A recent failure of the steering rack on my car has somewhat caused be to be phobic about another imminent failure. I'll try to cut a long story short. Basically I am curious to know if anyone has had experiences with the failure of the steering rack in your vehicle. If yes, is your vehicle running on electric power steering and at what mileage did the steering rack fail.

From my conversation with an experienced mechanic, I was made to understand that the steering rack failure is common with all vehicles which operate on Electric Power Steering, and the lifespan is about 8 to 10 years. He mentioned that vehicles with hydraulic power steering rarely have steering rack failures. Is this true?

The recent failure of the steering rack in my vehicle has also suggested that a half-cut steering rack is not a wise option for the replacement of the faulty or broken steering rack as in my experience, it does not last long. The steering rack of my vehicle a Ford Focus mk3 malfunctioned last year when it was 8 years old with mileage 70,000+ km. During that time, the steering rack could not be turned when the engine was started and the error message came up on the display, it was towed to the workshop for the replacement of the steering rack. However, just after 8 months, the (half-cut) steering rack failed again this year and this time, it was much dangerous. It happened when I was driving the car on the road, and the message suddenly came up and the steering wheel cannot be turned! This was when the car was moving at speed on the road and the steering wheel became very stiff and cannot be turned easily. I have to use all my energy to steer the vehicle to the emergency lane. This is extremely dangerous and can cause an accident. If it's a senior citizen, he/she might not have the energy to steer the vehicle to the emergency lane due to the very stiff steering wheel, and the vehicle might need to stop in the middle of the road or highway.

I am not sure if this is an inherent issue with the Ford Focus mk3 in that the steering rack fails rather early, in my case going into the 8th year with low mileage. I was made to understand that all other Focus mk3 also has this same problem and some owners experienced even earlier failure in their 3rd or 4th year. So back to the question. Does anyone here experience a steering rack failure in your vehicle, and how was the situation like? In my case it was a dangerous experience. Does this happen in all vehicles which come with EPS? Some checks on the internet revealed that the steering rack has a lifespan and will somehow fail at some point of time, and the average lifespan is around 160,000 km depending on usage pattern.

Perhaps I made a mistake of going with half-cut steering racks which have a short lifespan. A new steering rack will likely have a longer lifespan but it's fairly costly (RM13k at service centre for the Focus mk3), lower price at outside workshops.

Thanks for the response. It appears that not all vehicles with EPS are built the same, and the failure pattern of the steering rack with different vehicles is also different. Good to note that you didn't encounter any serious issues with the steering rack of your car, just minor symptoms unlike my case whereby the failure is way more dangerous. Looks like the steering rack of the Ford Focus mk3 is poor with low durability with it's low lifespan not withstanding the danger that comes with it when it fails.

Good to know. Yes, clicking and knocking sound is not life threatening. My case is just dangerous. If one has not experienced the real situation he wouldn't know.

Thanks for all responses.

From the responses here so far, it's only with VW vehicles that show issues with the steering rack, and those issues are minor since it's knocking or clicking sound from the steering when going over uneven road.

Are there any severe cases of steering rack failures with other cars other than the Ford Focus mk3 whereby the steering wheel suddenly became very stiff without warning when the car is in motion on the road? To me, this is a serious safety flaw where the failure of the steering rack happens when the driver is still driving the vehicle on the road, and the driver is unable to control the vehicle anymore as the steering wheel is locked. Women or senior citizens will likely not be able to steer the vehicle to the emergency lane if this happens and it's a dangerous situation especially when the vehicle is on the highway with other vehicles traveling at high speed.

Thanks for the information. Does this apply to the current Honda vehicles as well, Civic or City etc.? I wonder if car manufacturers or perhaps engineers can prevent this from happening as it's a serious safety issue. To me, this problem with the steering rack failing without warning thus causing the steering wheel to be very stiff has a high potential of creating an accident especially if the vehicle is on the highway.

I was guessing that this serious steering rack issue is only applicable to the Ford Focus mk3 model only but apparently Honda cars also have this problem.

Yes, I am aware of that as the steering rack specialist and another mechanic had explained to me earlier on the failure of the steering rack. The electronic control box or ECU control box or whatever they call it, it's a small box fixed to the steering rack of the Mk3. It's the electronics that fail and for this reason the whole steering rack needs to be replaced as the electronic control box is fixed to it. So basically we just refer to a "steering rack failure" as the electronic control box and steering rack come together as a one-piece. So it's basically replacing the whole thing altogether.

The cause of the failure of the electronics, as explained to me by both the steering rack specialist and experienced mechanic (consistent advice from both which is a good thing) is that contaminated rain water will seep into the electronic control box as the vehicle goes through puddle of water and especially deeper puddles of water on the roads during a rainy weather. With prolonged deterioration, the electronics inside the box that is fixed to the steering rack will be damaged. So the advice is to avoid driving the car through deep puddle of waters wherever possible to avoid early damage of the electronics.

First time I'm told about this. Of course we can avoid driving into puddles of water but during rain, eventually water will splash onto the box. I wonder why manufacturers can't waterproof the ECU box to prevent water from seeping into it thus damaging the electronics? Water on the roads will still splash onto the box and if it's not properly sealed it will eventually find its way into the box.

Thanks for the information. I've read the article and that's interesting. It didn't mention the issue in detail but the problem was described as "brief loss of power steering assistance". Not sure if brief loss would translate to few seconds or minutes where the steering wheel will turn stiff and cannot be turned, and then after that back to normal. In my case, it was PERMANENT loss of power steering assistance. Perhaps a different type of defect or failure.

My last vehicle with EPS was Nissan Sylphy 2.0 year 2008. I sold it just after 5 years with mileage 51,000km to a 2nd hand dealer, surprisingly with a good price. No issues whatsoever but then again it's fairly new with low mileage.

My older cars were Proton Preve Turbo and going back older Waja, both cars on hydraulic steering I believe and driven more than 10 years without any issues other than the Preve Turbo needing a gearbox replacement.

This Ford Focus mk3 is the first car I own after more than 30 years driving experience that has the steering rack failed while I'm still driving on the road. Imagine while still driving on the road and suddenly the steering wheel cannot be turned at all. Well, that's a bit of exaggeration as strong muscular guys will still be able to turn the steering wheel albeit needing them to use some of their brute strength. With ladies and older seniors, chances are they won't have the strength to steer the vehicle to the emergency lane thus forcing them to stop the vehicle in the middle of the road if the unfortunate happens. In this situation, it's really dangerous especially when it's on clear highways where other vehicles are moving at high speed.

Can understand that all decisions are mostly if not entirely commercial driven as engineering just follow behind.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: May 30 2023, 04:25 PM

I guess when there are accidents or at a more serious level where lives are claimed due to the inability of controlling the steering wheel caused by malfunction of steering rack or EPS electronics, then only there "might" be action. I'm surprised that there are no incident of serious accidents caused by steering wheel lockup yet although there are already vehicles that are affected by this problem, not only Ford but Honda or maybe other cat manufacturers as well, or perhaps there are incidents that I'm not aware of.

Terrible that this problem is also prevalent in Honda vehicles such as Accord, Civic, CRV and City. I wonder if Toyota Corolla Altis also show this steering rack malfunction which will cause the steering wheel to lock up? Any cases that you might be aware of? As you have known, the Toyota Corolla Altis is already at the top in my shortlist..

Thanks.

Thanks, that's good to know. I wonder if Honda owners have posted their experiences on the forum on the steering wheel lockup on this forum? So far, I am aware about few owners of the Ford Focus mk3 who have encountered the steering wheel lockup as they posted about this issue on the owner's forum here on Lowyat. Perhaps more people have experienced this issue but chose to keep quiet instead of sharing their experiences openly in the public.

Rattling noise or steering weight issue with Toyota Corolla, if they do not deteriorate to steering wheel lockup, then it should be fine. The steering wheel lockup without warning when the vehicle is still moving on the road is extremely dangerous and to me is a serious safety flaw in the design of the vehicle.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: May 31 2023, 07:23 AM

I have always regarded Honda vehicles assembled here in Malaysia as being low quality mainly due to rattling noises in the cabin having sat in the older Honda Civic and Accords of my colleagues and business associates throughout the years, hence they are always scratched off the list. Somehow, the Accord 2.4 which I sat in show more rattling noises than the Proton Preve Turbo which I owned which is surprising. In fact, every Honda cars I have sat in will exhibit a higher than normal rattling sound inside the cabin. The design of the vehicle is good but I suspect the local factory churning out the CKD is not up to standard which is surprising since CBU from Thailand or Philippines can produce good quality vehicles but over here with Honda it's down.

Now that I know the steering wheel lockup is also affecting Honda vehicles, it's surely a no from me.

Nowadays almost all cars come with EPS as hydraulic power steering are phased out, correct me if I'm wrong. So it's unavoidable if the EPS fails with wear and tear even when driven on good roads. One of the causes of failure of the EPS or motor/electronics which form part of the steering rack, as explained to me is water seeping into the electronic box which is located below the car, fixed to the steering rack.

Corolla facelift, what news did you receive? Everyone including the sales advisors or even Toyota customer service are clueless when I enquired earlier this month. Will it be a hybrid? If not, what are the differences in comparison to the current Corolla model which is not available for sale anymore since earlier this month? The current high spec Corolla after discount was selling at RM130k+ and if they bump it up to RM150k without any major improvements, Toyota will have difficulty marketing the new model.

I thought the Ford Focus mk3 is the only vehicle which has this steering rack failure but apparently Honda cars such as City and Civic also have this which is surprising. I am not aware of any Honda owners who encountered this steering wheel lockup issue like the Ford Focus mk3. Since there are so many Honda cars on the roads, I suppose these should be complaints if the vehicle also has the steering wheel lockup problem where Focus mk3 owners are experiencing. It's a serious situation if it happens.

It's good to know that the Ford Fiesta does not have this steering rack issue which causes the steering wheel to lock up when the vehicle is still moving on the road. It's an extremely dangerous situation to me.

Forgot to mention that the TCM, door latch and clutch issues with the Fiesta are also affecting the Focus mk3. I've got the TCM replaced within the 10 year warranty period once, door latch also replaced all about 2 years ago. The clutch issue has been resolved after Ford came up with an improved design, and the latest clutch is now more durable, no more jerking issues for the past 4 or 5 years since I last replaced it at the workshop under warranty.

The most serious issue is surely the steering rack failure to me as safety is severely compromised when it fails.

Thanks for the information. You can't get the steering rack for your vehicle locally and need to ship it at RM12k excluding shipping? If you add shipping and labour it will be a lot higher as the steering rack installation is complicated and quite labour intensive. A brand new steering rack for my Ford Focus used to cost RM9.8k everything in quoted by the local workshop in Klang Valley. The price has now dropped to below RM8k, still expensive.

In my view, if you still love the car and wish to drive it for few more years, I'd suggest to get a new one since you have now experienced premature failure(leaking) with your rebuild steering racks. I'm not sure about your car but with my vehicle, there is no rebuild service. It is either replace with 2nd hand or new one. 2nd hand steering rack is a matter of luck and no warranty, it's a time bomb as you wouldn't know when it will fail again. Get new one for peace of mind.

The other best option is to sell the car and get a, new vehicle.

At least you only experience leaking with your steering rack, and I presume the car can still be driven without much issue? With the Ford Focus you will just get a message on your screen on the steering system failure and at that moment you can't drive the car already as the steering wheel will become very stiff and lock up

Thanks for the information. It's good to know you managed to claim the steering rack of your HRV under warranty just before the 5 year warranty ends.

How much does a new steering rack cost? Is the workshop where you sent your vehicle for check up the authorised Nissan service centre? FWIW the question you are asking if you need to replace the steering rack or continue to drive it, or it's a dangerous situation, I would ask the service centre rather than the forum since they would be able to assess the actual situation. Who knows only certain parts are faulty and the whole steering rack is not required to be replaced, just change certain faulty parts only?

I believe the parts for the Nissan Almera N17 won't be too costly like some vehicles such as Ford Focus where the steering rack replacement costs RM9k+ outside workshop (although price may have dropped a little now). Better change it if there are noises when you turn the steering wheel left or right. My only recommendation is to get it done in the service centre if possible, or only reliable workshops or mechanics outside.