MG ZS Steering Fault - clicking when turning

[Tech and Wheels]

Can anyone advise what may be causing this issue? The car is only a few months old and after around 1000 miles it making a clicking / creaking noise when turning the steering wheel.

I have uploaded a video of it to YouTube for you to view. It’s been to the garage three times and they are either saying they can’t hear anything or they don’t know what’s causing it.


Anything would help !
Many Thanks
Will

I had that nois when the car was new, I asked if it was dangerous at the Dealership, they said no and now my car is 2 year old and the noise is gone, looks like it was a plastic trim in the steering column that made the noise.

 

[Julian Gabe]

Had the clicking/knocking on and off for nearly two years since new. Been to the dealer around 8 times and all steering parts replaced at least once. Was last being sorted two weeks ago and was in for two days. Hasn't made any difference and still clicks. Driving me crazy but might just give up trying to have it fixed now. Want to change to the long range one in Spring but do they still have this issue?

 

[Lovemyev]

Had the clicking/knocking on and off for nearly two years since new. Been to the dealer around 8 times and all steering parts replaced at least once. Was last being sorted two weeks ago and was in for two days. Hasn't made any difference and still clicks. Driving me crazy but might just give up trying to have it fixed now. Want to change to the long range one in Spring but do they still have this issue?

Have they actually replaced the steering column itself do you know ?.
This appears to be the component(s) that is causing the problem.
Our car has made the same knocking noise, when turning the steering wheel from lock to lock.
It has been doing this for about 18 months or more.
You can hear a knocking sound coming from the top of the steering column, when you are driving over a road with a broken / rough tarmac surface.
If you try hard enough, you can feel the play in the column by rocking the steering wheel, with your hands in the ten past eight positions.
I believe that the whole steering system on the face lift is different to the original ZS EV.
Not sure if this includes the steering column assembly though ?.

 

[Vipar]

I hope that the manufacturers in China have someone reading this forum so that they can pick up and act on the niggles and faults that are posted on here

 

[Kithmo]

Mine was the tilt adjuster.
The way I got rid of it was to adjust the tilt to the position I wanted, then I removed part of the top cowling and tightened the 13mm nut on the other end of the adjuster right up tight. This got rid of the click but left me with no tilt adjustment, which is fine as I'm the only one who drives it.

 

[toria1972]

I have the same issue with my 2019 ZS and am having it repaired under warranty, although the part is not available in Australia or China.
When the part is available they are replacing the steering column on the car. They tell me it is just an 'audible' problem so i'm not quite sure why i can feel it through the steering wheel and find it strange that i have gone through 2 front sets of tyres in just under 45,000km.

 

[Lovemyev]

I have the same issue with my 2019 ZS and am having it repaired under warranty, although the part is not available in Australia or China.
When the part is available they are replacing the steering column on the car. They tell me it is just an 'audible' problem so i'm not quite sure why i can feel it through the steering wheel and find it strange that i have gone through 2 front sets of tyres in just under 45,000km.

If you take hold of the steering wheel, with one hand at the 6 o’clock position and your other hand at the 12 o’clock position.
Then by lifting up at the bottom and pushing away at the top, you will feel the lift / play in the steering column.
When travelling over a rough broken surface road, you will hear the rattle coming up through the column, and this is transmitted up through the steering wheel.
This rattle / knocking sound is the play you can feel in the upper column I believe.
Tightening up the 13 mm nut increases the clamping power of what WAS the adjustable column level, to accommodate different drivers.
My steering wheel started with a “clicking noise” ( like other owners ) when turning quickly from lock to lock, it could be felt when getting in and out of a tight car parking space etc.
This ticking has now deteriorated into a rattle in the top end of the steering column when travelling over a broken surface road.
It is worse in cold weather and reduces in noise when the inside temperature of the car has increased.
I have to say I am a little surprised by this problem, because the column used is a Bosch unit, which are pretty good when it comes to quality.
The approved fix by MG appears to be by replacing the inner and outer steering column assembly complete !.
Of course, there is no part’s available to remedy this issue at the moment, so dealers are checking for any other safety issues and then returning the cars to there owners.
Although in my own personal opinion here, the dealer may just pass off the problem as a “Noise” issue and not a safely issue.
That clearly does not make it right !.
One last point here, if the car was submitted for a MOT and the tester picked up the “Play” in the upper steering column, then he / she could fail the car, as excessive play in the upper steering column is not permitted.
No excessive play is permitted in any steering components.

 

[Rex]

Mine was the tilt adjuster.
The way I got rid of it was to adjust the tilt to the position I wanted, then I removed part of the top cowling and tightened the 13mm nut on the other end of the adjuster right up tight. This got rid of the click but left me with no tilt adjustment, which is fine as I'm the only one who drives it.

Sounds good fix. How did you remove the top cowling to tighten the adjuster?

 

[Kithmo]

Sounds good fix. How did you remove the top cowling to tighten the adjuster?

Squeeze and pull IIRC. The bottom half has screws and you can jiggle that half out as well if you need more room, without taking the lower dash panel off.

 

[Shippo]

Can anyone advise what may be causing this issue? The car is only a few months old and after around 1000 miles it making a clicking / creaking noise when turning the steering wheel.

I have uploaded a video of it to YouTube for you to view. It’s been to the garage three times and they are either saying they can’t hear anything or they don’t know what’s causing it.


Anything would help !
Many Thanks
Will

I have the same issue, when the car had its service, technician said it was "normal" for this type of car, does he mean electric, or the MG brand. I think he meant he couldn't be bothered fixing it. Some good dealers and some not so good.

 

[starmonkeylg]

Had my steering column replaced on my 2020 ZS EV a week ago after waiting since October last year for the parts to arrive!

The steering is now very smooth, no clicks or movement. It definitely got worse - looser - during the 12 weeks I was waiting for the parts, so no dealer should be saying this is normal. I imagine if left to progress it would eventually result in some sort of failure.

 

[Alun26]

Had this clicking when I first had the car 3 years ago, then it disappeared, but now its back with the warmer weather, plus I have a issue with the central locking making a loud buzzing noise when it auto locks when you drive off? Will try and post vid of it.

 

[ARealHuman]

Mine has started clicking again now I commute to work after the pandemic. This is despite having the steering column replaced under warranty. Whilst it's annoying, I'm not overly worried and if it doesn't get worse will raise at the next service in September.

 

[Kithmo]

Mine was the tilt adjuster.
The way I got rid of it was to adjust the tilt to the position I wanted, then I removed part of the top cowling and tightened the 13mm nut on the other end of the adjuster right up tight. This got rid of the click but left me with no tilt adjustment, which is fine as I'm the only one who drives it.

Update on mine.
The clicking has not returned 10 months after tightening the bolt and I now find I do have tilt adjustment, it just takes a little more effort to move the lever, but it works and doesn't click.

 

[ARealHuman]

I remember that @Kithmo, may have to do the same. I've not looked recently but remember that I think there's a screw underneath the cowling near where the eight adjuster is, does undoing this one let you get at the necessary bits?

 

[Kithmo]

I remember that @Kithmo, may have to do the same. I've not looked recently but remember that I think there's a screw underneath the cowling near where the eight adjuster is, does undoing this one let you get at the necessary bits?

I can't remember now if it's one or two screws holding the bottom cowling to the steering column. None in the top, this just clips on. Some people have removed the bottom of the dash to get easy access, but I found I could wiggle the bottom cowling out, once unscrewed, without dismantling the dash and get easy access to the 13mm nut on the other end (right side) of the tilt adjuster.

 

[ARealHuman]

Thanks @Kithmo Whilst sat at a quiet rapid charger this morning I had a go. I undid the single screw under the cowling (it's in the centre near where the steering height adjuster is) and managed to pry off the top part of the cowling. The lower part was fixed solid, I couldn't see an obvious way to get that off, not that I wanted too. Anyway, I found a 13mm nut like you said, on the right hand side of the steering column as viewed when sat in the car. It looked as though the bolt it was connected to ran horizontally across the steering column. Anyway, I just about managed to get a spanner on it and it was quite loose - not slack, but fairly easy to turn, bearing in mind that it was hard to get a spanner in there and my fingers on it! I'd guess I tightened by about a turn/turn and a half. Everything's now been put back, the test will come when driving to work tomorrow! I do wonder though how this nut and bolt would change anything - any ideas?

 

[Kithmo]

Thanks @Kithmo Whilst sat at a quiet rapid charger this morning I had a go. I undid the single screw under the cowling (it's in the centre near where the steering height adjuster is) and managed to pry off the top part of the cowling. The lower part was fixed solid, I couldn't see an obvious way to get that off, not that I wanted too. Anyway, I found a 13mm nut like you said, on the right hand side of the steering column as viewed when sat in the car. It looked as though the bolt it was connected to ran horizontally across the steering column. Anyway, I just about managed to get a spanner on it and it was quite loose - not slack, but fairly easy to turn, bearing in mind that it was hard to get a spanner in there and my fingers on it! I'd guess I tightened by about a turn/turn and a half. Everything's now been put back, the test will come when driving to work tomorrow! I do wonder though how this nut and bolt would change anything - any ideas?

I guess you may have missed the other screw if the bottom half was still solid.
I think what tightening the bolt does is crushes the column slightly as it seems to be just mild steel and there looks to be some sort of crushable layers behind the adjuster lever. I think the source of the noise is the whole bolt moving slightly and crushing it a bit seems to have stopped it moving.
Edit: Just checked, there is only one screw in the lower half.

 

[ARealHuman]

Thanks - did I tighten the wrong thing?

 

[Kithmo]

Thanks - did I tighten the wrong thing?

Sorry, typo on my part, it (13mm nyloc nut) tightens the tilt adjuster and crushes the column slightly, not the cowling (now corrected).