XC40 Power Steering Issue

I've got a 2020 Volvo XC40 (electric engine) with 166785 km. Recently, the power steering has gone bonkers. The steering wheel vibrates like crazy, handling feels spongy, and the car threw an error code related to the power steering. It's getting increasingly difficult to steer, feels like the power assist is failing intermittently. I've checked the obvious stuff like fluid levels (not applicable, electric power steering!), but I'm stumped. Could this be a bad steering rack, or perhaps a faulty sensor? I'm a bit worried about the repair costs piling up. Any ideas before I take it to the shop?

4 comment(s)

I had a similar issue with my XC40 a while back. Same symptoms: vibrating steering, vague feeling. I'd check the cable and plug connections to the power steering unit itself. A defective or loose connection can cause all sorts of weirdness. Check if they are corroded. It's the most likely reason.

Thanks for the tip! Where exactly is the power steering unit located? I'd like to check the connections myself before throwing in the towel and taking it in. Is it easily accessible, or do I need to remove a bunch of stuff to get to it? I'm fairly handy with tools, but I don't want to start blindly disassembling things.

The unit is near the steering rack, but Volvo has really cramped engine bays nowadays. I also tried to access it, but gave up pretty quickly to be honest. I ended up taking it to a workshop, they found a defective plug connection and charged me 95€ to fix it. You should go to the shop. Best of luck!

You were spot on! Took the XC40 to a shop. Turns out it was indeed a loose plug connection on the power steering unit. They cleaned and secured it, and the problem's gone! Total cost was similar to what you paid. Thanks for saving me from potentially replacing the whole steering rack!

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