Berlingo heavy steering

A faulty coding of the steering angle sensor may indeed be the root cause. Consider it like this: if the car does not know where the wheels are pointing, it will not know how much assistance to offer and, more importantly, the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) will act erratically. Has the wheel alignment been checked recently? Any work done on the suspension or steering system? These can cause the sensor to go out of alignment.

Thanks for your reply. You've highlighted a detail I had not fully considered. If the wheel alignment were off, it could indeed throw off the sensor's readings, much like a misaligned sight on a rifle. The wheel alignment was not checked lately, and I do have alignment problems. But how does that influence the steering angle sensor?

If the wheel alignment is not correct, the steering angle sensor will be sending incorrect data to the ESP and power steering systems, as the sensor believes the wheels are in a different position than they physically are. As a consequence, the car will handle poorly and require increased effort when steering. It is best to get it professionally checked out.

Thank you for confirming my suspicions and clarifying the relationship between wheel alignment and sensor function. I had it checked by a professional workshop. The repair consisted of a sensor replacement and recalibration, which brought the total cost to 195€. You've saved me a lot of time and money!