Steering complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 17% | — |
| 2025 | 2 | 7% | 1,000 miles |
| 2024 | 6 | 4% | 18,000 miles |
| 2023 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2022 | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2020 | 9 | 8% | 1,000 miles |
| 2019 | 5 | 7% | 8,000 miles |
| 2018 | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2017 | 4 | 7% | 105,000 miles |
| 2016 | 46 | 37% | 29,000 miles |
| 2015 | 17 | 9% | 45,000 miles |
| 2014 | 4 | 10% | 30,000 miles |
| 2013 | 1 | 2% | 68,000 miles |
| 2012 | 4 | 8% | 80,000 miles |
| 2011 | 4 | 4% | 11,000 miles |
| 2010 | 1 | 5% | 136,000 miles |
| 2009 | 4 | 7% | 12,000 miles |
| 2008 | 7 | 4% | 34,000 miles |
| 2007 | 13 | 6% | 33,000 miles |
| 2006 | 18 | 10% | 50,000 miles |
| 2005 | 29 | 11% | 42,000 miles |
| 2004 | 16 | 4% | 40,000 miles |
| 2003 | 17 | 4% | 81,000 miles |
| 2002 | 16 | 5% | 67,000 miles |
| 2001 | 19 | 5% | 75,000 miles |
| 2000 | 15 | 11% | 79,000 miles |
| 1999 | 2 | 2% | 46,000 miles |
| 1998 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 1997 | 8 | 13% | 73,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact's husband owned a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 54 MPH, the steering wheel jerked to the left and sent the vehicle over onto the opposite side of the road, where the vehicle struck a steel electric pole. The contact stated that the two front and two side air bags deployed. The Police Department, Sheriff's Office, and the Fire Department were called, and the firemen used the jaws of life to extract the contact's husband from the vehicle. A Police report was filed. Medical attention was needed, and the contact's husband was taken by ambulance and then airlifted to a hospital. The contact's husband sustained a compound fracture to the left forearm, a fractured pelvic bone, fractures to the C5, C6, and C7 in the neck, a fractured first rib, a spine injury, and a left knee injury. …
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving and exceeding 55 MPH, the vehicle was pointing to the left. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and confirmed that the vehicle was not driving straight. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact initially thought the failure was with the alignment however, the vehicle remained pulling to the left while. The vehicle had several undisclosed repairs performed on the vehicle however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened with the engineers; however, the case was never resolved, and the manufacturer closed the case. The failure mileage was approximately 1.
Vehicle purchased new in November of 2021 and driven approximately 6,000 miles. Under windy conditions, particularly at highway speeds, the truck is nearly impossible to drive straight down the road and keep under control. It feels as if you're driving on ice and takes a lot of effort to get back under control. In addition, wind blasts from semi-trucks blow the truck all over the road. Other wind blasts such as those experienced when passing under an overpass or a clearing of woods or hilly terrain that allows for gusts of cross winds result in an equally frightening experience. This truck is a heavy duty 3/4-ton advertised for its towing ability. I have driven 3-4,000 miles (of the 6,000) towing a trailer. …
When vehicle is placed in park the safety lock will not allow the key to turn to the "off" position and be removed. The vehicle will not turn "off" any further than the accessory position. Sometimes after turning the steering wheel back and forth while working the ignition the key will release. If this does not work after a minute or so, sometimes you can start the truck and immediately turn it all the way off and get the key to release. If all of that fails the last option is to disconnect the battery. It is an intermittent issue that will happen 5 times a day for a week, and then will not replicate again for a week or two.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving 38 mph, he noticed the steering wheel was loose. The contact started to hear an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated while driving over a small bump in the roadway, the vehicle inadvertently steered to the right. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with needing the pitman arm and idler arm to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the repair that was needed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel briefly became tight before returning to normal functionality. After the failure, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact also stated that the brake pedal required excessive force to slow and bring the vehicle to a complete stop. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.
This has happened three times with the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ truck. Each time, the failure was following a remote start in my driveway. It has occurred at the approximately 40K, 80K, and now at 128K mile mark. First two repairs were covered under the warranty and extended warranty, with the third time there was no warranty and the cost for repair was ~$2800. Each time, the vehicle was remote started in the January timeframe with cold (0 to 30 F) temperatures to allow the vehicle warm up prior to driving. I know two of those events occurred when we had a more significant temperature drop as there was snow on the ground. Upon getting into the driver seat and putting into Reverse to back out of the driveway, I discovered the brakes and power steering had failed. …
In May of 2023, the truck developed a significant shake when driving on moderate road bumps. We took it to the dealer and they replaced the pitman arm and idler arm assembly for over $2200. Recently, the shake started again. We took it to a local mechanic who told us that the upper ball joints were completely worn out and had been for some time, certainly since before the visit to the dealer in May. We had the ball joints replaced, and it is still shaking. We will continue to try to diagnose the problem but now we feel like we cannot drive it because it is unsafe. I've seen online that Chevy has a reputation of having this problem with our model (2019 Silverado). I'm filing this report to let you know that we are experiencing this problem.
Related recalls (1)
Steering
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, and GMC Sierra 2500, 3500 vehicles. The steering gear shaft may fracture and disconnect from the steering arm.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the steering gear, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 22, 2023.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Silverado 2500 years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2016 (46), 2005 (29), 2001 (19), 2006 (18) and 2003 (17) model years. Steering complaints make up 37% of all complaints for the 2016.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Silverado 2500 steering problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 23V-549 (steering, Aug 3, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Silverado 2500 steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 47,000 miles; 58% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the hydraulic power assist system (18 mentions), followed by the hydraulic power assist › pump (13).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.