Steering Problems of GMC Canyon - part 1

Issue #1: while driving on the highway, the screens flickered once in a while. While stopping at a gas station, the vehicle did not turn on. Everything was black as if there was no power. After a several minutes of trying, it came back. Apparently it was an electrical issue. Took it to the dealership shop, but they couldn't find anything wrong with it. A couple of month after, my son was driving and when he turned right, the vehicle shut off. Same issue, the vehicle went black but after a few minutes, he was able to turn it back on. Third time, my other son was driving. Arrived at his destination and when he was about to leave, the vehicle did not turn on. It was completely dead. The battery was good but all the electrical systems were dead. I had to tow the vehicle to the dealership. They changed the fuse box and that fixed the issue. It is dangerous because the vehicle can shut off anywhere at any time. Safety issue. Issue #2: oil leak. The vehicle is a 2016 Canyon. It has about 76,000 miles on it. An oil leak was found in the engine. Had to take it to the dealership to fix it. Another high expense and repair. Issue #3: power steering. While driving in the city, I got a warning saying that the power steering needed service. The wheel became extremely hard and it was difficult to steer the vehicle. I was able to bring the vehicle to a parking lot near to where the issue occurred but had to use a lot of strength to steer the vehicle to safety. I can not imagine what would've happened if I was driving on the highway or in a busy street. Apparently there is a recall for the 2015 vehicles but not for the 2016 even though it uses the same system and parts. Lots of complains online from 2016 vehicle owners reporting this same issue. Cost to repair the issue: $3,500 out of pocket. Issue #4: media screen. The media screen keeps failing. This is the second screen installed by the dealership and it still have the same issues. At times it got black.

See all problems of the 2016 GMC Canyon 🔎.

The power steering on the truck we purchased for our son for college went out while he driving, I had him take it to a local shop and they said this is a known issue from gm and a safety alert was issue under NHTSA 21v213000/gm recall n202325410. However, even though gm used the exact same steering rack parts, they excluded 2016 models from the recall and issue TSB #16-na-065 as an instruction guide for mechanics. The local shop that is doing the work also sited TSB-n202325410-01 issued from gm. I'm now having to pay $3,597 to have the steering rack replaced the truck, which has no other issues, so that it can be driven safely. This is more than a little surprising and has caused us to have to take money out of a line of credit we have against our home to cover this unexpected and undisclosed cost when we purchased the truck as a used vehicle from the a hendrick dealer.

Lost power steering.

See all problems of the 2015 GMC Canyon 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the "power steering assist lost" message displayed, and the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was parked, and upon restarting the engine, the failure self-corrected. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 21v213000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 224,000.

2016 GMC Canyon power steering failure exactly the same as the recall done on the 2015 GMC Canyon in 2021. While I am driving, for the last 5 days, my power steering and stabilitrac will shut off, and a warning sign will appear on my dash. I have researched it fully and the same exact recall was done on the 2015 model, and a lot of people have complained about this issue. It is not safe and very difficult to steer while driving, especially at slow speeds.

Intermediate steering column defect causing a pronounced dashboard rattle. The dealer (putnam GMC, burlingame, CA) diagnosed the issue under warranty, but the required part is on national backorder with no ship date. The vehicle has been out of service at the dealership since September 2, 2026 awaiting the part. This is a steering-related defect on a brand-new vehicle with approximately 1,500 miles.

I was driving around a windy road up a Canyon with sheer cliffs, and my power steering suddenly went out. It took almost all my strength to steer it clear of me going off the Canyon. It has since then gone out intermittently for months now. I’m waiting for the warranty to approve a replacement. I know this is a common issue with this year vehicle and there was a recall for the previous years version. Seeing how many complaints about this year make and model online for the same issue makes me wonder if a recall should be in place.

While driving a few days ago, power steering abruptly stopped working and a service power steering message appeared. It was very difficult to steer the vehicle back home. I've tried replacing the battery and resetting the steering sensor to no avail.

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Canyon 🔎.

Was in my garage and started up my truck and seen an alert regarding the steering. Reversed truck and was un-able to steer the truck. Steering wheel would not move at all.

Power steering and stabilitrack warning pops-up randomly and cuts off power steering assistance while I'm driving on the highway or on country roads. The power steering is very hard to maneuver. However, when it's safe to do so, I have to pull over on a safe place and have to restart my truck twice, in order to regain power steering. I have taken it to an independent mechanic and to a chevy dealership on merced. The dealership service tech informed me that in order to service the vehicle and find the code that is making this issue, that I would have to continue driving the truck and bring it in to the dealership with the power steering and stabilitrack warning. According to the technician, they can't do much due to that they don't know what is causing the power steering to malfunction. I haven't been able to take it to the dealership because the warnings have occurred while I'm far away from a dealership or diagnosis area. Also, I will not risk my safety maneuvering a vehicle that has lost electric power steering around a city where lots of left or right turns are necessary to drive to a locality. This is the only vehicle I have to go to work or travel and fear for my safety when this happens. Please help.

Was driving my truck and would randomly lose power steering while driving. When the power steering cut out it would jerk the steering wheel to the left a little bit and if I pulled over and turned the key off and turned it back on, it would reset and start working until it happened again, which could be five minutes later or 20 minutes later. It would cut out at any given time. I am the second owner of this vehicle and once this problem started happening I looked into it and found out that there was a recall on this, and the recall had been satisfied in 2021 but the problem obviously was not fixed. Tried calling several dealerships with no luck and was forced to get it fixed at my regular shop at a cost of $3023. 07. I have receipts for the repair. This is clearly an issue that was never resolved.

Recurring stabilitrack issues while driving. Reset system replaced fuses and issue keeps happening. Bringing for further service.

Driving i15 and went to take my exit and the power steering went out and I almost rolled the truck now the eps won’t even come on. There needs to be a recall for my VIN like there is for all other trucks that year. There was no warning just shut off immediately if my wife was driving she would’ve rolled the truck. It hasn’t been looked at but there is a ton of recalls for the same issue with 2015 and for some reason my VIN is not listed. This needs to be solved ASAP as this is my only vehicle that I use to take to work.

Power steering and stabalink malfunction causing a radom and very dangerous complete power steering failure. Gm was forced to do two recalls for this failure, one in 2016 and another in 2021 but they excluded any Canyon made after may of 2015. The recall should include these as well because their claimed fix did no such thing which is very dangerous to the occupants of the Canyon as well as other vehicle occupants on the road.

This is a constant issue where the power steering issues disabled while driving and its very damgerous usually I just turn it off and on it fixes it, but then it happens again and frequently.

My 2015 GMC Canyon had been running for approximately 10 minutes. I was on the highway driving home from the dfw airport doing 65mph. My wife was we me as we were driving home from a trip to visit our grandchildren. A message popped up on the display that said my power steering had failed, a chime also alerted me. It was immediately noticeable as I could barely turn the steering wheel. If I had been in a turn I may not have been able to control the truck and may have caused an accident. The truck has 94,000 miles on the odometer. Thank you.

Loss of power steering. This is a known problem with the 2015 GMC Canyon models. My 2016 GMC Canyon has the same problem. This is a serious issue. A recall should be issued. It has happened to me several times.

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the steering wheel seized, with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering gear had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

1. The power steering failed when I was driving my 2016 GMC truck. 2. The failure caused the steering of the truck to be very difficult putting myself and any passengers at risk. 3. This issue occurred on 2/19/26 at about 3:00pm central time while driving. Power steering warning lights did illuminate. 4. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone at this time. Please note there is a safety recall associated with the 2015 GMC Canyons for the exact same problem. Instructions were given to submit a report to the NHTSA and the vehicle's owner may be eligible for reimbursement or free repair is a "hidden," warranty extension or "customer satisfaction program" covers it.

While driving the truck, it suddenly locks up the steering and I have to maneuver safely to stop. This has happened to me various times and its scary and dangerous.

The steering on my truck a 2015 GMC Canyon totally locked up! fortunatlly the vehicle was parked when this happened. Suppose I had been on an interstate highway at 65 miles per hourwhen this happened! there was a recall for this very same problem on this very same 2015 model in 2016. My vehicle was not part of the recall and I feel that it should have been in the recall and maybe this wouldn't have happened this recall was bulletin no. 15595a.

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering assist. The messages "service power steering system" and "service traction control system" were displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 16v054000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

While driving at 70–75 mph on an interstate, my vehicle suddenly displayed a “brake failure” warning and limited speed to 62 mph. Power steering failed completely, and braking became ineffective despite hard pedal pressure. Multiple warnings followed: abs, engine, and others. I was in heavy traffic with vehicles at full speed. Loss of braking and steering control forced me to coast across lanes to the shoulder, narrowly avoiding collision. My safety and that of others was at extreme risk. After stopping, I turned the vehicle off for ~30 seconds. Upon restart, all systems returned to normal—no warnings or issues. This indicates a transient software malfunction, not mechanical failure. No prior warnings or symptoms occurred. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer/service center. I have not scanned or inspected the vehicle. It has not been examined by the manufacturer, police, or insurance. The vehicle is in my possession and available for inspection upon request.

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Canyon 🔎.

Power steering goes out intermittently while driving, almost causing wrecks. A warning pops up that power steering needs to be serviced. . . But when truck is turned off and restarted the issue goes away. This is an extremely dangerous situation and seems to be affecting thousands of vehicles according to internet research. Gm needs to be held accountable and recall and fix the issues immediately.

Around ~2017, power steering failed while driving and a safety recall was performed on the torque sensor cover. Later, the whole rack and pinion module was replaced. In ~2025, power steering failed again, and again the whole rack and pinion is getting replaced. Both times the failure occurred on a windy mountain road and was nearly catastrophic.

Power steering turned off while driving pulled over cycled the key it came back on has happened 3 times in two weeks.

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving 35-40 mph, the power steering became inoperable. The steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was restarted and worked as designed. The message “power steering fault - drive with care” was displayed. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall coverage for the failure, and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 84,746.

At random the power steering and traction control turn off making it difficult to drive. . This happens randomly and has become unable to steer. Once the vehicle is turned off for a period of time you can start it up and the steering returns. The issue was reported in the 2015 models. That recall needs to extend into the 2016 models since most of the parts were most likely manufactured tot eh same specs as the 2015. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent repair shop. The dealership wanted $200 for just the diagnostics. Every time this happens it becomes very difficult to drive and is a safety issue. The issue first appeared 2 months ago and after the restart stopped. Then all of a sudden it seems to occur daily.

The first occurrence (post recall 21v213000 completion 8/24/2021), was Sunday 9/21/2025 . I was just accelerating after a stop sign turning left and I lost power steering and stabilitrak. Yes it is available for inspection if requested. I was at risk of being in an accident. No it has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service. No it has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance reps or others. No there were no warning lights, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure. They first appeared as the failure was occurring. The second occurrence occurred on Sunday 10/5/2025. I was on a straight away part of the road when the power steering, stabilitrak failure occurred again just before I was slowing down to turn right into a parking lot. Yes it is available for inspection if requested. I was at risk of being in an accident. No it has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service. No it has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance reps or others. No there were no warning lights, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure. They first appeared as the failure was occurring.

Almost daily now I'm getting a service power steering message and the power steering goes out. This is very dangerous! something needs to be done!.

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that the headlights failed to activate automatically. Additionally, one of the phone charger ports had become inoperable. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. A message advising that the power steering was inoperable and to drive carefully was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the power steering functionality returned. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 50-55 mph after the power steering failure, the vehicle was pulling to the right. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

Eps becomes difficult to steer occasionally, brakes seem to lose stopping ability leaking oil @ either oil pan or transmission.

The contact's grandmother owned a 2015 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that her grandfather was driving approximately 60 mph on the freeway while her grandmother was occupying the front passenger's side seat. The contact stated that while the driver was attempting to switch to the right lane, the steering wheel locked up and the vehicle shut off unexpectedly. The driver was unable to pull to the side of the road and turned on the hazard lights. The contact stated that another van driving 80 mph crashed into the vehicle, and the van caught on fire; however, the vehicle of the contact's grandparents did not catch on fire. The vehicle was then rear-ended by three other vehicles, causing the bed of the vehicle to be smooshed into the cab, and the driver's side of the vehicle was smooshed into the center divider wall. The center divider wall might have been damaged. The driver sustained whiplash and was thrown across his wife's lap. The emergency services assisted the driver out of the vehicle and put the driver on a stretcher. The contact's grandmother was assisted out of the vehicle. The contact stated that only the driver's side and passenger's side curtain air bags deployed. The driver was transported to the hospital by emergency services. The contact stated that the driver sustained a crushed spine and severed lower nerves, causing the lower body paralysis. Additionally, the driver sustained broken ribs, 15-20 staples across his head, ruptured lungs, which caused a loss of 7 pints of blood. The driver received a transfusion of 5 pints of blood. The driver's wife sustained a bruised right cheekbone, soreness on the face, the hand, the thumb, and the body. Both passengers were currently receiving medical assistance. It was unknown whether the other drivers sustained injuries. A police report was filed, and the police confirmed that four vehicles had crashed into the vehicle. The police report information was not available. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer.

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost electric power steering, and the steering wheel became difficult to steer. The contact pulled to the shoulder of the roadway and turned the vehicle off. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the power steering became operable; however, the failure recurred while driving. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.

My electric power steering has failed more then twice on me, steering wheel pushed back against my efforts to steer. I don't feel safe and I have noticed this has happened to other owners of the 2015 GMC Canyon. I can't afford to repair something that should be a re-call.