1996 Chevrolet Impala Steering Problems

Your steering wheel feels very loose and doesn't respond predictably, especially on rough roads and at all speeds. When you brake, your car darts unpredictably in both directions instead of stopping straight. This steering issue likely involves worn suspension components, tie rods, or steering linkage that need replacement or adjustment.

Your power steering intermittently locks up when turning at low speeds, making the steering wheel hard to turn and temporarily difficult to control the car. This same issue happened 3 years ago. The dealer and Chevrolet customer service say there's no known recurring problem, though you've found multiple reports of this on the NHTSA website and Impala owner forums.

Your power steering assist periodically stops working while you're turning, though not every time. This creates a dangerous situation in traffic since steering becomes much harder to control. The intermittent nature of the problem makes it unpredictable and risky. You'll likely need the power steering pump, hoses, or electrical connections inspected and possibly replaced.

Your steering wheel becomes extremely difficult to turn, sometimes locking up completely while driving. This has happened about 15 times—once while you were trying to turn left into a shopping center, forcing you to swerve onto a curb and grass to avoid hitting another car. Turning the wheel off and restarting the engine temporarily restores some steering control, but the problem keeps recurring. The steering may need inspection of the power steering pump, hoses, or control valve to determine why it's intermittently failing.

Your odometer display cuts out intermittently, and the dealer says the only fix is replacing the entire dashboard. More concerning, your water pump is leaking coolant onto the power steering belt, which causes the belt to slip and your power steering to fail without any warning. Both problems occurred with fewer than 42,000 miles on the vehicle. Fixing the water pump leak and inspecting or replacing the power steering belt should resolve the steering issue, while the dashboard display may require electrical diagnosis or replacement.

IDLER ARM HAS WORN, CAUSING VEHICLE TO DRIFT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WHEN DRIVING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

MY WIFE HAD COMPLAINED OF THE STEERING GOING OUT ON HER FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. I COULD NEVER GET THE STEERING FAILURE TO MANIFEST ITSELF FOR ME, SO I FIGURED IT MUST HAVE BEEN AN ANOMALIE. LAST MONTH, THE STEERING PROBLEM OCCURRED FOR ME AT VERY POOR TIMES. I WAS TURNING INTO MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND LOST ALL CONTROL OF STEERING AND ALMOST RAN INTO MY SUBDIVISION'S SIGN. THE SECOND TIME WAS WHEN I WAS EXITING A PARKING LOT IN NASHVILLE, AND THE STEERING FROZE. I REV'D THE ENGINE UP TO SEE IF THE INCREASE IN PUMP PRESSURE WOULD HELP, BUT TO NO AVAIL. MY WIFE INSTRUCTED ME TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, AND RESTART IT. THE STEERING RESPONEDED POORLY, AND I LIMPED THE CAR HOME AND IT IS PARKED THERE TODAY AWAITING A NEW PUMP FROM NAPA. I TRIED TO PULL THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE THIS WEEKEND, BUT THE STEERING COULDN'T EVEN FUNCTION ENOUGH FOR THAT TASK. THIS STEERING PROBLEM ALMOST KILLED ME, MY WIFE,AND POSSIBLY ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNFORTUNITE ENOUGH TO BE IN THE PATH OF THIS CAR. WITHOUT POWER STEERING, THIS CAR IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER, UNLESS YOU ARE VERY STRONG AND RECOGNIZE WHAT IS HAPPENING. THANK GOD FOR 4 WHEEL ABS BRAKES! *AK

MY WIFE HAD COMPLAINED OF THE STEERING GOING OUT ON HER FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. I COULD NEVER GET THE STEERING FAILURE TO MANIFEST ITSELF FOR ME, SO I FIGURED IT MUST HAVE BEEN AN ANOMALIE. LAST MONTH, THE STEERING PROBLEM OCCURRED FOR ME AT VERY POOR TIMES. I WAS TURNING INTO MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND LOST ALL CONTROL OF STEERING AND ALMOST RAN INTO MY SUBDIVISION'S SIGN. THE SECOND TIME WAS WHEN I WAS EXITING A PARKING LOT IN NASHVILLE, AND THE STEERING FROZE. I REV'D THE ENGINE UP TO SEE IF THE INCREASE IN PUMP PRESSURE WOULD HELP, BUT TO NO AVAIL. MY WIFE INSTRUCTED ME TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, AND RESTART IT. THE STEERING RESPONEDED POORLY, AND I LIMPED THE CAR HOME AND IT IS PARKED THERE TODAY AWAITING A NEW PUMP FROM NAPA. I TRIED TO PULL THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE THIS WEEKEND, BUT THE STEERING COULDN'T EVEN FUNCTION ENOUGH FOR THAT TASK. THIS STEERING PROBLEM ALMOST KILLED ME, MY WIFE,AND POSSIBLY ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNFORTUNITE ENOUGH TO BE IN THE PATH OF THIS CAR. WITHOUT POWER STEERING, THIS CAR IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER, UNLESS YOU ARE VERY STRONG AND RECOGNIZE WHAT IS HAPPENING. THANK GOD FOR 4 WHEEL ABS BRAKES! *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 45MPH WENT TO APPLY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN TO MAKE A TURN AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 OR 5 TIMES IN THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS. CONTACTED DEALER, HE HAS CHECKED THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE. *AK

WHEN DRIVING THE POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT THREE TIMES, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL. HAD TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP TWICE DUE TO A LEAKAGE. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ALMOST HIT A TREE. *AK

BROKEN POWER STEERING SHAFT.

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED.

POWER STEERING SHAFT FAILED.

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED.

POWER STEERING HOSE ROUTED SO THEY RUB AGAINST METAL, CAUSING HOLE/LEAK. *DH