2012 Chevrolet Cruze Steering

Driving straight down the road the steering wheel hangs and becomes difficult to steer. There are no warning lights associated with this issue.

MY STEERING FEELS NOTCHED. AT HIGHWAY SPEED I FEEL LIKE WE ARE GOING TO KILL SOMEONE. YOU CAN NOT TURN BC THE WHEEL BC HARD AT CENTER CAUSING YOU TO VIOLENTLY OVERSTEER. MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ISSUE OVER THE YEARS.

MY SON WAS DRIVING BY HIMSELF WHEN HE HIT A POLE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE SAID HE COULD NOT MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL TO AVOID THE POLE. HE SAID IT STUCK.

POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE IN MOTION. THE COST OF THE REPAIR IS $1,900.00 ON A $16,000 VEHICLE THAT IS LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE POWER STEERING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WERE NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.

LEFT OUTER TIE ROD BEGAN TO SHOW PROBLEMS AT 59000 MILES. THE STEERING HAD A THUD SOUND WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS ON THE ROAD OR GRASS YOU COULD FEEL STRONG VIBRATIONS FROM THE FRONT STEERING.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I PULLED ONTO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE, PUT MY HAZARDS ON AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. AFTER CALLING FOR ASSISTANCE I WAS TOLD I COULD DRIVE TO THE NEAREST AUTO REPAIR. I TURNED THE CAR ON AND DRIVING WAS LIKE PUSHING THE CAR DOWN THE ROAD AND STEERING WAS DANGEROUSLY DIFFICULT. I GOT TO THE REPAIR SHOP TURNED OFF THE CAR ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE. WHEN MECHANIC TURNED THE CAR ON LIGHT WAS OFF AND POWER STEERING HAD BEEN RESTORED. HE COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE GLITCH THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM AND SUGGESTED I CONTACT MY DEALERSHIP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY TIGHT CAUSING THE CONTACT TO HAVE TO APPLY FORCE IN ORDER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V288000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), BUT THE REMEDY WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

THIS IS MY SECOND COMPLAINT ON THIS VEHICLE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. AT LOW SPEEDS THE CAR MAKES A GRINDING NOISE THAT CAN BE FELT WHEN TAKING OFF AND TURNING. IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND OCCASIONALLY IT CAN BE FELT WHEN I AM NOT EVEN TURNING. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE IT TURNS INTO SOMETHING SERIOUS. *TR

AT LOW SPEEDS, WHEN TURNING, THERE IS A GRINDING SENSATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND CAN BE FELT IN THE FLOORBOARD. AFTER TAKING THIS TO THE DEALER TWICE, I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE STEERING COLUMN. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER A "NOISE" AND GM WILL NOT COVER AN ISSUE IF THERE IS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD THAT CHANGING OUT A $400+ PART MIGHT NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND THE NOISE COULD RETURN AGAIN. *TR

2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION. CONSUMER HAS DIFFERENT VEHICLE COMPLAINTS LISTED IN ARTEMIS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED, IN THE MIDST OF DRIVING. AN ALERT DISPLAYED TRACTION CONTROL ERROR AND POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION. THE DRIVE TRAIN WAS DISABLED AND APPARENTLY LOCKED DOWN. THE SHIFT LEVER MOVED FREELY FROM PARK, REVERSE AND THE DRIVE POSITION. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE. HYDRAULIC RESISTANCE WAS APPARENT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT AND RIGHT. THREE HOURS LATER, THE ALERT DISAPPEARED AND THE VEHICLE PERFORMED AS IT WAS DESIGNED. *JB

WE WERE DRIVING ON RT 206 IN JERSEY AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND THE CAR WENT OFF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. ABOUT A WEEK LATER I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM CHEVY STATING THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT THE STEERING HAD INCREASED FRICTION AND CAN CAUSE THE STEERING TO LOCK UP. *TR

ON A STRAIGHT AWAY THE VEHICLE WILL DRIFT AND WHEN YOU MAKE A CORRECTION THE STEERING WHEEL CATCHES OR STICKS. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY 2014 IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE POWER STEERING GEAR WAS DEFECTIVE AND WAS REPLACED UNDER THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. IT HAS FAILED AGAIN ON 11-10-14 FOR THE SAME ISSUE AND PART AT 51,000 MILES AND IS CURRENTLY BEING REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP AT MY COST OF $1,348.00. ON A SNOW COVERED ROAD THIS VEHICLE WOULD BE UNCONTROLLABLE AND COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS CRASH. IT MAY ALSO MIMIC AN OVER CORRECTION DUE TO THE SUDDEN JERK OF THE FRONT WHEELS. IF THIS WOULD OR HAS OCCURRED TO OTHER OWNERS, NO ONE WOULD SUSPECT THE POWER STEERING GEAR BECAUSE IT WOULD BE DAMAGED IN THE CRASH. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD INTERMITTENTLY "STICK" IN CENTER POSITION, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO MAKE THE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS NECESSARY TO DRIVE STRAIGHT ON A ROAD THAT IS NOT PERFECTLY FLAT. MY CAR HAS HAD THIS ISSUE INTERMITTENTLY THE ENTIRE TIME I HAVE OWNED IT, AND OCCURS IN VARYING DEGREES. I RECEIVED THE LETTER THAT CHEVROLET WAS DOING A SPECIAL COVERAGE WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR THE PROBLEM, YET MY DEALERSHIP CANNOT REPRODUCE THE ISSUE AND WILL NOT FIX IT. I FEEL THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. A PART DEFECT IN THE STEERING SYSTEM LIKE THIS SHOULD BE FIXED WITH A RECALL, FIXING EVERY VEHICLE. BECAUSE IT'S ONLY A WARRANTY EXTENSION, THEY WILL SIMPLY NEVER REPRODUCE THE ISSUE AND IT WILL NEVER BE FIXED. THIS DOES NOT MAKE ME COMFORTABLE. *TR

DRIVING AT SPEEDS IN THE 40 TO 75 MPH RANGE ON A STRAIGHT ROAD, IF THERE IS NO STEERING ADJUSTMENT FOR A FEW SECONDS, THE STEERING SEEMS TO STICK/BIND AND REQUIRES ADDITIONAL EFFORT TO MAKE A STEERING CORRECTION. ALMOST AS IF THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING "FALLS ASLEEP". *TR

AT LOW SPEEDS, WHEN TURNING, THERE IS A GRINDING SENSATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND CAN BE FELT IN THE FLOORBOARD. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. IT ONLY OCCURS AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR OVER 15 MINUTE AND HAS A CHANCE TO COOL DOWN. *TR

VEHICLE MOMENTARILY STEERED TO RIGHT WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT. VEHICLE WAS GOING STRAIGHT ON INTERSTATE AT APPROX. 70 MPH AND PULLED TO RIGHT FOR APPROX. ONE SECOND, THEN WENT BACK TO NORMAL. HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY SEVEN TIMES ON 110 MILE DRIVE. WE (WIFE AND I) WERE JUST FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS NEAR US IN RIGHT LANE WHEN THESE ANOMALIES OCCURRED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND DEALER PUT APPROX. 100 MORE MILES ON VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. DEALER CHECKED ALIGNMENT AND IT WAS WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. HAVE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND VEHICLES WITH JTEKT EPS SYSTEM HAVING SIMILAR STEERING ANOMALIES. CONCERNED THAT STEERING INPUT NOT CONTROLLED BY DRIVER CAN CAUSE VEHICLE ACCIDENT AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS IS A POTENTIAL "CATASTROPHIC" SAFETY ISSUE, SO PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR

PURCHASED USED 2012 CRUZE FROM LOCAL CHEVY DEALER. STEERING HAS NO FREE PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL, CAUSING CONSTANT BACK AND FORTH CORRECTIONS AND SWERVING IN LANE ESPECIALLY AT HIGH WAY SPEEDS. GOT PULLED OVER BY POLICE THINKING I WAS DRUNK. ALSO TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT TO KEEP THE CAR CENTERED DOWN THE LANE, AND IF YOU STOP FOCUSING ON THE STEERING FOR EVEN A SECOND THE CAR IS SWERVING OUT OF THE LANE. CONGRATULATIONS TO CHEVY FOR PRODUCING SUCH A FINE PRODUCT. APPARENTLY THEY NEVER THOUGHT TO DRIVE THE PROTOTYPE TO SEE IF THE STUPID THING WORKS. DUHHHH THANK YOU. *TR

AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES ON THE INTERSTATE AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 60MPH THE STEERING SEEMS TO HAVE A SPOT THAT IT STICKS IN AND DOES NOT SEEM SAFE. HAVE CALLED DEALERSHIP BUT THEY SAY THEY HAVENT HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM BUT I CAN HAVE IT CHECKED. IT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAPPEN EVERYTIME SO I HAVENT TAKEN IT IN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE CONTROLLED AS THE STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000. DR

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WHEN TRYING TO MAKE A SLIGHT STEERING CORRECTION, THE STEERING WHEEL SEEMS TO STICK AND IT TAKES EXTRA EFFORT MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. THAT EXTRA EFFORT SUDDENLY MOVES THE STEERING WHEEL BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING SEEMS TO RETURN AND THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO MOVE AS THOUGH THE DRIVER IS JERKING THE STEERING WHEEL. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO HOLD A STEADY, SMOOTH TRACK AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE STEERING CAN ALSO EXHIBIT THIS SAME TYPE OF STICKING WHILE SITTING STATIONARY BUT THIS DOESN NOT CAUSE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THOUGH IT DOES NOT DO THIS ALL OF THE TIME, IT IS EASY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE LONG ENOUGH TO START THIS ERRATIC STEERING ISSUE. THE DEALER HAS STATED THAT THE GM SERVICE REP HAS NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE NO TSB'S OR RECALLS IN EFFECT SO THEY CAN DO NOTHING. THIS IS THE SAME METHOD OF IGNORING THE PROBLEM THAT GM USED IN DEALING WITH THE BRAKE BOOSTER MICRO SWITCH ISSUE. NEVER HEARD OF THAT PROBLEM EITHER, EVEN THOUGH MANY PEOPLE HAD COMPLAINED OF THE SAME THING ON A CHEVY FORUM AND NUMEROUS WRECKS HAD OCCURRED. "NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM SO WE CAN'T FIX IT" OR IS IT MORE LIKE "WE CAN'T FIX IT SO WE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THAT PROBLEM". *TR

DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE FOR ~10-15 SECONDS AT SPEEDS OVER 40 MPH WILL CAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL TO "STICK" IN WHAT FEELS LIKE A NOTCH THAT REQUIRES AN OVER-CORRECTION TO GET THE CAR TO RESPOND AND CHANGE DIRECTION AGAIN. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE CAR'S ELECTRIC STEERING WILL KICK BACK IN WITH A LITTLE SWERVE TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT THAT FEELS SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS IN SLICK CONDITIONS WHERE OVER-CORRECTION COULD LEAD TO A SLIDE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE PULLING UP TO A STOPLIGHT AND AS I WAS STOPPING MY RADIO TURNED OFF AND A WARNING CAME UP ON MY DISPLAY SAYING TO SERVICE POWER STEERING I COULD FEEL MY POWER STEERING GO OUT AT THIS TIME. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AS WELL AS WARNINGS SAYING TO SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. BEFORE I DID THIS I RESEARCHED ONLINE MY ISSUE AND FOUND THAT THE MOST LIKELY PROBLEM WAS THE NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE. I TOLD THE REPAIR DEPARTMENT ABOUT MY RESEARCH AND THAT WAS WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF THE POWER STEERING HAD GONE OUT WHILE I WAS TURNING THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AND ACCIDENT. *TR

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITH "POWER STEERING SERVICE" ERROR ON DISPLAY. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO STEER (ALMOST LOCKED UP) AND I CERTAINLY COULD NOT MAKE A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN. THIS SEMI-LOCKING UP OF THE POWER STEERING REMAINED AS LONG AS THE VEHICLE WAS STILL MOVING. INDEED, THE ONLY WAY TO RESTORE POWER STEERING WAS TO STOP THE CAR AND LET THE ENGINE COOLED FOR 20 MINUTES OR MORE. THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME TO MY CAR IN JUNE OR JULY TIME FRAME. CHEVROLET REPROGRAMMED THE STEERING MODULE. BUT THE POWER STEERING LOCKUP WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED (~50MPH) HAPPENED AGAIN IN AUGUST. CHEVROLET REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION STEERING. AND THE LOCKING UP OF THE POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED (~50MPH) STILL HAPPENED AGAIN ON 09/10/2013. THIS TIME, CHEVROLET CHANGED THE "D POWER STEERING MODULE POWER & GROUND HARDNESS". SO, CHEVROLET HAS ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNSUCCESSFULLY TWICE BEFORE THIS THIRD WARRANTY REPAIR. I HOPE THIS FIX IT. BUT I FEEL I NEED TO REPORT THIS TO THE NHTSA SINCE I ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT (SUDDEN AND SUSTAINING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE STEERING) EVERY TIME THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT WAS NOT AWARE OF THE REPAIR NECESSARY TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR