Power Steering Warning Light: What It Means and Whether You Can Drive
The power steering (EPS) light means the assistance system has a fault, and the steering may suddenly become heavy, especially at parking speeds. You can still steer, it just takes real effort, but the light is an MOT failure and needs sorting. Fixes range from a £50-95 diagnostic to £250-500 for a pump on hydraulic systems.
What it means
Almost every modern car has powered steering assistance. Newer cars use an electric motor (EPS), older ones use a hydraulic pump driven by the engine, and some use a hybrid of the two. The warning light, usually a steering wheel symbol, sometimes with an exclamation mark, means the system has detected a fault and may have reduced or switched off assistance.
The colour matters on many cars: amber often means reduced assistance, red means assistance has failed. Either way the mechanical link between the wheel and the front tyres is unaffected, you will never lose steering entirely, it just gets heavy.
Can you keep driving?
Amber leaning red, judge it honestly. At 50 mph you may barely notice the difference, but at parking speeds the wheel can need genuine muscle, and assistance can cut in and out without warning, which is unsettling mid-corner. If the steering feels normal, drive carefully and directly to a garage. If it is already heavy, or you are not confident you can control the car at low speed, especially smaller or older drivers, get it recovered rather than wrestling it through town.
Most common causes
- On electric systems: torque sensor or EPS motor faults in the steering column or rack
- Low system voltage, a tired battery is a surprisingly common trigger for EPS lights
- On hydraulic systems: low fluid from a leaking pipe, rack seal or pump
- Failed hydraulic pump, often with a whine that rises with revs
- Wiring or connector faults to the EPS unit
- Software faults needing a reset or update, known issues on some models
What it costs to fix
| Repair | Typical UK independent garage price |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic check | £50-95 |
| Battery replacement (voltage-related faults) | £120-250 |
| Hydraulic pipe/hose repair and fluid | £80-200 |
| Power steering pump | £250-500 |
| EPS column or rack (reconditioned/replacement) | £400-900 |
On electric systems, get the codes read before assuming the worst, low voltage and connector faults mimic expensive failures.
Will it fail the MOT?
Yes. An illuminated power steering warning light indicating a malfunction is a defect under the MOT rules brought in from May 2018, and the car fails. The tester also checks steering effort and, on hydraulic systems, fluid level and leaks, so a system that is heavy, leaking or visibly defective fails on those grounds too. This is a safety item, not one to defer.
Common questions
The steering went heavy then came back to normal. Do I still need to do anything?
Yes. Intermittent assistance is arguably worse than none, because it can drop out mid-manoeuvre when you are not braced for it. The fault will be logged in the EPS module even if the light has gone out, so a diagnostic check can still identify it. Get it read before it becomes permanent.
Can a weak battery really cause a power steering light?
Genuinely, yes. Electric power steering draws a lot of current, and if system voltage sags during cranking or idling, the EPS module logs a fault and may reduce assistance. On plenty of cars a £120-250 battery has fixed what looked like a £900 steering rack, which is why the diagnostic comes first.
My car has hydraulic power steering. Can I just top up the fluid?
You can, with the correct fluid for your car, and it may restore assistance. But like coolant, the fluid went somewhere, usually a perished pipe, a rack seal or the pump itself. Top up to get mobile, then have the leak found, because running the pump dry is what kills it.