Component

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP

1,949 NHTSA complaints about steering:hydraulic power assist:pump issues across 44 makes and 309 models.

The steering:hydraulic power assist:pump is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 1,949 filings from 44 manufacturers and 309 distinct vehicle models, a footprint large enough that defect engineers can isolate part-family patterns across different platforms that share the same supplier or the same federal motor vehicle safety standard.

Among filings citing this component, owners have reported 42 crashes, 36 fires, 36 injuries, and 1 fatality. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the DODGE CARAVAN with 156 filings, followed by PLYMOUTH VOYAGER and FORD TAURUS. These severity counters are what separates a nuisance complaint trend from a pattern NHTSA is likely to escalate into a Preliminary Evaluation.

Component-level analysis is how the Office of Defects Investigation spots cross-manufacturer supplier issues — the same airbag inflator, the same takata-style ignition switch, the same brake hose material — before they become industry-wide recalls. When you see a single component accumulating large complaint volume across several unrelated nameplates, that is usually a signature of a shared supplier or a shared federal standard being stressed by real-world conditions. Use the affected-vehicles table below to see whether the pattern is concentrated on a handful of models or distributed evenly, and cross-reference each model's full recall and investigation history before drawing conclusions about any one nameplate.

1,949
Complaints
309
Models Affected
42
Crashes
36
Fires
1
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 DODGE CARAVAN 156
2 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER 95
3 FORD TAURUS 64
4 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY 62
5 CHEVROLET ASTRO 47
6 FORD WINDSTAR 44
7 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 44
8 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 40
9 DODGE DYNASTY 36
10 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 34
11 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 31
12 DODGE INTREPID 30
13 MINI COOPER 28
14 HONDA ODYSSEY 25
15 MERCURY SABLE 24
16 CADILLAC DEVILLE 24
17 CHRYSLER NEW YORKER 23
18 FORD CONTOUR 22
19 MINI COOPER S 21
20 DODGE DAKOTA 20
21 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 18
22 PONTIAC GRAND AM 17
23 GMC SIERRA 16
24 CHRYSLER CONCORDE 16
25 SATURN LS 15
26 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 15
27 FORD F-350 15
28 DODGE NEON 15
29 DODGE DURANGO 15
30 CHEVROLET TAHOE 15

Recent Complaints

2021 JEEP GLADIATOR

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost power steering assist. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued t

2022 FORD E-350

Without warning my brakes and steering failed on a Freedom Elite RV on a Ford Motor chassis. The vehicle only had 2396 miles on it at the time of occurrence. It turned out to be a pressure hose that b

2007 FORD F-250

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD F-250. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE

2012 DODGE DURANGO

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE DURANGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WHILE DRIVING, LOST POWER, AND SHUT DOWN. THE CONTACT QUICKLY PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE ROAD SHOULDER. T

2012 SUZUKI SX4

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP, THERE WAS A RECALL AND I CALLED SUZUKI AND ALL THEY DO I HANG UP ON ME. *TR

2008 GMC ACADIA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC ACADIA, THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER TO THE

2005 BMW 330CI

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 330CI. AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDE

2005 JEEP LIBERTY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 JEEP LIBERTY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, AN ABNORMAL NOISE EMITTED FROM THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THERE WAS ALSO FLUID LEAKING AND THE PRES

2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER

2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEP

2011 FORD FUSION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FUSION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE FAILURE R

2009 GMC ACADIA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 GMC ACADIA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACE

2003 MINI COOPER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED.

2010 GMC ACADIA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 GMC ACADIA. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE

2010 BUICK ENCLAVE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHI

2010 GMC ACADIA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRE

2007 SATURN OUTLOOK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE R

2008 GMC ACADIA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPL

2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE POWER STEERING RESET INDEPENDENTLY WITHIN MOM

2011 DODGE RAM 2500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN BUT THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER A F

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve steering:hydraulic power assist:pump issues?
The NHTSA has received 1,949 complaints about steering:hydraulic power assist:pump problems across 309 vehicle models from 44 manufacturers.
How dangerous are steering:hydraulic power assist:pump defects?
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP issues have been linked to 42 crashes, 36 fires, 36 injuries, and 1 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most steering:hydraulic power assist:pump problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for steering:hydraulic power assist:pump issues is the DODGE CARAVAN with 156 complaints.
Where does PlainCars get its safety data?
All vehicle safety data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database, which collects reports from vehicle owners about safety-related defects.

Data Sources

Vehicle complaint data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database. Includes consumer-reported safety issues filed with NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Severity counts cross-reference NHTSA FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) for fatal incidents where a corresponding FARS record exists.

Component categories are standardized by NHTSA. Crash-test ratings where shown are drawn from the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Complaint counts, crash reports, fire reports, and fatality data reflect consumer-submitted reports and may not represent all incidents.

Disclaimer: This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for vehicle purchase decisions. NHTSA complaint data is self-reported by consumers and has not been verified or investigated. A high complaint count does not necessarily indicate a defect. Always consult a qualified mechanic and check official NHTSA recall notices before making safety-related decisions.

Verify with FDA →