On 24 dec 2014 at around 11:45am, I was pulling off a main road (with my young daughter) into the parking lot of my doctor's business, when my steering wheel locked completely while I was still in motion. After braking, I was able to jiggle the steering wheel free and pulled the car into a parking space. I contacted my dealership immediately to report the incident. As it was christmas eve,…
2012 Chevrolet Traverse steering problems
severe 62 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700 · see steering across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
62
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
3crashes
1fire
3injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 62 steering complaints filed for the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 50,000-75,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 62 steering complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
No new NHTSA steering complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 11 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
What owners are reporting 4 most recent
Power steering is hard to turn after driving. Go to pull in a parking spot and the steering is hard.in motion while turning into parking space almost ran into parked car. *tr
Power steering does not work at low speeds 90% of the time, my wife can't drive the car ( very dangerous situation ). Parking has no power steering at all, at 10 MPH steering control comes back.
This car has a very common problem with the steering. The steering rack is leaking which will lead to an inability to steer the car effectively. Chevrolet has an special service #14329 that covers this for a number of model years including 2012 but for some reason the VIN for my car was not included but it exhibits the identical problem. I need gm to expand it's special service to include all…
Had steering trouble with your 2012 Chevrolet Traverse?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the steering problem on the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse?
It's a meaningful issue. 62 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $700.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Across the 49 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most steering failures cluster between 56,500 and 90,000 miles, with the median around 75,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 56,500; a quarter make it past 90,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2012/Chevrolet/Traverse.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.