The car's steering system does not return the wheels to straight ahead after going through a turn unless there is significant operator input to the steering wheel. On several occasions, i was caught by surprise and had to quickly straighten the wheels to avoid staying in a turn and running off the road, or hitting another car.
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV steering complaints
Page 3 of 3: complaints 41 to 47 of 47, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The steering when turning is sticky and making a clicking noise. If you turn it left it really sticks, you have to work to straighten it out. I took the car to the Chevy dealership and they told me this: "Performed diagnostic on the vehicle. Was able to verify customers concern.Found the steering problem is coming from a noise in the steering rack, found that the steering gear needs replacement. Gear #(42353783). Estimate w / labor is $1958.15." Dealer told us it was safe to drive, but this IS a safety issue: we do not feel confident driving this car, the steering is not responsive! Even though the wheels may not fall off, it still remains a steering control issue. Car is out of warranty, but we feel this should be taken care of by Chevy for no charge; it only has 42097 miles on it! Looking on message boards reveals this is not an uncommon issue.
My 2019 Bolt has about 38K miles on it. In the past few weeks, the steering has become difficult to use. The steering does not return to center as it should after a turn, creating a potentially dangerous situation. There is also a clicking noise in the steering column. I had it inspected and evaluated at the dealership and was told it needed a new steering rack and a steering shaft coupler, no longer under warranty. Cost estimate about $3,000. A quick online search shows there are many other Bolt owners experiencing similar issues. Yes it is available for inspection. No warning lamps or other symptoms.
The steering will not return to center after completing a turn while vehicle is moving. I have two other Bolt EVs (2017 and 2021) and a Chevrolet Suburban 2018 and they all return almost perfectly to center while moving after a turn. Dealership is refusing to fix under warranty and the warranty is just about expired. I believe the problem is related to poor quality grease used in the "Steering gear" (otherwise know as the "rack" part of a Rack and Pinion).
The steering started clunking when turning. You could hear a noise and feel a jerk when turning. The dealer said the steering gear had failed.
On 4/13/2022, my wife was driving her 2019 Chevy Bolt EV when a dash light came on. When she told me about the light, I checked GM's mobile app and the Diagnostic Information stated, "Immediate Attention, Lithium-Ion Battery: Issue found with On-Board Charging System. Please schedule a service appointment." This was odd since I knew that the vehicle had a full battery replacement due to the safety recalls for this particular vehicle. The replacement occurred at Reeder Chevrolet in Knoxville, TN in November of 2021. I also noticed a considerable range drop while driving the vehicle prior to this warning. I notified Reeder Chevrolet and they were unable to service the vehicle in a timely manner so I reached out to Beaty Chevrolet in Knoxville, TN. The next day we decided to drop off the vehicle, knowing it could take a while. As we were heading to the dealership, my wife stated she nearly wrecked her car because the steering became very difficult to turn, and could not turn in traffic properly. She said she had to force the steering wheel with all her strength just to get it to turn. When we got to the dealership, I reported the incident to them and they said they would look into it. I got a callback today, 4/15/2022, that the battery is fine and that Reeder Chevrolet did not perform the battery replacement correctly. They did not perform the proper vacuum replacement of the coolant and the computer sent a code. They stated they performed the proper coolant fix and that my range should go back to normal. As for the steering, the steering has been confirmed by their technicians at Beaty Chevrolet that there is in fact a major problem with the steering assembly. A new replacement is needed and should take 12 hours to complete with the cost of $2100.00. I believe this is not the only incident due to other Bolt owners stating they have the same issues (chevybolt.org). This needs to be recalled for the safety of the driver and others.
Odo, 500 miles, brand new vehicle. The vehicle makes a clicking noise at speeds of 0 - 25 MPH, or, when the vehicle coming to a stop, or, when the vehicle accelerates. Other owners complain about the same issue discussed here https://www.chevybolt.org/forum/178-2017-chevy-bolt-EV-issues-problems/25985-clicking-noise-very-slow-speed.html
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