Steering failure

Q On a couple of occasions, the EPS light on the dashboard of my 2010 Vauxhall Meriva 1.4 petrol has come on, after which the steering has become very stiff and difficult to manoeuvre. I have seen that this is a problem with a lot of Merivas. Could you give me some advice on repair procedure? Is it Vauxhall’s fault or am I responsible for my own repairs? Would it be a costly repair and is it safe to continue driving with this happening? Barry Thomas

A In my opinion, the electronic power steering failure makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. While you will still have full steering control, the sudden loss of power could seriously impair your control of the vehicle.

The problem is more than likely a failed sensor within the EPS unit, but getting the system code-read would confirm this. It should also be noted that a low voltage output from the alternator could cause power steering problems on your Meriva, so this would be worth checking, too.

According to Vauxhall, the model years that were affected by the problem are 2003-2008 and these are the vehicles for which Vauxhall did carry out repair work under warranty. Vauxhall state that the warranty will be applied on a case-by-case basis, so it would be worth contacting them before having any work done. Although you have said the vehicle is a 2010 model, you have not mentioned if it is a Meriva A or B; if it is an A which may have been registered later, you will have a greater chance of Vauxhall helping out under warranty. They will, of course, look into the service history and will most likely be sympathetic to a claim if the vehicle has a full dealer service history.

Alternatively, ecutesting.com can rebuild your EPS unit and will supply a guarantee for about £234.