2021 Chevrolet Silverado Steering Problems

All of a sudden my check engine light came on with the sudden loss of power steering. Almost impossible to steer at low speeds. After turning it off I waited about 15 minutes then restarted the engine and there was no problem steering. Concern about it happening again in the middle of traffic.

When I started my truck, a "service power steering" error was displayed in my DIC. My power steering lost all control. After driving for 10 minutes and then shutting the truck off for about 5 minutes, the system reset. This looks very similar to the recall #N212333900, but 2021 Silverados were not included with the recall. This is the 2nd time it happened. The first time was in 2023. It's pretty scary when you can't steer without extreme exertion.

See attached document for complaint.

Ignition key fails to release from column lock. It will return to accessory position but not full return for release. Frequent but intermediate problem. Dealer just replaced ignition switch however problem returned same day. (Have not contacted dealer back yet). Restarting the truck and turning the wheel back and forth, shifting to other gears then back to park sometimes works, and sometimes does not. I am often forced to leave the key in the column and lock/unlock truck with remote. No CEL, no other indicators or messages present. 49,515 miles on truck.

Belt tensioner/idler pulley began chirping during warm up after starting engine. Noticed serpentine belt was beginning to fray on edges. Dealership confirmed the pulley failed prematurely and caused the serpentine belt to be damaged. Dealership replaced pulley and belt. It was just after warranty expired. The belt is supposed to be replaced at 100,000 miles as routine maintenance, but the failure of the pulley, which the dealer informed me was also premature, but common, was not covered under warranty. Power steering was lost one time in park and a message showed on the dash, but went away after restarting the vehicle.

I was on my way home from work on [XXX] coming around the lakes with no median or shoulder when the engine in my 2021 Silverado started rattling, temperature gauge started going up, and losing power. Within a matter of minutes my truck shut off leaving me stranded in the middle of a four lane highway with no safe location to stop. The engine wouldn’t even turn over to try and crank back up so I could get the truck out of the road. After help getting my truck to a safe location I noticed oil and antifreeze leaking out of the bottom side of the engine. This truck was at Love Chevrolet for engine failure on 8/14/24 and was told it was fixed and was never told about ongoing issues with this particular 6.2 engine. I found out a few weeks ago while trying to trade my truck in to Jim Browne Chevrolet dealer that my particular truck the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado High Country with the 6.2 engine had known issue with the engine locking up and was afraid to take my truck in on trade due to his service manger going through this same experience. So I paid top dollar for a high end Chevrolet truck to be stuck with not being able to trade it and now not being able to drive it. I called the dealer and was told that my trucks vin number was not part of the recall for this issue but there are trucks that are the same year, model, and engine type that are covered under this recall. I’m now stuck making a 850 a month payment on a 58000 dollar truck that I can’t drive and can’t afford to replace an engine. Any help would be greatly appreciated. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a persistent and unacceptable failure with my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss. The vehicle intermittently fails to start due to a recurring “Service Steering Column Lock” error. While the key fob still locks, unlocks, and remote starts the truck, the push-to-start system becomes entirely non-functional once inside the vehicle. This defect is not only frustrating — it’s dangerous. My wife has already been stranded twice, once in below-freezing temperatures in January, and again in May, causing her to be late for work and left alone at night in unsafe conditions. A truck purchased for over $60,000, marketed as rugged and dependable, should not be experiencing a critical failure like this at just 48,000 miles. What’s more concerning is that this appears to be a known issue within the GM community, with no official recall despite Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) acknowledging the problem. Customers are being left with unreliable transportation and no consistent fix. This failure is both a mechanical and safety issue, leaving drivers vulnerable without warning. I urge NHTSA to investigate this defect, pressure GM for a formal recall, and ensure corrective action is taken before someone is injured due to being stranded or the failure progressing to more critical steering or ignition malfunctions.

51,000 miles and Power steering warning light came on, attempted to turn and the wheel and was a struggle to make a turn. I almost ran off roadway and struck a tree. I struggled to get the truck home, where it sat for a minute and reset itself and worked properly for now. Upon reviewing the electric steering in this year, make and model was very common within 15k miles to 65k miles. Upon internet search, revealed this problem had a recall. Wanted to make sure before a manage to transport the truck for service at dealership and pay for high labor charges.

I turned my truck on after grocery shopping and a notice to "Service Power Steering" popped up on my dashboard. I took it to a mechanic shop where they ran diagnostics. They discovered a TSB # 21-NA-149 and error code U0131. They believe there is an intermittent fault within the wiring causing the power steering to go out. My biggest fear is that this happens while I am negotiating a curve and lose power steering causing a crash or someone to get injured. There was also a "Service ESB" notice on the dashboard after the power steering notification.

I was driving and my electric steering locked up. I had it towed to a garage and they reset the computer. I'm afraid it's going to happen again. I'm going to the dealership on Tuesday and I don't feel that I should pay for this since it's a safety issue. I only have 50,000 miles on it.can someone please get back to me. Thanks

I am filing this safety complaint regarding a documented engine wire harness chafing defect in my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the 2.7L L3B Turbo engine. While driving, my truck experienced erratic acceleration, engine throttling to 3,000 RPM without returning to idle after releasing the accelerator, engine misfires, sudden loss of engine power, stalling, and multiple simultaneous warning lights. These conditions created immediate safety and collision risks on public roads. GM issued TSB 21-NA-149 in June 2021 and a second bulletin September 17, 2021, both before my November 2021 purchase, identifying wire harness chafing in the L3B engine caused by a manufacturing error. A wire harness clip was removed during production creating an uncontrolled harness branch that contacts sharp edges on the ECM/TCM bracket, upper control arm, and shock tower during normal engine vibration. This defect was built into the vehicle at the factory and was never disclosed to me at point of sale. The defect manifested after warranty expiration causing cascading failures; wire harness, catalytic converter, and transmission, all within five weeks. Vehicle has been inoperable since January 8, 2026. Defect confirmed by independent mechanic and by Ancira-Winton Chevrolet (authorized GM dealer) in their own repair documentation referencing GM Bulletin 21-NA-149. Dealer documented catalytic converter failure as consequential damage from wire harness repair. GM created Customer Satisfaction Program N192219370 for this exact defect. My VIN was excluded despite experiencing identical symptoms. No safety recall has been issued. Loss of throttle control and stalling at highway speeds represents an imminent collision risk. I request NHTSA investigate a formal safety recall for 2019-2023 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with the L3B engine.

Started The Vehicle and the Steering wheel would not turn. Warning said: Service ESC & Service Power Steering Drive and the Stability Control Light came on. After ready many complaints about the same thing, we turned the car off for 20 minutes and then on again and it worked. But this is dangerous.

1st incident cracked frame/suspension support for front suspension, 4 months to fix, 2nd incident oil pump, lifter failure, replaced under warranty. 3rd failure engine sieze while driving at 55-60 mph. Warning light flashed loss of oil pressure shut down immediately, put it in neutral to coat to side of road but moment I shifted to N engine failed, had to tow home cuz dealer was a month out to look at it, had to send to a different dealership 60 miles away to get looked at, confirmed castrophic engine failure, GM dealer wanted me to pay to fix it. I have had 2 major engine issues, 1 major suspension frame issue.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver and the rear wheels were intermittently inoperable with the transmission experiencing hard downshifting. The failure occurred on several occasions. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The contact researched and was made aware of an undisclosed NHTSA Campaign; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

After parking my vehicle overnight, I started it up in the morning and it immediately said "Service Power Steering, Please Drive With Care" and also said "Service ESC". I could not steer the vehicle when these messages were displayed. I was able to get the vehicle to work normally by turning it off, waiting a few minutes and turning it back on. This is extremely dangerous if the vehicle decides to do this during a drive.

When I started my car there was an error message that said "Service Power Steering Drive with Care" and "Service ESC" when I went to back out of the driveway I had no power steering at all. I could barely move the wheel and had trouble pulling back into the driveway. I turned off the car and restarted a few times, but received the same error messages and had no power steering. When I started the car about an hour later all error messages went away and power steering was restored, but I am afraid to drive it.

While leaving work I started the truck like normal and the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. Saying service ESC, service power steering,and service brake system. The ESC light was on as well as the check engine light. There was no forewarning about this.

- Warning came up that said to service power steering system. Steering wheel became extremely hard to turn. -I could barely complete my turn to get the vehicle clear of the road -Vehicle is scheduled to be seen by a dealer -No other parties have inspected the vehicle

The power steering locked when driving, this happened last year. I had it serviced at the dealership and it was fixed but it’s reoccurring occasionally. Now when you turn it on you could hear a sound and it’s hard to turn. It’s a safety concern for me and for others to drive it with that condition. I brought it back to the dealership to have it serviced again, a mechanic inspected it and confirmed there’s a problem with the steering but they will have to do a proper diagnostic with the issue. There ‘s no warning message that pops out.

After starting the truck and placing in reverse the service power steering warning come on as well as service ESC. The steering wheel would not move. If I were driving at a higher speed a crash would be imminent. On the Chevy forums there are several other owners that experienced the same problem and the loss of steering happens randomly. After parking the truck and returning several hours later the warnings did not reappear. I called the Chevrolet dealership and they informed me that they cannot diagnose the vehicle if no service lights are actively showing. Then I called Chevrolet to report the issue and they informed me that there are no recalls and nothing can be done unless the warnings are active and to contact another service center. If the vehicle does this while i'm driving I most likely will be in a accident. The Chevrolet case # 9-12940772786