Sudden Loss of Power Steering WHEN DRIVING

[greatarcticwolf2.0]

This was a recall issue - I got a letter around 2019 warning me of the problem, and it said "really rare" - of course in 2020, I was going around a round about and it failed - lucky I was driving and I'm a big bloke, I muscled through it, but if my Mrs had of been driving it would have been an accident for sure. I took it in to holden - who said they were still waiting on parts - but they had a "work around" fix - which they did - about 12 months later they called and said they had new parts in and to bring it in - fixed it all free of charge.

 

[bLackjackj]

This is actually a good reminder for anyone with a VF1 or who purchased 2nd hand to have this checked.

I nearly died in a car accident, not long after purchasing my VF1. Driving on the Freeway at 100km/hr and I lost complete control of any power steering movement. I had two people having to help me pull the car into a carpark, as the wheel suddenly had no power. Intermittently I would then lose power steering. After a number of arguements with Holden, the rack was completely replaced. At the time, GM had a recall in the US of all VF (Chevies) and even the taxi industry was advised in Australia. Holden had yet to advise it's own customers in Australia. I had to go the ACCC way to get any assistance. I was eventually provided with a rental car and additional warranty added. I then had to 2x wheel alignments to get things back to normal.

 

[Sir Les]

Could you explain a bit further what you mean when you say "I lost complete control of any power steering movement"? My understanding is that with the system on the VF, even though you might lose power assistance and the steering obviously becomes much heavier, you still should be able to steer the car (albeit with some difficulty). Was this not so?

 

[bLackjackj]

Could you explain a bit further what you mean when you say "I lost complete control of any power steering movement"? My understanding is that with the system on the VF, even though you might lose power assistance and the steering obviously becomes much heavier, you still should be able to steer the car (albeit with some difficulty). Was this not so?

Well I literally had no movement when in an instant the wheel locked up. Keep in mind, this is prior to any recall. I'm driving normally doing 100km, when all of a sudden the rack locks up. After a moment, I was able to pull heavily with gradual movement. I am a strong guy, but struggled using two hands to pull the wheel to one side or the other. I kept finding it was intermittent. I would be able to pull, then it would lock up without movement. There are so many variables and types of accidents that could occur in this instance. As I said, i needed assistance to get the car in a car park, with both of us pulling at the wheel for a very tight turn.

GM/ Holden should be absolutely ashamed for notifying it's US users and even the taxi industry here first.

 

[bLackjackj]

2014-16 Chevrolet SS recalled for steering fix, Commodore not affected

The Aussie-built 2014-16 Chevrolet SS has been recalled over concerns a faulty power steering module could cause a loss of steering assistance, with

www.drive.com.au

 

[bLackjackj]

Taxi drivers target Holden, claiming steering fault

Power steering systems that drivers say can load up unexpectedly have been fixed in the US. But not here.

www.whichcar.com.au

 

[bLackjackj]

2014-16 Holden Commodore, Caprice, HSV models recalled

66,194 vehicles could be affected by a power steering fault. GM Holden has issued a recall for the 2014 to 2016 model-year VF Commodore, WN Caprice, and

www.drive.com.au

 

[Skylarking]

Could you explain a bit further what you mean when you say "I lost complete control of any power steering movement"? My understanding is that with the system on the VF, even though you might lose power assistance and the steering obviously becomes much heavier, you still should be able to steer the car (albeit with some difficulty). Was this not so?

With hydraulic power steering, the failure mode is generally a loss of hydraulic fluid and thus loss of power assistance. Fluid all over the front of the engine is also a giveaway to having a power steering fault and thus needing to take corrective action.

The problem with electronic power steering is that the failure mode could be anything and either you could loose assistance or the system could actively fight the driver despite the steering wheel being mechanically connected to the front wheels. It all depends on how the system was designed, the electronics involved and a whole bunch of things GM/Holden simply doesn't talk about.

Really, such things are a real complex electronics design/failure analysis mixed with complex control system theory. It's likely not as fault tolerant as we are lead to belive (in the same way as hydraulic steering can't actively fight the driver during a failurea)... and such give me reason for pause around the idea of self driving systems...

Really, these EPS systems should have been designed by aviation and rocketry designers using aviation and rocketry levels of fault tolerance and redundancy... or they should have stuck with hydraulic power steering and used a bit more fuel and done away with all this selfdrive shite...

 

[Banjo79]

When good EPS goes bad!

 

[Anthony121]

This is actually a good reminder for anyone with a VF1 or who purchased 2nd hand to have this checked.

I nearly died in a car accident, not long after purchasing my VF1. Driving on the Freeway at 100km/hr and I lost complete control of any power steering movement. I had two people having to help me pull the car into a carpark, as the wheel suddenly had no power. Intermittently I would then lose power steering. After a number of arguements with Holden, the rack was completely replaced. At the time, GM had a recall in the US of all VF (Chevies) and even the taxi industry was advised in Australia. Holden had yet to advise it's own customers in Australia. I had to go the ACCC way to get any assistance. I was eventually provided with a rental car and additional warranty added. I then had to 2x wheel alignments to get things back to normal.

I had my first VF fail on me and I drove it 35 kms in distance home and part of that was freeway. I was able to steer the car without power assistance although heavy you can still control the steering. I think its more of a shock there isn't assistance. Back in the old days there was no power steering thats when you had to use your muscles to turn the wheel.