Steering complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 2% | 58,000 miles |
| 2023 | 3 | 2% | 56,000 miles |
| 2022 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2021 | 3 | 2% | 33,000 miles |
| 2020 | 4 | 9% | 55,000 miles |
| 2019 | 6 | 8% | 1,000 miles |
| 2018 | 8 | 10% | — |
| 2017 | 6 | 4% | 29,000 miles |
| 2016 | 23 | 10% | 51,000 miles |
| 2015 | 60 | 14% | 73,000 miles |
| 2014 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2013 | 2 | 2% | 127,000 miles |
| 2012 | 3 | 3% | 100,000 miles |
| 2011 | 2 | 1% | 72,000 miles |
| 2010 | 2 | 2% | 74,000 miles |
| 2009 | 3 | 3% | 40,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2007 | 5 | 2% | 250,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 13% | 73,000 miles |
| 2005 | 5 | 4% | 161,000 miles |
| 2004 | 14 | 7% | 44,000 miles |
| 2003 | 20 | 7% | 20,000 miles |
| 2002 | 22 | 8% | 42,000 miles |
| 2001 | 29 | 7% | 58,000 miles |
| 2000 | 20 | 7% | 63,000 miles |
| 1999 | 52 | 8% | 75,000 miles |
| 1998 | 21 | 10% | 75,000 miles |
| 1997 | 105 | 25% | 79,000 miles |
| 1996 | 15 | 4% | 89,000 miles |
| 1995 | 13 | 3% | 150,000 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 owns a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became difficult to turn and exhibited resistance, with no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering wheel had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
The power steering on the vehicle had failed on December 10th, 2023. The sign was displayed on the dashboard for the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to Sunrise Chevy and stayed with them for a month for repair and they have been unable to repair the issue. They said the rack and pinion had gone bad on this brand new car. This is very dangerous as the safety of myself as well as others on the road are compromised due to faulty steering problems.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent, but was a recurring failure. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the failure, there was an abnormal whining sound while turning the steering wheel. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
I am submitting this complaint to report a serious safety issue involving my 2021 Chevrolet Suburban equipped with the 3.0L Duramax diesel engine. The vehicle has experienced a recurring problem related to the engine wiring harness. While driving, the vehicle will unexpectedly stall without warning. At the same time, there is an immediate loss of power steering assist, significantly reducing the ability to safely control the vehicle. This creates a dangerous situation, especially at highway speeds or in traffic. The failure appears to be linked to a defect or malfunction in the engine wiring harness, which may be causing intermittent electrical interruptions to critical engine systems. There were no prior warning signs sufficient to prevent the incident. This issue poses a substantial safety risk not only to the driver and passengers but also to other motorists. …
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became firm. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel returned to normal operation upon depression of the brake pedal. A week later while the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became firm again, and there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that recently while driving 50 MPH, the "Service Power Steering - Drive with Care" message was displayed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
While turning at driving speed I feel as if I loose control of the steering for a split second. The front wheels feel like they begin to turn without me turning the steering wheel. This has happened at least a dozen times in the 6000 miles I have put on the car. It is extremely dangerous especially on wet roads. I have not reported this to GM. I was searching the internet for a recall and found your website.
We have suddenly experienced a problem with our 2019 Suburban, seemingly identical to a problem that plagued 2015 GM light trucks and SUVs (NHTSA campaign number: 18V586. GM's own number for this recall is 18289). At low speeds (typically parking lots, under 5 MPH), when turning, we intermittenly lose power steering. This is more common when switching directions rapidly such as during a parking maneuver. Simultaneously, headlights and interior lights intermittenly dim. The instrument cluster screen will display random warning messages ("roll window down then up", etc). The clock time resets as though the battery was disconnected. Our 2019 suburban has only 68,000 miles and has received all scheduled maintenance. The battery was recently replaced in September 2022 (14 months ago). I have inspected the wiring and found nothing lose.
The suburban pulls to side. I got it into the service center and they tried to fix the alignment but when we got it back it still does it. So im not driving it til it gets a second opinion because its definitely not the alignment if it is still doing it. So I dont feel safe driving it with me or especially my kids in it.
Related recalls (4)
Steering › Steering control module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. A software issue may cause a loss of power steering assist at startup or while driving.
Remedy: The power steering module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 13, 2021.
Steering › Electric power assist system
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade vehicles. Electric power steering (EPS) assist may be lost momentarily, followed by a sudden return of EPS assist.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the EPS module software, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at…
Steering › Electric power assist system
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra, and Yukon XL vehicles, equipped with electric power steering (EPS). Due to a problem with the EPS module, the affected vehicles may experience a sudden loss of power steering assist during vehicle operation.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering assist motor kit, free of charge. The recall began on November 17, 2014.
Steering › Gear box › Shaft pitman
General motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet express and suburban vehicles, and GMC savana and yukon xl heavy duty vehicles. The steering gear pitman shaft May not have been adequately hardened and could fracture.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the steering gear and, if necessary, replace the steering gear pitman shaft. This service will be performed free of charge.
NHTSA investigations
Steering shaft separations
Odi opened this pe on November 13, 1995 based on an owner complaint concerning a September 1995 accident involving a 1995 1/2 ton GM pickup truck.the vehicle owner alleged the bolt used to join the 2-piece steering shaft was missing.the shafts then separated and steering control was lost.
Steering shaft separations
Bolt in the coupling, joining the upper intermediate and steering column shafts, falls out.total loss of steering occurs when the shafts then separate.
Steering shaft separations
Coupling bolts, joining the steering shaft, May separate.in some cases, total unforeseen, loss of steering control May result.
Erratic power steering assist while driv
The office of defect investigation (odi) has investigated allegations of power steering assist fluctuations in the subject vehicles.for details and a basis for the investigation conclusions, please see the closing report in the ea99-011 public file.odi has not identified a safety-related defect trend in the subject vehicle population.futher expenditure of agency resources on this subject does not appear to be…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Suburban years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (105), 2015 (60), 1999 (52), 2001 (29) and 2016 (23) model years. Steering complaints make up 25% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Suburban steering problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 21V-455 (steering control module, Jun 17, 2021); 18V-586 (electric power assist system, Sep 7, 2018); 14V-719 (electric power assist system, Nov 10, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Suburban steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 66,000 miles; 37% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the hydraulic power assist system (80 mentions), followed by the hydraulic power assist › pump (29).
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.