported to gm customer assistance.

The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the "service power steering drive" message was displayed and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to maneuver. The contact attempted to drive onto the main street; however, had to drive slowly with the hazard lights activated, before returning to the residence. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and associated the failure with an electric pump. The failure mileage was approximately 106,799.

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Power steering locked up driving down the road.

See all problems of the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 🔎.

Intermittent issues seemingly related to power or ground problems. At idle, battery voltage drops down from 14-15v to <= 12v (as indicated on the voltmeter on the dash) while turning the steering wheel. "service stabilitrack" message shows up on the screen, and the steering becomes very difficult. Last night this issue happened and the truck completely lost power including interior lights, headlights, radio, accessory power, and the engine even turned completely off. This happened in the middle of the street as I came to a stop in front of my house and was going to reverse into my driveway. Cycling the key was enough to restart the truck and the power came back on. When this first happened to me almost two years ago, I brought the truck in for transmission concerns (resulting in a transmission replacement) to my local dealer, and I explained what had happened and they could not reproduce the concern and said everything checked out fine. I've had strange electrical problems pop up every now and then including this stabilitrack warning message and a trailer brake warning when I am not even hauling a trailer, but this is a major safety concern. My wife and daughter were in the truck with me when it happened, and if the power ever shut off like this on the freeway, major road, or even off-roading, it would be disasterous.

See all problems of the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 🔎.

Tried to start the chevy Silverado 1500 remotely and it was unresponsive using the remote start key fob. The truck was then started with the push start button inside the truck. There was no instrument panel errors or warnings when the truck was first started and began driving it. Upon taking the truck out of park and starting to drive, the brake pedal was extremely hard to push, and the steering was extremely hard to turn. It took a long distance to stop the truck while moving very slowly in a parking lot. The truck was also very hard to steer as if all power steering assistance had failed. The truck was put in park. Immediately after the truck was shifted into park, the instrument panel reported abs, powertrain and steering column lock errors. After being turned off for 20 minutes, it was restarted and the only error on the instrument panel was a check engine light. The brake pedal pressure returned to normal and the breaking started working. The steering was now easy to turn and working as well. It was drove slowly, a very short distance to the dealership where it has been for the last week and a half. They have diagnosed and replaced the ecm, abs and master cylinder. They continue to receive braking system error codes.

See all problems of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 🔎.

I applied brake and pedal went straight to floor without any stopping. I had to steer into a ditch to avoid a collision resulting in more damage to steering system, frame, windshield and body. This was complete brake system failure and yes is available for inspection. I was in a very rural area at time and was able to avoid a collision however, if I had been in city or on highway it could have easily resulted in injury or fatalities. The problem is currently under federal investigation and has been widely reported as a serious problem which may soon result in widespread recall. The vehicle has not been inspected yet by dealership or anywhere else as it just happened 18 hours ago. There were no warning lights or chimes before the incident when pedal went to the floor. After incident dashboard lit up with warning lights including, brake, abs, traction control, power steering, collision system, engine light, steering column and others. Truck speed limited to 43 mph. And pedal still goes to the floor without applying brakes.

My truck lost steering as I was trying to pull into a parking lot. It started as a momentary jerking of the steering wheel then total loss of steering. The abs error and trailer braking failure warning also appeared. After 4 to 5 restarts of the truck the steering came back. If this was to happen at high speed it would have been very bad. I feel this is definetly a safety issue. .

See all problems of the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality for approximately 1 minute. The failure had occurred while the steering wheel was straight or turning towards the left or the right, and the steering wheel was jerking during the failure. The “power steering” message was displayed, and there was an audible chime intermittently. The dealer was contacted, and the issue was discussed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 158,000.

While driving I lost the power steering on the vehicle. I took my truck to a chevy dealership and scheduled an appointment for the following day. I research the problem and found that there was a customer satisfaction program bulletin (n252515590) issued covering this specific issue for my trucks model year but it did not cover my specific VIN. I contacted Chevrolet customer assistance and they told me to file a complaint with NHTSA.

See all problems of the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 🔎.

Body to frame ground cables corroded in half two different times within about 6 months. First time engine wouldn’t start had to have it towed to dealer for repair, over 30 codes were shown when this happened. Next incident some of my lights were working intermittently and my steering was rendered inoperable for 20 to 30 seconds at a time making it impossible to steer the vehicle, several codes were found when this happened, I drove the truck to a Chevrolet dealer for repair. Both repairs were deemed to be corroded ground cables. Chevrolet has a “customer appreciation program” covering 2019-2024 silverado trucks but for some reason my VIN number doesn’t land in the program even though it has the same issues that are covered for the other silverados.

We recently had a brand new engine installed in our truck that only had 70k miles and only 7 years old due to white smoke coming out of tail pipe. The day after receiving the truck back after having the brand new engine installed the truck was not operating properly then gave me a bunch of warnings and then the brakes wouldn’t work and the steering wouldn’t work. I informed the dealership that installed the brand new engine and they had the truck towed back to their shop just to look at it for 3 days and proceed to tell me there was no issues they could find. Picked the truck back up just to have the same issue happen not even a month later. I was able to document the warnings and issues while they were happening and provided those to the dealership when we drop it off for the second time after getting a brand new $13k engine installed. If you would like the video I captured of the warnings I will happily send them.

When driving normally or pulling a camper (same day), power steering seems to "stick" as I exit either a moderate rh or lh corner. I must apply extra effort to the steering wheel to straighten out, and that invariably leads to an over-correction and departure into either the shoulder or the opposite lane. Problem is not sensitive to speed or weather conditions. The symptoms are not necessarily worse when pulling a camper, but the consequences are much more drastic and losing control of the vehicle feels much more imminent than when driving just the truck. Because the problem comes and goes so quickly, I can be applying force to straighten the wheel when suddenly, no force is required and the truck veers either left or right. I see no warning lights, nor do I see any messages displayed. I have not yet had the opportunity to get the truck to a mechanic. I'm not confident that I can safely drive to a repair facility, as the steering is so unpredictable.

See all problems of the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 🔎.

Vehicle lost power assist to steering without warning. Very difficult to drive vehicle safely once that happened.

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while turning into a parking space, the steering wheel locked up, and the contact was unable to park the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent dealer where the failure was diagnosed as a corroded ground strap. While diagnosing the vehicle the dealer became aware that the ground strap in the passenger’s side wheel well was damaged from road salt and water. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

On July 22, 2026 took truck to dealership for oil change and reported getting random (trailer brake, power steering) service alarms. Was told it might be a ground strap issue and was sent on my way. After investigating, there is a gm service bulletin (#23-na-201) on the issue but does not cover my truck. After a week of vacation, began driving truck again and alarms became more frequent, including loss of power steering and jerking of steering wheel while driving. Arranged with dealership to replace the ground strap (at my expense). By the time they could schedule, the alarms were constant and the truck had completely lost power steering. One of the power steering failures nearly resulted in an accident while turning.

While operating the vehicle, the front electric drive motor suffered a failure, triggering reduced propulsion warnings and rendering the primary electric powertrain inoperable. The vehicle was towed to an authorized gm dealership service center, where the defect was confirmed. To replace the failed front drive unit, technicians had to drop the front subframe cradle and completely dismantle the front suspension and steering assembly. During inspection of the disassembled components, severe mechanical galling and metal scoring were documented on the cast aluminum front steering knuckle mounting boss. Reinstalling suspension and steering hardware against structurally compromised, gouged aluminum presents a severe safety hazard of metal fatigue, stress fracture, or joint failure under dynamic loads. This vehicle is factory-rated to tow heavy loads. Dynamic cyclic forces transferred through a compromised front knuckle assembly—particularly when towing on a weight-distribution hitch—create an acute risk of structural failure and loss of directional control at highway speeds. The vehicle has remained grounded and out of service at the dealership for over 50 continuous days undergoing this high-voltage and chassis teardown.

I was camping at a state park outside of kenton ohio. On Sunday July 19 2026 while backing up my travel trailer I lost power steering to my 2019 Silverado 1500. Then a message came on my display saying service power steering soon and then a check wiring harness warning. I turned off truck and restarted it and warnings cleared and power steering came back. The following morning July 20th started the truck, no power steering and service engine light was on drove to kenton and had codes read. Had multiple codes for different control modules. Power steering came back and I was able to drive home. Called my dealer and was able to get appointment on July 24. Tried to start truck and it would crank, start run rough for a few seconds then stall out. Had to have it towed to dealer for repair. End result faulty ground strap from body to frame, loss of electric power steering ability while driving due to a ground cable could have been a very dangerous situation for everyone in the vehicle and on the road.

Approximately one week ago I was driving at a safe speed on a two-lane highway. Suddenly, my steering wheel and truck jerked to the right. For 8-10 seconds a warning message was displayed "power steering . . . Drive carefully. " I took the truck to my local dealership. They scanned for trouble codes. The technician said something about an interruption communicating with the electrical system. My service advisor took the truck on a 15-mile drive and had no problem. They scanned again and there were no trouble codes. The service advisor said they could not fix the problem if they did not know the cause of the problem. I left the dealership. Since then, I have had 4 more incidents. Once the warning message appeared again, but no jerk of the steering wheel or truck; once there was the same warning message and a jerk of the steering wheel and truck; and twice there were sudden jerks of the steering wheel and truck but no warning message. I have reported each of these incidents to the dealership. I also called Chevrolet customer assistance. I explained the problem and asked if they would assign a field service engineer to assist the dealership. Hey declined my request. Because I momentarily lose control of steering the truck, I fear for my safety and the safety of others.

See all problems of the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 🔎.

I had a complete loss of steering and had to have the truck towed to the dealership. This could have caused a very serious accident. There was no previous warning - it just went out. The dealership charged me $2183 to replace the steering gear. According to the literature, the steering function should last to well past 100k miles (my truck had 66,552 miles on it). In addition, there are multiple reports of steering going out online - perhaps a recall is in order. The literature also states that if diagnostic code c1599 then the steering rack is completely fine mechanically but it has simply lost its electrical connection. That is the code that the dealership saw - it sounds like the fix could have been much simpler and cheaper.

I was driving on the highway and lost all power steering. Almost in an accident. Complete loss of power steering.

Without prior warning my power steering went out. This could have been life threatening. I had to have it towed to the dealership (voss chevy, centerville OH). The truck had 66,552 miles on it and the extended warranty that we purchased thru voss expired on 26 Mar 2026 and although we were under the 75k mileage, they would not honor it (planned obsolescence?) so they replaced the steering gear for $2183. After researching, the literature says that diagnostic code c1599 (which is what voss saw) indicated that the steering rack is completely fine mechanically but it has simply lost its electrical connection. In addition, literature says that a steering rack should last at least to 100k miles. There are also multiple issues documented on carcomplaints. Com regarding the loss of power steering. Perhaps a recall is needed. In addition, I believe we were mislead as to what repairs were needed.

Over the last week, my truck power has been almost shutting down after the stabilitrac warning appears on the dash while I’m turning or going over uneven pavement. The whole system shut down once already when turning around in a driveway. I have a new battery. Spark plugs are good. Abs is good. There are no recalls I can find, but this must be electrical somehow. Help me pls before it causes an accident.

My 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 experiences an intermittant, uncommanded mechanical drivetrain lockup and severe binding when accelerating from a complete stop. The vehicle rolls fine in a straight line for several feet, but the exact moment the steering wheel is turned slightly (a couple degrees), the drivetrain violently binds up. This creates resistance in the steering and acceleration, as well as a severe physical and audible metallic clunking slam and massive shockwave vibrations felt directly through the steering wheel, floorboards, brake/gas pedals, and driver’s seat. During the last event, the vehicle threw a "service 4 wheel drive" dash message and refused to shift out of "auto" mode back into 2wd. Because this is a pure mechanical interference/binding issue, it does not consistently throw active electronic trouble codes. A standard obd2 code scan will show nothing. After turning the vehicle off for several hours and testing again, the problem persisted. After towing the vehicle to a dealership (6/10/2026) it sat for at least 5 days before dealership service looked at it. By this time, the active warning lights cleared. My initial servicing dealership refused to perform physical hardware or fluid diagnostics under my factory warranty, stating they would not look at the vehicle unless I paid $860 out-of-pocket or until the drivetrain "completely grenaded" on the road. Because this uncommanded lockup restricts my ability to steer the vehicle safely from a stop, it presents an immediate crash hazard. At the direction of general motors corporate, I am escalating this issue and moving the vehicle to a secondary certified facility (feldman Chevrolet of novi) on June 23, 2026, for a formal physical hardware and fluid tear-down inspection.

Auto wash truck quit, dead would not restart, tow service disconnected battery and reset. Okay after. Visit to dealer service they said nothing wrong. Driving yesterday in the rain quit 4 times on the road driving, it would restart each time. Warning on the dash would flash at times "hands on the wheel" while driving ? this is a serious safety issue. Intermittent when it gets wet, new truck, 1,800 miles, no alterations. Dealer service no help, it has hard codes, can bus communication issue, water intrusion likely cause, we are afraid to operate on the road, help please.

Let's eat come randomly unhook after clicking in. I have an indicator that keeps popping up to check my steering column and my transmission feels like it's slipping when you are trying to accelerate.

Sudden loss of power steering, usually upon initial start. May return, may not return during drive. Began around 1 week ago. Sudden loss of power steering when turning either right or left has occurred causing a dangerous situation. Upon loss of power steering, 2 warnings appear. One for loss of power steering and the other for the trailer brake. Have never trailered anything with truck. Check engine light has come on at times, others it has not. Steering failure has occurred approximately 6 times. An internet search found some reference to my vehicle being informally added to the recall affecting other gm vehicles. Vehicle has not been inspected yet.

2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 safety issue summary: I am filing a complaint regarding critical safety defects with my vehicle. The truck displayed warning messages for traction control service and brake system failure on the instrument panel while parked in my driveway, prior to the vehicle becoming inoperable, I experienced dangerous driving conditions including swerving similar to hydroplaning on two separate occasions. Details: the vehicle was picked up on a flatbed on may 11th, 2026 because it would not start or run. When I drove it before this incident, I experienced the vehicle swerving dangerously similar to hydroplaning on two different occasions 5/1/26 and 5/9/26. Upon inspection, warning messages appeared on the dashboard indicating traction control system service and brake system failure. These are critical safety systems. Chevrolet he dealership in wichita falls, texas performed a diagnostic and claimed to find only a dead battery and parasitic draw. They refuse to address the traction control or brake system failures and claim they cannot duplicate the issues. They are pressuring me to accept the vehicle without written confirmation that these safety systems have been repaired. Safety risk: a vehicle with non-functioning traction control and brake system failures is unsafe to operate. I cannot accept this vehicle until these critical systems are properly diagnosed and repaired. Than you for your help in this matter.

While driving at approximately 45 mph, the steering system suddenly failed without any warning. The steering wheel became extremely stiff and nearly impossible to turn, resulting in a sudden loss of control of the vehicle. I was unable to safely steer, especially when attempting to turn right, which nearly caused a crash. There were no warning lights, alerts, or prior symptoms before this failure. The issue occurred abruptly and without any indication, creating a serious and unexpected safety hazard. Due to the severity of the problem, the vehicle had to be towed and is unsafe to drive. This appears to be a failure of the electronic power steering (eps) system. A sudden loss of steering assist at driving speed presents a significant risk of injury or death to the driver, passengers, and others on the road. This is a critical safety issue that should be investigated immediately.

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet silverado. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to steer in the intended direction. The service power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that, fortunately, the failure occurred while the contact was driving in the contact's residential driveway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed electrical ground strap. The contact was informed that the electrical ground strap needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact referenced a customer satisfaction program n25251590, however the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the program. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

In beginning of January of 2026 my vehicle had lifter issues. Brought it to Chevrolet group 1 in spring texas. Three weeks without transportation. Beginning of February the vehicle stopped in the middle of the feeder. Vehicle lights up but goes dark for five seconds and will not start. Had it towed back to the same dealership and told it was the battery cable that needs to be replaced. Three weeks passed no transportation. In the middle of April 16 2026 I was driving on the feeder in the far right lane and the front right wheel came off hanging by only the tie rod. The vehicle slid a good 700 to 900 almost crashing into a muffler shop gate. Upon inspection the muffler shop mechanic notice that the front right upper control arm bolt threads are not damaged and the nut is missing.

Two grounding straps failed on my 2021 silverado trail boss lt. Gm has a recall for this exact problem under n252515590, model years 2019-2024. Apparently my VIN number is not associated with this recall, yet my dealer just did the recall repair. They said my truck did not qualify for the gm recall and I was forced to pay for the repair. The failing grounding straps caused my power steering to go out and my brake system and safety traffic sensors to fail as well. This was very dangerous as it would fail randomly while driving the truck. There were no warning signs or lights on the the truck to indicate any problems.

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the message “service stabilizer” was displayed and the power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle lost its power steering function, and the vehicle was difficult to steer. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,805.