Back to all

That Squeal is Telling You Something (What Causes Squealing While Steering)

September 24, 2023

If you hear a squealing noise when you turn your vehicle, it's trying to tell you something is wrong.  After all, it never made that noise before, right?  The sound  you hear may becoming from a few sources.  Let's take a look (or a listen) to some of the possibilities.

First, you almost certainly have power steering in your vehicle. Without power steering, you practically have to have arms like Arnold Schwarzenegger to turn, so automakers have technology to assist your steering, either mechanically or electrically.  For a long time, the most common power steering has been hydraulic, using a belt to supply power from the engine that turns a power steering pump full of a fluid that helps you steer. 

Sometimes that fluid gets low because of a leak or some other problem.  The belt could wear out and start squeaking, and you might feel the steering start to become harder.  Your service repair facility can figure out the problem and offer some solutions.

Another cause could be in your suspension.  Some components may not be getting lubricated like they should.  Or you may be hearing your tires squealing when you are turning. 

Properly working steering is a huge safety factor for your vehicle's operation.  Your steering affects handling, vital to your well-being as well as that of drivers around you.  So take your vehicle over to your repair facility and have it checked out.  You'll be doing everyone on the road—including yourself—a big favor by listening to your vehicle. When it comes to steering, silence really is golden.  Get that squealing repaired and get back to safe driving.

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Appleton
2940 E. College Ave.
Appleton, Wisconsin 54915
920-954-8500

More articles from Tuffy Appleton

Go with the Flow (MAF Sensor Replacement)

March 1, 2026

If your vehicle has an internal combustion engine, it depends on two things to make propulsion power for you to be able to motor on down the road: fuel and air. The engine mixes the two in just the right proportion so that they can be ignited, creating a series of tiny explosions that are coordi... More

Thoughtful Gifts for the Winter Driver

February 22, 2026

You may be one of those romantics who don't like giving (or getting) practical gifts for special occasions. Just wait until one of those gifts helps you out of a big predicament in cold weather, and you realize that practical gifts can be life savers. Here are a few things you may give the cold-... More

Taking the Heat (Batteries in Hot Weather)

February 15, 2026

Quick question. Which is tougher on a vehicle's battery, the heat or the cold? Believe it or not, it's the heat. Think about it. The battery often sits in the engine compartment next to that motor generating lots of heat. That can accelerate corrosion in the battery and may even cause water i... More