Owners of 2014 Camaros report recurring steering system failures that range from inconvenient to life-threatening. The most serious complaint is power steering lockup while driving: several owners describe the steering wheel suddenly freezing or losing power assist without warning, at speeds ranging from 15 to 70 mph. One owner crashed after steering locked up on the highway; another lost all steering, brakes, and power when parking and had to restart the engine to regain control. A few owners note the steering goes in and out of power-assist mode during turns, accompanied by pulsing or squealing noises from the rack.
The second major issue is ignition keys getting stuck after shifting to Park. Owners must cycle the engine on and off, shift repeatedly between Park and Reverse, or wait up to 30 minutes for the key to release. One owner also reports the ignition key can be accidentally turned by their knee while driving, killing the engine.
Other reported steering-related problems include the steering wheel's manual paddle levers catching on the ignition key during right turns, causing hard involuntary turns; the engine stalling mid-drive with simultaneous loss of steering and brakes; and one case of violent steering shake followed by front wheel detachment.
Dealers consistently cannot replicate these issues during diagnostic tests and report no fault codes. Many owners reference a recall for steering or ignition that exists for some VINs but excludes theirs, despite identical symptoms.
Failure modes owners describe
Power steering lockup while driving
The steering wheel suddenly loses power assist or locks up completely, rendering the vehicle unsteerable. Occurs at highway speeds and low-speed parking situations, sometimes triggered by turning. Owners report it happens intermittently and may resolve temporarily or require engine restart.
When: At various speeds from parking (15–20 mph) to highway (65–70 mph); some reports at 35k–109k miles
Symptoms owners cite: Complete loss of steering control or power assist; Steering wheel locks up or becomes extremely hard to turn; Violent steering wheel shake at low speed (30 mph); Intermittent power steering loss while turning; Engine shut-off accompanying steering loss
Codes mentioned: U0151 (no airbag signal per OnStar diagnostic)
Repairs/costs cited: Steering rack replacement reported; fluid leaks observed at reservoir; one owner replaced steering gear at 24,123 miles
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: General Motors reportedly told dealers nothing was wrong; no recall covering some affected VINs; GM noted in forums a steering-related recall exists but some vehicles with same issues not included
Key stuck in ignition / ignition release failure
The ignition key becomes stuck and cannot be removed after the vehicle is shut off and placed in Park. Owners must cycle the ignition on/off, wiggle the steering wheel, shift in and out of Park, depress the brake repeatedly, or wait several minutes to an hour for the key to release. Some owners report the ignition will not shut off completely.
When: Happens daily or intermittently; reported at various mileages from near-new to 36,600 miles; one owner reports issue recurring after over a year
Symptoms owners cite: Key will not come out of ignition after shifting to Park; Requires multiple on/off cycles or brake pedal cycling to release key; Requires engine restart and gear shifts in/out of Park; Steering wheel locking prevents key release; Ignition will not fully shut off without multiple attempts; Steering wheel gets hard/locked during this issue
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers unable to replicate in multiple cases; one owner suspects neutral safety switch defect; one report mentions transmission shifter not engaging properly
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Some owners mention a recall for ignition switch (key upgrade) exists for other GM models and a 2014 Camaro recall was seen online, but many VINs excluded; GM/dealers say no codes pull, no known issues found
Steering wheel manual paddle lever catching on ignition key
The steering wheel has manual transmission shift paddles on both sides. When turning right, the right-side paddle gets caught on the ignition key, causing the steering wheel to make a hard involuntary turn to the right. This creates momentary loss of steering control.
When: During right turns
Symptoms owners cite: Right paddle lever catches on ignition key during right turn; Hard involuntary right turn results; Momentary loss of steering control; Risk of driving into ditches or objects
Codes mentioned:
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: This problem reported in other GM vehicle models and part of recall, but this model not recalled; manufacturer not taking responsibility
Engine stalling while driving or at low speed
The engine shuts off without warning while the vehicle is moving or stopped, and in some cases the engine will not restart. Steering and brakes become locked or unavailable after stall. Occurs at stops, during turns, or on highways.
When: At red lights, during turns, at parking entry; one incident on highway
Symptoms owners cite: Engine shuts off completely with no warning lights; Steering becomes locked/unavailable after stall; Power brakes fail or become locked; Engine will not restart immediately; Multiple stalls in short time period
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers unable to replicate; no codes present in diagnostic scans
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealers could not replicate; no corrective action letter provided; dealers refuse service without recall authorization
Steering rack pulsing noise and power-assist dropout while turning
The steering rack produces a pulsing noise during turns, and the power steering assist cuts in and out intermittently. Issue present since vehicle was nearly new (752 miles). Occurs constantly around corners.
When: Since near-purchase (752 miles on vehicle); constantly during turns
Symptoms owners cite: Pulsing noise from steering rack around corners; Power steering assist cuts in and out; Intermittent loss of power assist while turning
Codes mentioned:
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall exists for several units but this car not included; owner believes recall should extend to this vehicle
Steering wheel whining/squealing noise during turns
A high-pitched whining or squealing noise (described as whale-song-like) comes from the steering wheel when turning. Reported to dealer but not repaired.
When: During turns
Symptoms owners cite: Weird whiny or squealing noise from steering wheel; Occurs when turning steering wheel; Sound described as whale songs
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer attempted repair but did not fix issue
Accidental ignition key activation by knee while driving
The driver's knee can accidentally contact and turn the ignition key while driving, causing the engine to shut off. This creates a safety hazard as the vehicle suddenly loses power and becomes difficult to control.
When: While driving
Symptoms owners cite: Knee bumps ignition key and turns it, shutting off engine; Engine turns off while vehicle is in motion; Loss of power assist and steering control
Codes mentioned:
Front wheel detachment
Front driver-side wheel detached from the vehicle while driving at low speed. Steering wheel vibrated violently immediately before detachment.
When: At 28,313 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Violent steering wheel shake at 30 mph; Front driver-side wheel detaches from vehicle
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Replaced front driver-side alloy wheel, rubber valve, driver-side C-liner, hub and bearing at independent mechanic
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer not notified
Power steering fluid leaks at reservoir
Fluid appears on top of the power steering fluid reservoir. The leak reoccurs after dealer cleaning. Dealer and GM claim the condition is normal for the vehicle.
When: Intermittently; reoccurs after cleaning
Symptoms owners cite: Fluid visible on top of reservoir; Leak reoccurs after dealer cleaning; Rubbing sound of plastic and light metal while parking; Wobble and whistle from under hood while accelerating with steering input
Codes mentioned:
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer cleaned reservoir twice; leak returns; no permanent repair attempted
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM and dealer say condition is fine and normal
Synthesized from 32 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.