[RafflesNH]

Driving into town this morning on a country road when a bang and a shudder of the steering wheel ended in a real fight to stop the vehicle going through a dry stone wall. I was traveling at about 30mph after the bang and shudder the steering wheel was pulling very hard to the left, it took all my strength to pull to the right and stop. Called JLR main dealer who informed me there is a safety recall to do with bolt corrosion where the motor bolts to the rack, he couldn't commit until diagnosis but said it was likely the bolts had snapped. The DS is a 2015 manual Black edition with just over 40k. We have owned it for the last five years, very happy with it and up to now it has been totally reliable. Unfortunately this fault is so dangerous I can't understand why we didn't get a call or letter inviting us to take the car for a safety inspection. I genuinely think if I was traveling at speed when this happened the outcome would have been much worse.

Not a safety issue according to the UK DVSA, but JLR have agreed to carry out remedial work on a "fix on fail" basis. This from another forum:

"Got this today from DVSA: in the UK

With regards to this case. The manufacturer has determined that the three aluminium retaining bolts, securing the EPAS motor to the steering rack, have failed due to inter-crystalline corrosion. This has been caused by salt water ingress between the EPAS motor and the mounting flange on the steering rack.

In order to understand the effects of power steering loss when driving a Range Rover Evoque or a discovery sport, DVSA carried out a test drive examination of a Land Rover Discovery Sport vehicle. The conclusions from the test drive are summarised below:
1. There is no evidence to suggest the vehicle does not comply with the original approval requirement.
2. The amount of effort required to control the vehicle with the EPS disconnected is greatest for manoeuvring and at lower speeds.
3. The amount of effort required with the EPS disconnected continues through the whole speed range.
4. The likely point of failure for the steering assistance motor to detach is at low speed or stationary as this is when the greatest torque is applied by the motor. At the point of maximum torque from the motor greater tensile loadings are applied to the bolts. As the load decreases the likelihood of detachment also decreases. This conclusion is based on engineering principles and experience.
5. The Driver has full braking available through the whole speed range.

It is not possible to conclude the failure of the Steering Assistance on the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport due to corrosion of the retaining bolts, leading to the EPS motor detachment, meets the definition of an unsafe product, set out in the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) 2005 Regulation 2.
However, it is clear that drivers of these vehicles are concerned this is a safety issue and have raised this point with DVSA. It is also clear that unless remedial action is taken, steering motor bolts will continue to fail, leading to a loss of steering assistance. DVSA have recommended that that Land Rover conduct a voluntary recall to rectify those vehicles with aluminium bolts which could potentially fail.
The manufacturer has recognised the fault with steering motor bolts breaking on Range Rover Evoque (and Discovery Sport) vehicles. They have explained they are carrying out remedial work on a ‘fix on fail’ basis. However, they have chosen not to instigate a recall as they consider the vehicles meet the Type Approval requirements for a vehicle with failed power steering.
DVSA have also recommended that the manufacturer should continue to monitor the situation and provide DVSA with information on the number of cases reported. The manufacturer should also provide DVSA with any new information, which may arise and could lead to DVSA reconsidering the current conclusions or recommendations.

This concludes DVSA’s current investigations into this matter."

"steering rack failure

Also still not listed as an official recall according to LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT Recalls - Vehicle Recall UK

 

[RafflesNH]

Hi there, I can see all information on steering rack issues with bolts sheeting but has anyone had the problem with electrics? The power steering failed on an 2017 disco with less than 60k mileage and when I took to the delearship I got this report “I.c.c of power steering fault. Power steering currently operating correctly. Checked for DTCs. Fault code stored B1304-04 power assisted steering system - system internal failures. Visually impacted wiring. All okay. Requires replacement steering rack and alignment.”
£3481! This seems crazy for a car this age and low mileage. I’m going to ask for contribution. Anyone else had this problem?

It might be a failed rack but according to the workshop manual (see attached) this fault code could also be caused by electrical power supply issues such as a faulty battery or wiring. Did they do the voltage checks as recommended in the manual? I assume they meant "visually inspected wiring" and 'impacted' was a typo, but no mention of voltage checks. When was the last time you replaced the battery? If you can't get any joy from the dealership, then I suggest you get a second opinion from an independent specialist.
All the best and do let us know how you get on with this.