33 of the
222 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Bolt EUV
are about the steering —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2023.
The electric power steering / steering gear assembly exhibits mechanical binding ("sticky steering") and completely fails to return to center. When going around a curve in the road, the steering wheel "memorizes" or holds the turned angle and will not unwind or self-center like it used to and as I would expect it to. I'm having to apply continuous, deliberate manual counter-steering to bring the vehicle back to straight. The steering also has a distinct "notchy" or sticking sensation when making small steering adjustments that make clear audible clicking or knocking sounds at lower speeds. The issue began intermittently from my recollection around early 2026 and has grown progressively worse. It's most certainly progressed to feeling like a serious safety hazard by potentially causing significant driver fatigue, over-correction, and difficulty maintaining lane discipline, increasing the risk of lane departure or an inability to complete emergency evasive maneuvers. I will have a teenage driver soon and would not feel comfortable with her driving this vehicle in its current state. I verified that all "driver assistance" features were disabled and were not the cause of the mechanical resistance. No warning lights or error codes have illuminated. I need to get it fixed, but for the time being, the vehicle and its original steering components are available for inspection if that is useful.
NHTSA complaint #11762966 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The electric power steering (EPS) rack has developed an internal binding at times, causing the steering wheel to sometimes fail to naturally return to the center position after completing both low-speed and highway-rate turns. Instead of self-centering, the wheel holds its turned angle, forcing me to manually pull it back to straight-line navigation. This creates a serious safety hazard, as it requires unnatural steering corrections and can lead to overcorrection or unintended lane departure. No warning lights or diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) have appeared on the dashboard. This is a well-documented issue across Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV models. Dozens of owners on public forums and in existing NHTSA complaint filings report identical symptoms—often occurring between 30,000 and 60,000 miles—where internal gear binding or degraded factory lubrication inside the steering rack requires a complete, costly rack-and-pinion replacement to resolve safely.
NHTSA complaint #11761717 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Steering Rack: The internal components of the rack bind up and create heavy resistance, causing the wheel to lock into a turned position rather than gliding back on its own to maintain control. This issue forces you to manually pull the steering wheel back straight after every turn, making high-speed and everyday driving unpredictable and dangerous. Power train: The powertrain is loose when moving forward and backward potentially causing a risk to others when leaving the vehicle in park.
NHTSA complaint #11761423 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After completing a turn, the car's steering wheel does not fully return to center. It remains at 30 degrees under 10mph, 10-15 degrees at 20mph. Dealer has claimed it is behaving as intended.
NHTSA complaint #11758965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When driving and turning, the steering wheel does not come back to center and the car keeps turning after releasing the steering wheel causing the car to veer off the road if not turned back manually. This is very unexpected and an unsuspecting driver might not realize this until too late. I am in the process of contacting the dealer I bought the car from. But, searching the internet it seems to be a know problem.
NHTSA complaint #11756146 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Steering fails to return to center after turning. This is unexpected behavior and creates a danger when turning and releasing the steering wheel. There are no warnings or messages that coincide with this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11754266 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The steering is heavier on the car and does not return to center after turning. This causes danger while driving if someone cuts off in front of me or I have to stop suddenly due to an animal or any other conditions. I am also assuming this will be dangerous to drive in wet weather as well. I took it to the dealer to check it, and it was diagnosed as a failing steering system; the rack and pinion need to be replaced.
NHTSA complaint #11753794 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rattling noise started coming from the steering wheel, it can be felt through the steering wheel. Doing an inspection it's coming from the the U joint area and steering wheel. The steering wheel also doesn't properly turn back into place when turning at lower speeds. Issue started around 40k miles. Searching the online the issue lots of people are having the same issue. Per Chevy Dealership, In need of roughly $2,850 repair parts are Steering Gear, Steering Shaft, Steering ujoin
NHTSA complaint #11751103 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING NOT RETURN TO CENTER. DEALER DIAGNOSED STEERING GEAR NEEDING REPLACEMENT. DANGEROUS ON TURNING ON A CORNER AS HAVE TO PULL WHEEL BACK TO CENTER MANUALLY.
NHTSA complaint #11746937 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on the highway with GM Super Cruise engaged. I was within the speed limit on a straight road with my hands near the wheel. Without warning, the steering turned sharply to the left on its own and locked — I was unable to correct it or override the system. The vehicle left the road, spun, and was totaled. I walked away with minor injuries. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure. The vehicle has been inspected by police (report exists) and insurance representatives. The vehicle is currently at a dealership and is available for inspection. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer. I believe the Super Cruise system malfunctioned and caused the steering to lock in a direction I could not override.
NHTSA complaint #11743970 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV, and I'm experiencing a steering issue. When making left or right turn, the steering wheel does not return to center automatically. This problem has been present since the beginning, and it has gradually been getting worse.
NHTSA complaint #11741046 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There's a very common issue with these vehicles where the steering rack breaks and causes a number of issues including a clunking noise when driving over bumps and a rattle in steering wheel when turning left and right. However the most important and dangerous issue is that the steering wheel stops returning to center after making a turn. The steering wheel will move about 1/2 of the way back to center and then just stop and I have to manually turn it the rest of the way. You can imagine how dangerous this could be if someone doesn't realize what's happening and the car continues turning and goes into oncoming traffic. I have to manually turn the steering wheel back to center to avoid the car veering into the oncoming lane of traffic after making a turn. GM can fix it by replacing the rack, but it's a $4k repair and will happen again after replacing it.
NHTSA complaint #11727181 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Steering gear assembly malfunction. Internal rack & pinion failure is present. Rack is binding/seized. When making a turn on the vehicle, the steering wheel does not return to center, creating a highly dangerous situation where if the steering wheel is not manually returned to center it can cause a motor vehicle accident. In other words, once a turn is initiated the car will remain in a turned state unless the steering wheel is wrestled with to return to traveling in a straight line. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by an independent service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representative, or others outside of an independent service center. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior the failure. The failure appeared starting at about 25,000 miles and gradually became worse to just under 40,000 miles which is the mileage on the car now.
NHTSA complaint #11720568 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am experiencing a well known flaw in the Chevy Bolt steering rack. The rack loses grease over time and eventually begins making clunking sounds, does not return the steering wheel to center, and makes steering less precise. This is a very common issue within Chevy Bolt forums and should be addressed by Chevy as a safety issue.
NHTSA complaint #11697225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.