Start with the records. Repair orders, warranty documents, mileage, and days out of service are more useful than general assumptions about whether a vehicle qualifies.
Electric power steering assist (often labeled “EPS” on your dash) is supposed to make your steering effortless and predictable. When it cuts out, feels jerky, pulls, or throws warning lights, it can become a serious safety concern. This article explains, in plain language, how California’s Lemon Law may apply to ongoing electric steering assist problems and what steps you can take to protect your rights.
California Lemon Law: Electric Steering Assist
Electric steering assist issues show up in real life as a steering wheel that suddenly gets very heavy, an EPS warning light with reduced assist, intermittent loss of power assist during low‑speed turns, or a steering pull that a shop can’t permanently fix. Sometimes the issue is caused by a faulty steering rack, torque sensor, wiring/ground faults, a weak 12‑volt battery, or a software calibration that keeps getting re-flashed without lasting results. If the problem affects your ability to steer safely, or significantly reduces your vehicle’s use or value, it may be the kind of defect California’s Lemon Law was designed to address.
California’s Lemon Law (the Song‑Beverly Consumer Warranty Act) generally applies to new vehicles—and many used vehicles—sold or leased with a manufacturer’s warranty. If your car has a warranty and the manufacturer or its authorized dealer cannot repair a covered defect after a reasonable number of attempts, you may be entitled to remedies such as a repurchase (buyback), replacement, or, in some situations, a cash settlement. Electric steering assist defects can qualify if they are covered by warranty and persist despite repair attempts, but every situation is fact-specific.
California also has a “presumption” that can help consumers during the first 18 months or 18,000 miles (whichever comes first). While not a hard-and-fast rule and subject to exceptions, the law presumes a vehicle is a lemon if, for example, the dealer has made four or more repair attempts for the same defect, two or more attempts for a defect that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, or the vehicle has been out of service for a total of 30 or more days for warranty repairs. This is general information only; whether the presumption applies to your steering issue depends on your specific facts and documentation.
What to Do Next and When to Contact ZapLemon
If you’re experiencing EPS problems, start by documenting everything. Note the date, mileage, speed, weather, and dashboard warnings when the issue happens, and, if safe, take a short video of the symptoms and warning lights. Each time you visit the dealership, ask for a detailed repair order that lists your complaint in your own words, the technician’s findings, parts replaced, software updates performed, and the dates your vehicle was in the shop. Keep all records together, including tow receipts and loaner car paperwork.
Continue to seek warranty repairs through an authorized dealer and ask whether there are technical service bulletins (TSBs), recalls, or updated software related to the steering system. Avoid clearing codes with a phone app before service, as that can erase evidence technicians need to diagnose the problem. If the steering assist cuts out while driving and the wheel becomes dangerously heavy, consider parking the vehicle and arranging a tow—safety comes first.
It may be time to contact ZapLemon if you’ve had repeated EPS repairs with no lasting fix, your vehicle has spent many days in the shop, the dealer says “operating as designed” despite obvious steering issues, you’re told to keep driving a vehicle you believe is unsafe, or the manufacturer refuses or delays warranty coverage. A consultation can help you understand your options under California law and how your repair history fits into the legal framework. Speaking with a professional is the best way to get guidance tailored to your facts.
Electric steering assist problems are frustrating—and when they impact safety, they’re not something to ignore. California’s Lemon Law may provide remedies when a warranty-covered steering defect isn’t fixed after reasonable attempts, but the outcome depends on the details and your documentation. This article is for general informational purposes only, is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney‑client relationship. Attorney advertising.
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Attorney advertising. General information is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. No result is promised or guaranteed.