Power Steering Failure: Steering Suddenly Heavy

How to recognise the failure

• The steering wheel is noticeably stiffer, especially when parking and at low speed
• The warning light with a steering wheel and an exclamation mark comes on in amber, orange or red, see Warning lights in your car
• Creaking noises when turning, or steering that gives way too much or locks up
• On hydraulic power steering: oil leaking from the pump or lines

Do this immediately

1. Reduce your speed. A car without steering assistance is hard to control at high speed.
2. Switch on hazard lights and steer firmly with both hands.
3. Stop somewhere safe, for example a car park, a lay-by, or the next exit. On the motorway, see Breaking down on the motorway.
4. Don't keep driving. Even if you can still steer: a vehicle with failed power steering needs a lot of force and can become dangerous.

Possible causes

• Hydraulic power steering: the pump isn't working properly, or delivers too little fluid. A torn drive belt or a leaking hose can also be the reason.
• Electric power steering: often faulty wiring, fuses, or the control unit.
• Too little fluid: on hydraulic systems, a leak can gradually weaken the steering assistance.

A flat or weak battery can also trigger fault messages on electric systems. If the engine and electrics generally have problems, see Jump-starting and a flat battery.

Engine off, power steering off?

With hydraulic power steering, the assistance fails as soon as the engine stops, since the pump is driven by the engine. The car stays steerable, but heavy, see Engine cutting out while driving.

Why transport is better

A vehicle with failed power steering is hard to steer safely with a rope. On a towing vehicle's flatbed, that problem disappears. How loading works is covered in Tow rope or towing service?

Details about the vehicle and situation

• Which light is on and in what colour
• Whether the steering is heavy, locked, or just unusual
• Whether oil is leaking
• Make, model, year
• Where you are

Hydraulic or electric?

Most older vehicles have hydraulic power steering with a pump driven by the engine via a belt. If the belt fails or hydraulic fluid is missing, the steering becomes heavy. Newer vehicles often use electric power steering, assisted by an electric motor. There, a fault in the control unit, the power supply, or a sensor triggers the failure. The warning light in the instrument cluster often shows a steering-wheel symbol with an exclamation mark. Which system your vehicle uses is in the handbook.

The steering still works, just heavier

Important to know: if power steering fails, the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels usually remains intact. You can keep steering, but it needs noticeably more force, especially at a standstill and low speed. Hold the wheel firmly with both hands and plan wider turns. A sudden jerk on the wheel can otherwise cause an uncontrolled swerve.

Typical triggers

• A torn or slipped serpentine belt: the pump, and often the alternator too, fail, sometimes with the battery light also coming on.
• Too little hydraulic fluid: a leak or loss, often with pump noise.
• An electrical fault: the control unit, a sensor, or voltage, often after battery problems.
• Overheating of electric steering from very frequent manoeuvring, which temporarily switches off the assistance.

Manoeuvring and parking without assistance

Steering without assistance is hardest at a standstill. If you need to move the vehicle to the side, roll gently while steering rather than turning the wheel at a standstill. That spares the steering and your strength. If it fails in a tight parking spot or garage, it's better to have the car transported than to manoeuvre it by muscle.

After the failure

A failure rarely happens just once. Even if the steering works normally again after a restart, have it checked before using the vehicle further. An already-torn belt rarely "heals" on its own. A link to a weak battery is explained in our guide Jump-starting and a flat battery.