No steering control. Steering wheel spins freely. Internal power steering gear problem.
1997 Pontiac Trans Sport: loss of power steering
9 of the 236 complaints about the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport describe loss of power steering.
- owner complaints
- 9
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for this area of the car. See below
Loss of power steering by model year
- 19981
- 19979
- 19951
- 19942
- 19922
- 19911
What owners say
Since having the rack/pinion steering replaced twice (once before the recall and once after), I have again noticed difficulty pulling out of parking spaces turning left or right (hard to turn the wheel/loss of power steering?), especially, in cold weather. As you straighten wheel and start driving, problem seems to resolve itself. Went to dealer who thought it could not possibly be the rack so therefore replaced the power steering pump in early november. The failure happened again today.
The power steering failed.
Rack and pinion power steering mechanism disintegrated without warning, failure of power steering pump. Causing loss of steering. Dealer has repaired vehicle. *ak
Upon turning into a parking lot traveling 10-15 MPH, steering wheel locked up, causing loss of steering control. Consumer contacted t dealer, delaer replaced the entire steering wheel and column. Please provide any further details.
Loss of power steering during wet conditions. Other conditions noise for belt and battery light on.
While driving over water puddles or in the rain power steering belt slips, causing loss of steering until it dries off. Please provide further information.
Serpentine belt fails causing loss of power steering assist when driving in wet weather.
Loss of power steering when driving in rain.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Steering: rack and pinion
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles and mini vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
- Risk
- If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began january 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537.
Recall number 02V286000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport power steering loss
Is loss of power steering a common problem on the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport?
9 of 236 owner complaints about the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport (4%) mention loss of power steering. The model year with the most reports is 1997.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport?
There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport
Headlights 32Door locks 13Wipers 13Steering lock-up 10Overheating 9Engine failure 8Brake failure 7Seat belt 6ABS 5Knocking 5Loss of power 5Stalling 5Tire blowout 5
VIN decoder
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