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Mobile Body Electrical & Steering Column Repair

How to know if your Hyundai or Kia MDPS steering coupler is worn out & Repair Guide

We've been seeing a lot of these vehicles having Hyundai/Kia EPS MDPS Steering Coupler problems recently. It's one of those problems that just plagues a generation of vehicles.

Affected Vehicles

  • 2010–2018 Hyundai Sonata
  • 2010–2018 Hyundai Elantra
  • 2010–2018 Hyundai Santa Fe
  • 2010–2018 Kia Optima
  • 2010–2018 Kia Forte
  • 2010–2018 Kia Soul
  • 2010–2018 Kia Sorento

Associated Fault Codes

No specific codes associated with this hardware failure.

Difficulty
Diagnosis
(10 mins)
Repair
(2 hours)

1Is this my Problem?

Here are the most common scenarios we hear from our customers experiencing the Hyundai/Kia EPS MDPS Steering Coupler failure and what you will notice.

Hyundai/Kia EPS MDPS Steering Coupler

Observable Symptoms:

  • Loud clunking, clicking, or knocking noise when turning the steering wheel left or right
  • Noticeable play or looseness in the steering wheel while driving straight
  • Noise originates from directly beneath the dashboard behind the steering column

A framework for being sure

  1. With the engine off, rock the steering wheel back and forth a few degrees and listen for a clunk coming from under the dash.
  2. Have a helper rock the wheel while you rest a hand on the MDPS motor housing. A knock you can feel there is the coupler, not the rack.
  3. Confirm the noise does not change with vehicle speed or road surface; that rules out tie rods, struts, and sway bar links.

Now you know for sure you have this problem.

2Solutions

Full Service

Same-Day
$195

Relax, our local trusted technicians will get you back on the road today.

Dispatch

DIYer

2-3 Hours
$0

Keep reading below for the step-by-step how to.

Guide

3Pull the Part

Tools you may need:

  • 12mm Socket
  • 10mm Wrench
  • Plastic Trim Pry Tools
  • Paint Pen

Parts you may need:

  • None required for removal
  1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal with a 10mm wrench and wait three minutes before working around the column.
  2. Remove the knee bolster panel and the lower steering column trim.
  3. Unplug the MDPS motor connector and the torque sensor connector.
  4. Mark the motor-to-column position with a paint pen so the assembly goes back in exactly the same orientation.
  5. Remove the three 12mm motor mounting bolts and separate the MDPS motor from the column to expose the rubber star coupler.

4Fix It

Tools you may need:

  • Torque Wrench
  • Pick Set
  • Shop Vacuum

Parts you may need:

  • Upgraded Polyurethane MDPS Flexible Coupler
  1. Pull the shredded rubber star coupler off the motor shaft and vacuum the crumbs out of the housing.
  2. Inspect the motor shaft splines for wear. Rounded splines mean the motor needs replacement, not just a coupler.
  3. Press the polyurethane coupler onto the shaft with its lobes aligned to the column drive.
  4. Reinstall the motor to your paint mark and torque the three 12mm bolts evenly to spec.
  5. Reconnect both connectors, restore battery power, then cycle the wheel lock to lock and confirm the clunk is gone with no EPS warning light.

Skip the headache. We'll fix it today.

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Who We Are

We are two friends with backgrounds in electronics and auto repair who saw a glaring problem in the market. Dealerships were price-gouging customers by replacing entire assemblies or performing quick software fixes for thousands of dollars when the components could be permanently repaired reliably with the right expertise.

We built Driveway Module Repair to fix the root cause of the problem directly in your driveway, saving you time, money, and a lot of unnecessary stress. We proudly serve the greater St. Louis and Front Range, CO areas.

Will Thessen
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