Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The message "Power Steering Failure" was displayed. The contact continued driving until he could safely pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that he was able to pull to the side of the road by using physical force to steer the steering wheel. The contact then drove to the residence at low speed. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact the vehicle was not covered. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a stop, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to make a turn, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 118,000.
1st incident - tried to park turned in and steering went wild stability control light came on & others then truck shut down. 2nd Incident 2 days later- tried to turn off street (with grandkids in car) same thing steering about snapped my wrists off- check engine light came on and others then truck off this was all in a matter of seconds. I turned it on the info system on dash told me to roll down and then roll up window. Husband when driving noticed barking issues - really having to pump brakes (week before) We looked up recalls they are there for both issues for my year make but I have a bigger engine that the recall states so I am not covered yet it is doing all that same stuff for the recall which my husband put it what the truck was doing and found recalls just not for our engine size- THIS TRUCK IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AS WHEN YOU TURN IT WILL SHUT OFF IMMEDIATELY. …
The trucks power source starts failing when going at about 15 mph and turning a bit, it happens when coming to a stop or when you're about to park. The steering wheel starts getting super stiff and all the power buttons and lights start going dim and the truck shuts off. The truck can turn on right after but at times it takes about 15 minutes for the system to reboot and then the truck will finally turn. When this happens you can't turn on hazard light making it a dangerous situation at night! I've talked to other gmc owner with the Denali models and they have stated as well that they've had the same issue occur at least once to them, this truck currently does it very often and even more in the cold weather! There has been a recall on earlier an earlier year of the same model truck but just not this one making it tedious to try to get it fixed. …
My vehicle has on two separate occasions experienced a failure where the steering locks up, the engine shuts down, and the dash displays warnings about stabilitrac and trailer wiring. The vehicle has had random electrical glitches for some time, but they have escalated to a safety issue. In doing research, my issues sound very similar to those issues which resulted in a recall to earlier vehicles of the same generation, on report 17V-414. Googling the issue also points to insufficient grounding at the battery and / or the G218 grounding connection.
Driving in town going 20mph and the truck shut down not allowing for braking or gas and the steering locked up. Placed the vehicle in neutral, shut the truck off and turned it back. Was able to continue driving. Attempted to have the dealership we bought it from run a diagnostic and the battery was replaced but it continues to shut down at random times. Took the truck to a local auto shop after this happened again, another diagnostic was run, I am waiting the report to confirm what was done.
The power steering failed on three different occasions, all while making a low speed turns. Two of the times it was only a matter of a half a second or so, but the most recent time it failed and I couldn't steer my truck at all and I almost got in an accident. I needed to come to a complete stop, and put my vehicle in park, the power steering warning light had came on. After I stopped, it was another 5-10 seconds before the warning light went off and the steering returned.
Simply driving down the road an all your lights insode an out glitching along with steering. The steering locks up an comes back. It does not matter what you are doing. It will lock up at any giving moment. Putting you in dangerous way of others. 3months an you can barely turn it because the power steering is totally out. It now does not want to start as it needa jumped. Something electrical is draining it daily. Power steering assist light has been on.
Randomly all electronics shut down engine stalls and lane assists wont let me turn wheel while driving in road. Normally at slow speeds. Get random warning lights that go away after seconds. When I activate a window switch all the electronics turn off and on. This happens randomly. No codes have been left to pull up when trying to solve issue. Twice with children in the car in traffic that we have almost got in a wreck due to these random issues.
While making a quick left hand turn at low speed, steering wheel suddenly locked, all lights and electrical went out and engine died. This left me stuck in a busy intersection with no lights. I was able to restart engine after a minute or so. Error message appeared "roll driver side window up, etc." Needless to say, no longer have confidence driving my truck not knowing when this situation may re-occur.
Steering complaints in other Sierra 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the steering of the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500, 7% of the model year's 355 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2017 GMC Sierra 1500, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 27,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.