This preliminary informational (PI) bulletin provides information to dealership personnel that may be helpful when addressing underbody component corrosion with customers.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2018 Chevrolet Equinox steering problems
severe Owners of the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox have filed 15 NHTSA complaints about the steering at roughly $700 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See steering across all vehicles →
Complaints
15
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
| Model year | steering complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 Equinox | 18 |
| 2015 Equinox | 14 |
| 2016 Equinox | 7 |
| 2018 Equinox (this page) | 15 |
| 2019 Equinox | 9 |
| 2020 Equinox | 13 |
| 2021 Equinox | 4 |
| 2022 Equinox | 5 |
1crash
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering steering on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
This informational bulletin instructs the tech when fuel/fluid is needed to be tested and where it can be sent for analysis.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides a procedure inspecting for excess grease or Sealant on the Exterior of the steering gear due to seeing grease or sealant on certain locations on the gear.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This informational bulletin explains Unscheduled Supplemental Services and the importance of GM Simplified Maintenance Schedules.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides information on No Heated Seats or Heated Steering Wheel During Remote Start.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners report multiple distinct steering failures on the 2018 Equinox. Lane Keep Assist actively pulls the vehicle to the right on wet and winding roads with enough force to nearly cause rollovers—one owner documented a ¼-mile skid to avoid an embankment. The fix: disable the feature entirely. Dealers have also found electrical steering gear and module connector prongs bent straight from the assembly line, causing the vehicle to pull right and triggering warning cascades.
Steering wheel stiction is common—sticking or locking for milliseconds to several seconds during normal driving, worse in wet conditions. Two owners report spinouts on slippery roads. At stop signs, the auto stop/start system triggers service steering assist warnings and momentary steering lockups alongside brake system faults.
Vacuum pump failure at 62,000–70,000 miles is catastrophic: the pump grenades, metal chunks destroy the camshaft, the engine shuts down mid-drive, and power steering becomes useless, leaving the driver unable to steer out of traffic. Multiple mechanics confirmed this is a known issue; no recall exists.
Battery failures repeat every 15,000–20,000 miles, tied to the auto stop/start system and cascading electrical warnings. Dealers frequently cannot diagnose intermittent steering delays and wandering. Blind spot monitoring generates false positives and misses actual threats.
Same Chevrolet Equinox steering reports on nearby years: 2015 · 2020
Failure modes owners describe
Lane Keep Assist malfunction causing uncontrolled steering pulls
Lane Keep Assist system actively pulls vehicle to the right with excessive force, especially on wet or winding roads, nearly causing rollovers and collisions. Occurs despite driving under speed limit. Disabling LKA resolves the issue. Manual warning about LKA on wet/curving roads buried on page 254.
When: Wet/winding road conditions; reported at various mileages up to 27,500 miles
Symptoms owners cite: severe right-pull while driving; nearly lost control on mountain road; ¼ mile skidding/swerving to avoid embankment; almost rollover accident; warning lights and screen messages appear
Repairs/costs cited: Disabling Lane Keep Assist system resolved the pulling issue per owner report
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer suggested disabling LKA after owner reported 'car tried to kill me'; no recall issued
Electronic steering gear and module defect — bent prongs on new vehicle
Electrical steering gear and electrical module arrived with bent connector prongs from the assembly line, causing the vehicle to pull to the right and generating multiple warning messages. Dealers found parts defective and had to source replacements directly from assembly line.
When: Brand new off-the-line vehicle
Symptoms owners cite: vehicle pulling toward right; warning screen showing multiple issues; warning lights and messages intermittent then persistent; unsafe pulling during highway driving
Repairs/costs cited: Electrical steering gear and electrical module required replacement; GM needed to source parts directly from assembly line
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM escalated issue; parts identified as defective; no ETA provided for replacement
Steering wheel stiction (sticking/locking)
Steering wheel sticks or locks momentarily (milliseconds to 3+ seconds) during normal driving, requiring extra force to move. Occurs on dry pavement but worsens on wet or snow-covered roads. Two confirmed spinouts reported. Also occurs at stop signs when auto stop/start reengages.
When: Throughout ownership; sporadic initially, then more frequent
Symptoms owners cite: steering wheel sticks briefly during driving; extra force required to move wheel; steering wheel locks up for under 3 seconds at stop signs; two spinouts on wet/snowy roads; stiction worse in wet conditions
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers unable to duplicate or identify root cause; all parameters within spec per inspection
Vacuum pump failure causing loss of power steering and brake pressure
Vacuum pump failure at 62,000–70,000 miles sends metal debris into camshaft, knocking reluctant wheel out of position. Engine shuts down, power steering becomes useless, brakes fail. No warning lights precede failure. New engine required.
When: 62,000–70,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: complete vehicle shutdown while driving; power steering became useless; extremely hard to steer out of traffic; engine enters safe mode; no prior warning lights or codes
Repairs/costs cited: New engine required; multiple mechanics confirmed vacuum pump failure and known issue
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No recall issued despite being identified as known issue
Steering delay and wandering — electronic control intermittent
Millisecond delay in steering response; vehicle wanders left or right when steering wheel is not held firmly. Sporadic nature but serious potential hazard. Online research identified multiple reports of similar issues with 2018 Equinox linked to electronic control failures.
When: Reported at 27,500 miles; sporadic initially
Symptoms owners cite: slight millisecond delay in steering response; does not happen all the time; vehicle wanders left or right without firm hand on wheel; near-miss accidents reported by other owners
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer inspection found no duplicated issue; all parameters within spec
Steering assist and brake system warnings with auto stop/start engagement
Auto stop/start system engagement triggers multiple warning messages: service brake assist, service steering assist, service parking brake, service stability control. Vehicle jerks at engagement. Steering wheel may lock momentarily. Loss of communication errors to modules reported due to low battery voltage.
When: Starting at 16,000 miles; occurs every time vehicle is driven by later reports; also at 55,400 miles with battery-related diagnostics
Symptoms owners cite: service brake assist warning; service steering assist warning; service parking brake warning; service stabilitrak warning; jerking motion at stop sign/auto-stop re-engagement; steering wheel locks up for 3 seconds; loss of communication error to modules
Repairs/costs cited: Battery replaced three times in four years (at 18,500, 32,562, and 55,436 miles) for same auto stop/start issue
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM claimed they did not know how to fix these issues; no remedy offered
Rolling backward on hills and loss of hill start assist
Vehicle rolls backward on inclines when driver lifts foot off brake. Hill start assist function not working. Accompanied by jerking forward and unstable steering. Owner fears rolling backward into traffic.
When: Starting at 16,000 miles; worsening over time to daily occurrence
Symptoms owners cite: vehicle rolls backward on hills; lurching jerks forward; hill start assist action not working; unstable steering; engine cutting off intermittently
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM offered buy-back; claimed no fix available for issues
Blind spot monitoring false positives and failures
Blind spot detection light stays illuminated when no vehicle is present; light fails to come on when vehicle is actually in blind spot. Associated with service side detection system warning message. Dealer unable to identify error.
When: Ongoing throughout ownership
Symptoms owners cite: blind spot light stays on with no car present; blind spot light fails to activate when being passed; service side detection system message appears
Synthesized from 15 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
the vacumm pump grenaded and sent metal chunks into the camshaft knocking the reluctant wheel out of position causing the car to shut down and lose brakes and power steering. There were no prior engine codes or warning. multiple mechanics verified this and it is a known issue. Gm needs to deal with this and should put out a recall. such a new vehicle should not need motor work at 70k miles!!
Had steering trouble with your 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
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 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
It's a meaningful issue. 15 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $700.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Based on the 15 complaints filed, steering issues most often appear around 13,587 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
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/2018/Chevrolet/Equinox.
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.