The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized and became difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 201,000.
Chevrolet Impala steering lock-up problems
125 of the 10,418 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Impala describe steering wheel locks up, most of them for the 2008 model year.
- owner complaints
- 125
- worst model year
- 2008
- typical mileage
- 73,000
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 53Loss of power 12No deployment 11Stalling 10Check engine light 9Power steering loss 7ABS 4Won't start 3
What owners say
I have driving on highway [XXX] heading back home to yucca valley from oceanside driving in the left lane my steering wheel locked up my vehicle swerved let into a street sign and thr vehicle proceeded to turn right swerving on the road losing control of the vehicle my airbag never deployed and my riverside tire as well the drives haft fell off the vehicle and now my car is completely totaled luckily there were no other vehicles involved but there was another person in the car with me when the incident occurred, we both he whiplash. Incident occurred in Morongo Valley near road runner mobile home trailer park in morngo valley INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the power steering, service stabili-trak, and the check engine warning lights illuminated, and the steering wheel seized briefly. The contact stated that shortly after the failure, the steering wheel unlocked, and the contact was able to continue driving safely. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact's wife was able to drive to the residence before the steering wheel seized. The "Service Power Steering, Drive with Care" messages were displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Impala The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering column had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
I was driving my 2015 Chevy Impala on the highway and my steering gave out into a curve. I got deeply afraid when the steering froze up on me, specially at 50 into a 40 mile rated speed. I say this because I wasn't aware that GM vehicles stop putting power steering pumps in their cars nice the late 2000's. I called onstar and inform them to the problem I was having with the car. I was able to get it to a safe spot. And the vehicle towed a dealership for servicing. I was told it was software malfunction that needed to be updated. Costing me $775, which my insurance company under CarCare wouldn't cover. I canceled them quickly. The car steered fine after getting it back. Then the same issue happened again a day later I call the dealership again close to my home, they told me the motor on the steering rack and pinion gave out. And was going to cost, 4100 dollars. I had another insurance company Endurance. They said they'll cover the rack but not the motor to the service department and denied the claim. Out of anger of payments to both insurance companies. The vehicle was traded in for a newer car. Value at 2000 dollars for trade. I'm bringing this to attention because GM is aware of this issue and don't want yo acknowledge this safety issue. Thank God I'm able to stronghold the car and bring it to safe spot. But for others with the Chevy Impala's not so lucky! These vehicles are scary and a dangerous for highway running, after the warning light appears on the dash!
The engine electric brakes all shut down steering wheel locked up and my daughter smashed into telephone pole on August 31 2023. Airbags didn't deploy for front and side airbags were deflated no air.no warning lights prior that I'm aware of. My daughter was injured PCS and cervical sprain
While driving at 70 mph my car just shut off. The radio and lights stayed on. The oil and battery light came on before it just shut down. Steering locked up. When safely to side, and turned key off it starts right back up, but now traction system is off. Has gas and nothing is broken.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, while driving in the rain, the steering wheel seized. Additionally, upon starting the vehicle, the key failed to release from the ignition. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was not provided.
When getting of the exit from the high way my steering wheel locked up. We were going about 40-50 getting into a slow speed from the highway. I struggled with turning the wheel just to get off of the ramp. And then a sign came up saying service power steering drive with care. It’s showing that my vehicle doesn’t have a recall for this. But this is absolutely not safe at all. I had my 2 infants and 7 year old in the vehicle.
Related recalls
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured November 5, 2012, to December 20, 2013. Due to a poor electrical ground connection to the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM), the affected vehicles may have a loss of power steering assist during start up or while driving.
- Risk
- If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will clean paint from behind the ground stud nut and update the PSCM software, free of charge. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. The recall began on August 21, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14330.
Recall number 14V450000 · Recall details
Steering
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Impala vehicles. Improperly torqued fasteners may cause the steering intermediate shaft and the steering gear and/or the lower control arm and the lower ball joint to separate.
- Risk
- If any of the components separate, the vehicle may have a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM began to notify owners on June 27, 2014, and dealers will inspect the fasteners for correct torque, correcting them as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300 (Buick), 1‑800‑458‑8006 (Cadillac) or 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14378.
Recall number 14V409000 · Recall details
Steering: hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling certain model year 2012 chevrolet impala vehicles manufactured from april 19, 2011, through july 29, 2011. The upper power steering hose may have been misrouted so that it can come in close proximity to and/or contact the catalytic converter. With the engine on, heat from the catalytic converter may melt the power steering hose.
- Risk
- Power steering fluid could flow onto the catalytic converter, and an engine compartment fire could occur.
- Remedy
- Gm dealers will inspect to ensure that the upper power steering hose is routed correctly and make the necessary repairs free of charge. The safety recall began on september 5, 2011. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438.
Recall number 11V398000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Impala steering lock-up
Which Chevrolet Impala years have steering wheel locks up problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2008 (22 complaints), 2007 (16 complaints) and 2009 (16 complaints).
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