2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV Steering Problems

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle’s steering system (specifically the electric power steering assist and/or steering rack assembly) began exhibiting stiffness, resistance, and intermittent loss of assist while turning. The steering system is still installed on the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request by NHTSA, GM, or a dealer representative. ⸻ How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The loss or inconsistency of steering assist makes it difficult to maintain control of the vehicle, especially at low speeds and during turns. The steering intermittently binds or jerks, creating a risk of collision with other vehicles, pedestrians, or fixed objects. Because steering is essential for directional control, any failure or unpredictability in the system poses a direct safety hazard to the driver and others on the road. ⸻ Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. The issue has been observed by the owner and noted by a GM Certified dealer during inspection. The symptoms (binding and abnormal steering resistance) were reproduced during driving and while stationary. The dealer acknowledged abnormal steering behavior but initially denied warranty coverage despite the vehicle being sold as Certified Pre-Owned. ⸻ Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, the vehicle was inspected by a GM Certified dealership that completed the original certification inspection and later reviewed the steering concern. The component has not been examined by police or insurance representatives at this time, but GM and NHTSA inspection is welcomed.

Steering very stiff will not return to center on its own. Seems to be the steering rack. Not returning to center seems dangerous in certain situations. This is a 2020 vehicle but seems to be a common problem on all years Bolt EV/EUV.

The steering wheel fails to return to center after turns. This requires constant manual correction to re-center the vehicle, which increases the risk of overcorrection or unintended lane departure. There are no warning lights or noise, and the issue does not appear to be related to alignment, tires, or pressure. Many other Chevrolet Bolt owners are reporting the same behavior, pointing to a potential defect in the steering gear or rack. This is an very serious safety hazard that could result in loss of vehicle control and death. GM has not issued a recall or service bulletin, and repairs are extremely expensive.

The steering wheel intermittently sticks and fails to return to center after turns or minor corrections, especially at low to moderate speeds. This requires constant manual correction to re-center the vehicle, which increases the risk of overcorrection or unintended lane departure. There are no warning lights or noise, and the issue does not appear to be related to alignment, tires, or pressure. Many other Chevy Bolt owners are reporting the same behavior, pointing to a potential defect in the steering gear or rack. This is a serious safety hazard that could result in loss of vehicle control. GM has not issued a recall or service bulletin, and repairs are expensive.

Steering would not return to center after a turn only for LEFT turns, even at higher speeds. Steering would be sticky at low speeds. Resulted in challenging to predict cornering particularly for left turns. Manufacturer replaced steering gear under warranty. OK now.

I first noticed an issue with the steering wheel not returning to center after a turn, and also when in a slow sweeping curve that the wheel would hold the position and keep in the turn/curve unless corrected by manually turning it straight. I had new tires installed on 11/6/2024 and the alignment was checked and was correct. The tires that I chose turned out to be way harsher riding and noisy then the OEM's so I went with a different tire that was more EV specific. Nothing changed in regards to the steering issue. I checked online at the Chevy Bolt EV forum site to see if anyone else was having this problem and it appears to be a common issue with these cars. The steering rack should not be failing after 33K miles of use. It creates an unsafe condition when the steering does not return to center after a turn, or proceeding through a curve, and I'm sure it will only get worse as time/miles go by. I have a 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV that does not do this.....yet....but I have less than 2k miles on that vehicle.

Steering wheel does not return to center on its own after a turn. The wheel will remain turned, and the car will continue turning, until it is forced back to center by the driver.

The steering doesn't return to center when making turns on occasion. This issue can cause an overcorrection, this does seem to be a fairly common issue seen in various forums and appears to be a very expensive fix.

Steering sticks and does not return to center in sweeping turns. Clicking noise over bumps in very cold weather (may or may not be related--steering issue most concerning). Most prominent at higher speeds (for example, getting off of the highway) but occurs at any speed. Once you turn the wheel, it will return slightly then stick in place. It takes a small amount of extra force to correct it back towards center. During these occurrences it may continue to stick or may begin to act normally after the "correction." I would be alright with providing the vehicle for inspection and/or demonstration if requested. The first time this happened, I was driving along twisting roads in northern Michigan. The occurrence caught me off guard, and I traveled over the lines. Personally, I was not in danger but if there was no shoulder or more traffic I feel this issue has the chance at being very dangerous. I am now aware of the issue and can keep it in mind while driving, but I've also noticed recently that the small "jutt" from correcting the wheel could cause an issue on snow and ice. I have not had a dealership look at the vehicle, as it seems to be a very common complaint about the Chevy Bolt, with a new part number being sold for replacement steering racks. I am willing to have it confirmed if needbe. There are no warnings of this occurrence. If the conditions are right, there is a very high chance it occurs. It started roughly around the 60,000 mile mark, and has been getting slightly worse over the past year. My vehicle is now at 98,000 miles.

The steering gear has failed at only 43,000 miles and yes the car is available for inspection if needed. The steering binding is a safety issue, and if left along long enough, might fully bind up causing an accident. My local GM dealership has reproduced the issue and diagnosed the failure. There have been no warning lamps, messages, or other visual indications of the failure.

steering wheel gear malfunction, will not return to center after turning left or right. will pull and stay in left or right turn position, forcing driver to turn steering wheel back to center intentionally

Pulls to the right when accelerating too much. Even after alignment.

The steering wheel does not return to the center on its own and keep stuck in which direction it is turned. The steering wheel also produces types of clunking noises when the car is standing or at a slow speed, and if you move the steering wheel left and right, it gives clunk clang clank clunk noise. it is very much a safety issue and can create a big accident. I have not taken it to the dealer, but will make an appointment to see what the dealer says. It’s been like this for over a month but now it’s getting a little louder

The car has only 20k miles and the gear steering box failed and had to be replaced. This is apparently a very common defect where if the part fails the dealer said the steering will lock up and potentially cause a crash. $2500 to replace it is a huge hit and kicked in just out of warranty. Chevy should admit to either bad design if this key part goes bad with minimal use/mileage or defective manufacturing by its part provider since the issue apparently stems from the grease within the gear box separating or breaking down. In short, Chevy is well aware of a dangerous defect in its Bolt product line that could lock up steering but will not fix it. It is only a matter of time before someone gets killed, if it hasn’t happened already. NHTSA should investigate reported Bolt accidents where vehicles go off the road.

The steering wheel does not return to center. When turning and then releasing the steering wheel to come out of the turn, the wheel stays where it is, causing the car to continue to turn. You must manually steer the wheel back to center position. This always happens when steering. It is not a one-time or intermittent. This is not safe as it makes the car go off the road. There is no warning light or alert from the car itself that something is wrong. I purchased the car used from a used car dealership and it is doing this when I bought it. They confirmed it. To my knowledge, no one else has inspected the vehicle's steering. Looking online, there seems to be many other Chevrolet Bolt owners complaining/experiencing the same steering problem.

steering wheel makes noise when you turn it. probable steering gear bad

An inspection of this vehicle has found the steering to be binding. The car is only 3 years old and there is no logical reason to justify the need to replace the steering gear. If others are reporting this issue, which I'm guessing they are, I think a recall is warranted. The steering binding is a safety issue, and if it further or fully binds up it could cause an accident. I understand that it could also reduce my ability to sense road traction conditions and make fine adjustments.

The steering system seems to be binding up. The wheel will not return to center after taking a corner. I have to apply force to steer the car back to straight ahead.

Steering After turning, the steering wheel will not return to center on its own. You have to manually return the steering wheel to the center. This can cause you to steer off the road and hit pedestrians. The steering also will not align even after new tire and an alignment. The car will not drive straight. This can also cause accidents and driver fatigue. There are no warning lights.