Electric power steering (EPS) swaps the old hydraulic pump for an electric motor, a torque sensor and a control unit — and when one of those fails you feel it as heavy or notchy steering, an EPS warning light, or assistance that comes and goes. We diagnose and remanufacture EPS motors, columns, racks and control units on a mail-in basis, returning a bench-tested unit backed by a lifetime warranty.
On this page
- What is electric power steering (EPS)?
- How do I know if my electric power steering is failing?
- What happens when electric power steering fails?
- What causes electric power steering faults?
- Is it expensive to fix an electric power steering fault?
- How do you fix an electric power steering fault?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is electric power steering (EPS)?
Electric power steering does the same job as the older hydraulic system — it makes the wheel lighter to turn — but it does it electronically. Instead of a belt-driven pump pushing hydraulic fluid, an electric motor applies assistance directly to the steering column or rack. A torque sensor measures how hard you are turning the wheel, a steering-angle sensor tracks where the wheel is pointing, and a control unit — the EPS ECU — reads both and tells the motor exactly how much help to add. Because the whole system is electronic, an EPS fault is usually a sensor, motor, wiring or control-unit problem rather than a fluid leak, which is why it needs proper electronic diagnosis and not just a mechanical once-over.
How do I know if my electric power steering is failing?
EPS faults tend to announce themselves clearly, because steering is something you feel every time you drive. Watch for any of these signs, and note that the same symptom can have more than one cause:
- Heavy or notchy steering — the wheel suddenly feels far heavier than normal, or stiff and catchy as you turn. This is the classic sign that assistance has dropped out, and it usually points to the EPS motor, the torque sensor or the control unit.
- An EPS or power-steering warning light — a steering-wheel symbol, often amber, sometimes with the letters EPS or EPAS. The control unit has logged a fault, disabled assistance to stay safe, and lit the warning. It rarely clears on its own.
- Assistance that comes and goes — the steering is light one moment and heavy the next, or it only drops out on certain journeys. Intermittent faults like this often trace back to a failing connector, chafed wiring or a sensor that misreads as it warms up.
- Steering that stiffens when hot or at low speed — assistance fades once the car has warmed up, or is worst during parking and slow manoeuvres when you need it most. Overheating motors and heat-related internal faults inside the ECU are common causes.
- Whining, grinding or knocking from the column — a noise that rises and falls with steering effort. This tends to point at the motor, its gearing or a worn column bearing rather than the electronics.
- The wheel not self-centring — the steering feels vague or will not straighten up smoothly after a turn. This often means the steering-angle or torque sensor is feeding the control unit the wrong information.
You may notice just one of these or several together. Because a warning light, heavy steering and an intermittent fault can all stem from different parts of the same system, the unit needs proper electronic diagnosis before anything is replaced — condemning a part on a hunch is how repairs get expensive.
What happens when electric power steering fails?
This is the reassuring part: losing power steering is not the same as losing steering. EPS only adds assistance — the mechanical link between the wheel and the road stays intact — so if the system fails you keep full control of the car. What changes is effort. The wheel becomes much heavier, especially when parking and at low speed, and it can catch you out if the assistance disappears suddenly part-way through a turn.
Even so, heavy and unexpected steering is a genuine hazard, so an EPS fault should not be ignored or driven on indefinitely. If the warning light is on or the steering feels wrong, drive with extra care, keep your speed sensible and get the system diagnosed promptly. A fault that starts as an occasional warning light has a habit of becoming a permanent loss of assist.
What causes electric power steering faults?
Several components can produce the same symptoms, which is exactly why guesswork gets costly. The usual causes are:
- The EPS motor — the electric motor that provides the actual assistance. Wear, overheating or a failed winding leaves the steering heavy or dead.
- The torque and steering-angle sensors — if these send inaccurate readings, the control unit can no longer judge how much help to add and will often shut assistance down to stay safe.
- The control unit (EPS ECU) — failed internal components or corrupted software inside the module. Heat-related joint failure is a common reason assistance drops out once the car warms up.
- Wiring and connectors — chafed looms, corroded pins and loose plugs cause the intermittent, comes-and-goes faults that are so hard to pin down.
- Battery and charging problems — EPS draws a lot of current, so a weak battery, a failing alternator or low system voltage can trip an EPS fault and light the warning even when the steering hardware itself is sound.
Because a low battery can mimic a failed control unit, and a bad connector can mimic a failed sensor, accurate diagnosis matters before any part is condemned. Identifying which component has actually failed is the difference between a targeted repair and a string of replaced parts that never fixed the root cause.
Is it expensive to fix an electric power steering fault?
It usually costs far less than owners fear, because an EPS fault rarely means the whole system is scrap. A main dealer will typically replace the complete column, rack or control unit with a new coded part — the most expensive route, and one that fits a fresh unit still carrying the same original design weakness. Remanufacturing your existing EPS motor, sensor assembly or control unit is normally a fraction of that cost, and it lets us reinforce the known weak points rather than repeat them.
The exact figure depends on which part has failed and on your make and model, so we quote against your specific unit rather than a generic price. Repairing the original also keeps your vehicle’s existing coding intact, which often means no dealer programming is needed when the unit goes back on.
How do you fix an electric power steering fault?
Steering is safety-critical, so this is not a job to tackle with an online video and a socket set — a mis-set or mis-calibrated steering component is dangerous. The right approach is proper electronic diagnosis to identify the failed part, a component-level repair or remanufacture of that part, and calibration before it goes back on the car.
This is our specialism. We are UK automotive-electronics remanufacturers who work at circuit-board and component level on the motors, sensors and control units behind modern steering — so rather than selling you a complete new assembly, we diagnose the actual fault in your EPS unit and rebuild it, reinforcing the areas known to fail. Every repaired unit is tested on our in-house Hardware-in-the-Loop rigs, which simulate the heat, vibration and electrical load the steering faces in the car, then calibrated before dispatch. Most units come back ready to fit, and our remanufactured parts carry a lifetime, unlimited-mileage warranty. It is part of our wider power steering and EPS repairs across makes and models.
The service is mail-in: you send us the failing part and we repair and return it. For a model-specific example of how these faults present and get resolved, see our detailed Peugeot 207 power steering guide. To get started, complete our repair form with your vehicle and fault details — or if you are not sure which part has failed, get in touch and we will help you work out the next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my electric power steering is failing?
The clearest signs are heavy or notchy steering, an EPS or power-steering warning light on the dashboard, and assistance that comes and goes or fades when the car is hot. Whining from the column and a wheel that will not self-centre are also common. Any of these means the system should be diagnosed rather than left.
What happens when electric power steering fails?
You keep full mechanical steering — the car does not become unsteerable — but the wheel gets much heavier, especially when parking and at low speed. Because a sudden loss of assist can catch you out mid-turn, an EPS fault should be diagnosed promptly rather than driven on indefinitely.
Is it expensive to fix electric power steering?
Usually far less than a dealer replacement. Remanufacturing your existing EPS motor, sensor or control unit is typically a fraction of the cost of a new coded assembly, and it avoids fitting a fresh part with the same design weakness. We quote against your specific unit rather than a set figure.
How do you fix an electric power steering fault?
With electronic diagnosis to find the failed component, then a component-level repair or remanufacture of the EPS motor, sensor or control unit, followed by calibration. Steering is safety-critical, so it is specialist work — not a DIY adjustment.