7 Most Common Power Steering Problems — And What's Really Causing Them
May 5th 2026
If your car is pulling to one side, making strange noises when you turn, or leaving mysterious puddles in your driveway, your steering system is trying to tell you something. Power steering components — rack & pinions, steering gear boxes, power steering pumps and their supporting parts — are precision engineered systems that take a beating every time you drive. Here's a breakdown of the most common problems we see come through our facility here in Indio, California, what causes them, and what happens if you ignore them.
1. Torn or Cracked Bellows Boots
The boot (also called a rack boot or bellow) is the accordion-shaped rubber sleeve that covers and protects each end of your steering rack. Its job is simple but critical — keep dirt, moisture, road debris and contaminants away from the inner tie rod and rack shaft.
What causes it: Age, heat cycles, road debris impact and general wear cause the rubber to crack, split or tear over time. Even a small puncture is enough to let contaminants in.
What happens when it fails: Once the boot tears, dirt, water and road grime get directly onto the rack shaft and inner tie rod. This accelerates wear dramatically, causes corrosion and rust on the shaft, and can destroy an otherwise healthy rack from the inside out. What might have been a simple boot replacement becomes a full rack replacement.
Warning signs: Visible grease splattered around the front suspension area, a torn or collapsed rubber boot visible on either end of the steering rack.
The fix: Replace the boot as soon as it's noticed. This is one of the most affordable steering repairs — catching it early saves you from a much more expensive rack replacement down the road.
2. Loose or Worn Tie Rods
Tie rods connect your steering rack to the steering knuckles at each wheel. They transfer the movement of the rack into actual wheel direction changes. Inner tie rods thread directly into the rack itself, while outer tie rods connect to the steering knuckle and include an adjustable end.
What causes it: Constant movement, road impacts and general wear cause the ball joint at the end of the tie rod to wear out over time. The inner tie rod threads can also loosen inside the rack housing.
What happens when it fails: A loose tie rod creates play in the steering — the wheel feels vague, wandering or imprecise. You may notice a knocking or clunking sound when turning or going over bumps. Left unchecked, a severely worn tie rod can cause complete loss of steering control and is a serious safety hazard. It also causes uneven and accelerated tire wear.
Warning signs: Steering wheel looseness or play, clunking or knocking when turning, uneven tire wear, vehicle pulling to one side.
The fix: Tie rod ends are a relatively affordable repair. Inner tie rods are more involved since they require partial rack disassembly to replace properly. Always perform a wheel alignment after any tie rod replacement.
3. Worn Steering Rack Adjusters and Excessive Play
Inside your steering rack is a preload adjuster — a small but important component that maintains the proper mesh tension between the rack and pinion gear. Over time this adjuster can loosen, creating excessive play in the steering.
What causes it: Normal wear on the rack and pinion gear teeth, combined with a loosening adjuster, allows the gears to separate slightly. Vibration and road impacts accelerate the process.
What happens when it fails: You'll feel a dead spot or slop in the steering wheel — the wheel moves slightly without the wheels responding. This is often most noticeable when driving straight at highway speeds or during lane changes. It makes the vehicle feel imprecise and unpredictable.
Warning signs: Steering wheel play or looseness especially around center, vague or unresponsive steering feel, steering wheel that doesn't return to center properly after a turn.
The fix: On some racks the adjuster can be tightened or replaced as a standalone repair. In many cases however the rack and pinion gear teeth themselves are worn and the unit requires remanufacturing or replacement.
4. Power Steering Fluid Leaks
Power steering fluid is the lifeblood of a hydraulic steering system. It transmits the hydraulic pressure that makes turning the wheel effortless. Leaks are one of the most common steering system issues we see.
What causes it: O-rings, seals and gaskets throughout the system — in the rack, pump, hoses and gear box — deteriorate with age, heat and pressure cycles. The seals harden, shrink or crack and allow fluid to bypass them.
What happens when it fails: Low fluid causes increased steering effort — the wheel becomes heavy and hard to turn especially at low speeds. Running the system with low fluid causes the pump to work harder, accelerating wear and potentially causing pump failure. Completely running out of fluid can damage the rack or gear box internally.
Warning signs: Power steering fluid puddles under the front of the vehicle (usually a clear to light amber or reddish fluid), whining or groaning noise when turning especially at low speeds, stiff or heavy steering, visible wetness around the rack boots, pump or hose connections.
The fix: Identify the source of the leak first. Minor leaks may be addressed with seal replacement. Significant internal leaks usually mean the rack, gear box or pump requires remanufacturing or replacement. Never simply top off the fluid and ignore the leak — it will get worse.
5. Power Steering Pump Failure
The power steering pump is driven by the engine via a belt and pressurizes the hydraulic fluid that assists steering. It's a high-demand component that operates constantly whenever the engine is running.
What causes it: Seal wear causes internal leaks reducing pump efficiency. Running low on fluid causes the pump to cavitate — pulling air instead of fluid — which damages internal components rapidly. Worn bearings, a failed pressure relief valve or general wear over high mileage can also cause pump failure.
What happens when it fails: Partial failure causes heavy, inconsistent steering effort. Full failure means completely manual steering — extremely heavy especially at low speeds and during parking. Many modern vehicles are not designed to be safely driven with a failed power steering pump.
Warning signs: Whining, squealing or groaning noise when turning the wheel, steering that feels heavy or inconsistent, fluid leaks near the pump, visible belt wear or slippage.
The fix: Remanufactured pumps restore factory performance at a fraction of new OEM pricing. Always flush and refill the power steering fluid when replacing the pump to remove any contaminated fluid from the system.
6. Steering Gear Box Wear and Leaks (Truck and RWD Applications)
On trucks, SUVs and rear-wheel-drive vehicles, a recirculating ball steering gear box replaces the rack and pinion found on most modern cars. These units are robust but not immune to wear.
What causes it: The recirculating ball and worm gear mechanism wears over time. The sector shaft seal — which is the most commonly failed seal on a gear box — allows fluid to leak past it. Heavy use, off-road applications and high mileage all accelerate wear.
What happens when it fails: Loose or worn gear boxes cause wandering, imprecise steering and a steering wheel that requires constant small corrections to drive straight. Leaking gear boxes lose fluid and eventually the same problems as a leaking rack occur — increased effort, accelerated internal wear and potential total failure.
Warning signs: Steering wander or looseness especially at highway speeds, fluid leak from the bottom of the gear box near the pitman arm, steering wheel that doesn't self-center, excessive steering wheel free play.
The fix: Gear box adjusters can sometimes correct minor play. Seal replacement can address leaks if caught early. Significantly worn units require remanufacturing — a process that restores all internal clearances, replaces all seals and brings the unit back to factory specification.
7. Electric Power Steering (EPS) Failures
Modern vehicles increasingly use electric power steering — a system that replaces the hydraulic pump with an electric motor that assists steering on demand. While EPS eliminates fluid leaks and pump wear, it introduces its own failure modes.
What causes it: The electric motor or torque sensor inside the rack can fail. Control module issues, wiring faults and software problems can cause the system to provide incorrect or no assist. Heat is a major factor — EPS motors generate significant heat during heavy use and can fail prematurely in extreme conditions. Additionally the internal drive belts that power the electric assist motor can deteriorate over time — shredding or breaking apart entirely inside the unit. When this happens the rubber debris circulates through the rack internals causing accelerated wear and damage to precision components that can be difficult to detect from the outside.
What happens when it fails: You may experience sudden loss of power assist, an EPS warning light on the dashboard, intermittent assist that comes and goes or steering that pulls to one side. Unlike hydraulic systems the vehicle can often still be steered manually but with significantly more effort.
Warning signs: EPS or steering warning light illuminated, sudden change in steering feel or effort, steering that pulls or drifts, error codes related to the steering system.
The fix: EPS racks require specialized remanufacturing equipment and expertise — including electronic testing and programming. When installing a remanufactured EPS rack it's critical to follow all factory procedures for introducing the new unit to the vehicle's CAN bus system and ECU. Always verify fitment by VIN since EPS rack specifications can vary significantly even within the same model year.
When to Call the Experts
At Advantage Steering we've been remanufacturing steering components since 1999 — rack & pinions, steering gear boxes, power steering pumps and everything in between, for everything from daily drivers to exotic supercars to heavy duty commercial trucks. If you're experiencing any of the symptoms above or have a steering component that needs expert attention, give us a call at (760) 202-9990 or visit us at advantagesteering.com.
All of our remanufactured units are produced right here in Indio, California and backed by our industry-leading warranty. If it exists, we can remanufacture it.