2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV steering problems

STEERING

Steering wheel does not return to center on turns when driving at low speeds.

NHTSA complaint #11749605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Steering wheel does not return to center after making a turn. Over time the steering rack fails leading to a steering wheel that will not return to center even when force is applied to wheel. The dealership is charging $3-4k to fix this safety issue.

NHTSA complaint #11743944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

when driving my car from the airport at Bradley International in CT (parked for a week), I experienced a terrible vibration in the steering wheel which has been intermittent. The vibration went away at lower speeds. I brought the car in to the shop on 5/18/2026 with 74,000 miles on the car. They told me I had to replace rotors, brakes, calipers, brake fluid, and do a front end alignment because the rotors have failed internally. The EV doe not use braking as frequently and this was taken from the Chevy forum: ISSUE: Frozen or Seized Calipers The Issue: Because Bolt drivers heavily rely on regenerative braking, the physical brake pads and calipers are used far less frequently than in gas-powered cars. This can cause rust and debris to build up, leading to frozen calipers, uneven pad wear, or a sticking/grabbing brakes. The Fix: Have a trusted mechanic or a dealer regularly inspect and service the friction brakes. Regular preventive maintenance like flushing the brake fluid every few years is highly recommended to prevent moisture accumulation and seized calipers. The resultant failure is a safety issue and Chevy has decided to call it a PM problem. This is not acceptable and is all over the forums as an issue for these cars. I saved all parts and had them record everything on the car, except for the fluid. There are other recalls for this component. I would like it investigated and determination made on the issue. The invoices will be in my possession tonight.

NHTSA complaint #11738509 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

The steering wheel takes more effort to turn than it should and does not return to center after making a turn. It has been like this since I bought the car used, and I did not realize until recently that it should not be like this. Comments on some online forums indicate that this is a common issue with Chevy Bolts, usually requiring a steering rack replacement. This is a complex operation requiring certified EV technicians (I am told) and very expensive. I am not sure if GM has addressed this issue in any way.

NHTSA complaint #11737320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

The steering wheel locks and stiffens on turns to the left or right refusing to come back to center on its own. In the middle of the turn the wheel locks up. Been told by multiple dealerships and forums I've read online it's a known issue with the car needing a steering gear replacement. A job that costs $4-5k per GM based on labor. There's no warning lights. GM has reproduced issue And based on this forum multiple accounts of this have happened to others [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11737197 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The steering gear in this vehicle began to fail around 40K miles. It clunks at low speed, doesn't roll out of turns, and recently has begun to oscillate during straight driving. I will keep the old part for inspection once replaced. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The cars steering does not return to center during a turn. Now, the steering is shaking violently during driving. It will likely seize if left unfixed. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. I also have video. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? This is a well documented issue with Chevy steering. I will include an AI overview screenshot.

NHTSA complaint #11730090 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Steering gear and torque sensor failure at 39,000 miles. Car is unsafe to drive and costs over $3500 to fix. The problem has been diagnosed at a dealership. No warning lights or codes apparent, problem is worsening and the car is becoming unsafe to drive. Steering gear or rack could be available for inspection.

NHTSA complaint #11729235 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Vehicle steering wheel fails to return to center after sweeping turn. Found it’s a common issue and is incredibly dangerous and should be recalled!

NHTSA complaint #11727201 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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The steering on my car is sticking and failing. When I make a turn, the steering wheel does not go back to the center on its own. I have to physically pull it back, otherwise the car will keep turning. When driving straight, the steering wheel gets "stuck." I have to use extra force to make small adjustments, which makes the car jerk. The steering also makes clunking noises. This is extremely dangerous because it makes the car very hard to control, and I could easily drift into another lane, overcorrect, or crash.

NHTSA complaint #11723297 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

As with other Chevy bolts, the rack and pinion steering completely broke no longer able to steer vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11705458 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Steering will not return to center. After going around a turn, or even a curve like an exit ramp, the steering will remain locked in position and not re- center. It requires close attention and considerable force to return it to center and continue along a straight road.

NHTSA complaint #11704587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Steering will not return to center. After going around a turn, or even a curve like an exit ramp, the steering will remain locked in position and not re- center. It requires close attention and considerable force to return it to center and continue along a straight road.

NHTSA complaint #11697610 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

The steering wheel does not return to center. This appears to be a common issue on Chevy Bolts based on various forums, for example https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/steering-wont-return-to-center-bad-steering-gear-steering-sticking-in-one-direction.42988/. One has to be very aware of the steering issue as it requires the driver to actively force the steering wheel to return to center. This can be an even bigger issue when having to react to avoid debris or sudden breaking. There are no warning lights. The manufactuer claims that this is not a prevalent issue.

NHTSA complaint #11694175 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

So I bought a used Bolt and the steering is sticking, at moderate speed (50mph) sweeping corners it lightly wants to pull harder into the corner and won't return to center if you let off the wheel, regardless of direction, you must always forcefully guide the steering wheel back to center. This is wrong, if your Bolt does this your steering rack is likely failing. This is a malfunction, in the GM service manual for the Bolt there is a diagnosis for "POOR RETURN OF STEERING WHEEL" which is described as "After completing a turn, extra steering input is required for the steering wheel to return to center."

NHTSA complaint #11677813 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Steering rack is binding, not returning to center after completing a turn. Only 50,000 miles on it.

NHTSA complaint #11673407 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Steering wheel does not return to center after making sharp turns. Steering wheel must be manually returned to center to avoid crashing.

NHTSA complaint #11671085 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Power steering fails go return to center intermittently causing unexpected handling characteristics while turning that could cause to over/undershoot a turn. Haven't taken it to the dealer to check and there are no warnings or lights.

NHTSA complaint #11662880 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

I am filing this urgent safety complaint regarding a critical failure of the steering system in my 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV, which began experiencing problems at approximately 40,000 miles. This is not an isolated incident; numerous identical reports exist from other Bolt EV owners on public forums like Reddit ([XXX]) and [XXX], often occurring at similarly low mileage (typically 30,000-60,000 miles). The symptoms began with distinct clicking and knocking sounds when turning the steering wheel. This has progressed rapidly to increased steering effort (stiffness) and a failure of the steering wheel to return to center smoothly after a turn. This constitutes a severe and unacceptable degradation of a primary vehicle control system. When I had the vehicle inspected I was informed that the degradation would progress and risk my ability to safely steer the vehicle, and that the car should no longer be operated without performing a repair. A repair diagnosis indicated failure of the steering gear/rack assembly, with an initial repair quote of over $7000. This exorbitant cost is nearly prohibitive and approaches the residual value of the vehicle itself. It is deeply concerning and frankly unacceptable that a fundamental safety system like the steering is failing prematurely on these vehicles. Furthermore, the extremely high repair cost creates a dangerous secondary safety risk: owners may be forced to choose between a financially crippling repair or dangerously deferring maintenance, continuing to operate vehicles with compromised steering and risking catastrophic failure on the road. Steering integrity is paramount and should not be failing at such low mileage under any normal operating conditions. This pattern of premature steering failure reported by numerous owners indicates a potential design flaw, manufacturing defect, or component quality issue with the Chevrolet Bolt EV steering system that warrants immediate investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11655468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Low mileage vehicle purchased preowned with only 32,166 miles, and steering wheel (steering rack & pinion) is stiff and will not return wheel to center after turning more than a quarter turn.

NHTSA complaint #11654295 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Steering not returning to center when coming out of turns. Many have reported this issue with the steering rack. Concerned that steering will bind and cause an accident

NHTSA complaint #11653798 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to return to center after turning to the left or the right. The contact used excessive force to manually return the steering wheel to center. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the rack and pinion assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 24,000.

NHTSA complaint #11624907 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

The steering wheel is very stiff; if you turn left or right, when you complete the turn, if you were to release the wheel, it does not counter-turn back towards the center. Put differently - in an open parking lot, you could turn the wheel all the way to one side, release the wheel, press the accelerator --- and you'd go in circles. This has been happening for some time, but just recently had it pointed out that it is not normal. I feel its a meaningful safety risk. I researched the issue online and it seems that it is common for this model but GM has been unresponsive.

NHTSA complaint #11614624 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Steering wheel doesn't return to center after a turn, it must be turned back manually. If left unfixed this can cause the steering to lock up entirely when the steering gear fails.

NHTSA complaint #11605871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Steering doesn't return to center when driving around 40mph on turns. You must manually move it back.

NHTSA complaint #11605548 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Around 46,000 miles this 5 yr old car began making popping sounds in the steering. Took into dealer and diagnosed steering rack failure and intermediate shaft. Cost to repair was close to $3,000. Looking into this, this is a common issue with Chevy Bolts due to poorly designed boots on the rack. This should be covered by a recall when failing so early. Happened to my previous 2018 Bolt too but the car was totaled in an accident prior to me undergoing the repair.

NHTSA complaint #11598540 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Vehicle steering does not return to center when exiting a gradual turn. This occurs intermittently. On line research indicates that this problem is likely the result of a faulty steering rack and that many other owners have experienced this behavior; as this could result in a dangerous situation I am reporting. The vehicle has about 43,000 miles on it. I have not had it repaired as yet.

NHTSA complaint #11592874 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

This is concerning a 2019 Chevy Bolt purchased new on [XXX] from Stewart Chevrolet in Colma, CA. Around January 2024, we realized the vehicle's steering wheel was not returning to center on its own, and it took more force than usual to turn the wheel -- it would stick as you turned it. The vehicle had about 26,861 miles when we noticed this steering issue. When performing a turn (at low speeds and on the highway) the steering wheel would remain in the turned configuration until you manually moved it back to center. The dealer advised us that the steering gear would need to be replaced. We replaced the steering gear on [XXX] at Stewart Chevrolet in Colma, CA. However, though the steering was improved the problem was not totally fixed; the steering would still stick and the wheel took more force than expected to turn. We had the car re-evaluated and on [XXX] the Stewart Chevrolet again replaced the steering gear; this did not fix the issue. Finally, Stewart Chevrolet has recommended that we replace the steering column. We haven't done this yet because we are still trying to get GM to cover the cost of repairs. A vehicle with such low mileage should not need these repairs, and if you search online you will find many other Chevy Bolt owners across all models years having these issues. Please investigate and determine whether a recall is advised. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11588926 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

The steering rack failed. It is currently at the dealership waiting for parts to come in so it can be replaced. The car started making noises when making sweeping turns. The noise got worse and the steering was not coming back to center coming out of turns. We had it inspected at our local mechanic and they told us it needed a new steering rack but they were not able to complete the repair because it was complicated to get into the part that needed to be replaced. We took it to the Chevrolet dealership and they confirmed it needs a new steering rack as well as other related parts. There were no warning lights or messages. The car first started making faint noises about a month ago when doing low speed turns in a parking lot. Noise has been getting louder and we started to notice the steering not responding correctly. Only have one invoice for diagnosis, have not yet received invoice for repair.

NHTSA complaint #11586817 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

The steering rack on my 2019 Chevy Bolt failed and had to be replaced. It was unsafe to drive the vehicle because the steering wheel would not return to center by itself. When making a turn, the driver had to force the steering wheel back to center. The dealer tried to fix this faulty condition last August by replacing the intermediate steering shaft. It marginally improved the condition but it was still not returning the steering wheel to center by itself. I reluctantly accepted this condition as normal because I thought the dealer tech thought it was normal. However, the steering got progressively more dangerous and required more and more effort to return the steering wheel to center. I took my vehicle into the dealer on March 3, 2024 and the dealer determined the steering rack was defective and needed to be replaced. I got my Bolt back today and now the steering works properly. I no longer fear that the steering will lock up and cause me to lose control of the vehicle. I see on the Chevy Bolt Forum that others have experienced my Bolt steering problem. I just wanted to report my problem so the NTSHA can add my problem to the list of complaints.

NHTSA complaint #11576978 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while veering to the left or right, the steering wheel failed to return to center as expected and the vehicle was difficult to steer. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact researched the failure and linked the failure to the steering rack. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.

NHTSA complaint #11576689 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.