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Car Fault Index

Suspension and steering · Dealers fix it

Jaecoo 7 steering rack knock

Owners of the Jaecoo J7 and of Chery and Omoda cars built on the same platform report a knock or crackle from the steering rack, felt over bumps, when turning or when parking, several of them by the first service. Dealers adjusted or replaced the rack under warranty in some cases; on other cars the knock was not found at first or had not been cured when the owner wrote.

Affected versions
1.6 TGDI petrol, SHS hybrids (SHS-P, SHS-H) · 7-speed dual-clutch, hybrid DHT · 2025, 2026
Owner reports
12 owners: Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max 5, Jaecoo J7 (Russia) 4, Omoda C5 1, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro 2
Typical mileage
10,000 km median (about 6,200 miles); range 2,000 km–35,000 km, from 7 reports that gave a mileage
Most common fix
Rack knock or failed rack reported with no repair described (6 of 12 reports)
Covered by a recall?
No UK recall found
Last updated
November 2026
20–545–20120–40040–70070+Mileage when the fault appeared (thousand km)
Owner reports by mileage, Jaecoo 7 steering rack knock. Only reports that state a mileage are counted (7).

What owners report

  • A Jaecoo J7's steering rack started knocking at 16,000 km. The dealer adjusted it under warranty and the owner reports no trouble since. [2]
  • On another J7 the rack knock was found at the first service, at 10,000 km, after the owner asked for the steering to be checked; a new rack was ordered and the owner was waiting for it. [8]
  • A four-wheel-drive J7 had its knocking rack replaced under warranty at 8,000 km. [9]
  • An Omoda C5 1.6T owner heard a knock from the front from about 2,000 km. The dealer found nothing on three visits; an independent garage then found heavy play in the rack, and the owner was told to wait a couple of months for parts. [3]
  • A Tiggo 7 Pro Max owner says the dealer twice worked on the steering column joint without stopping the knock, which the owner traces to the electric power steering unit; it rattles most in winter before the car warms up. [1]

Evidence comes from: Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max (5), Jaecoo J7 (Russia) (4), Omoda C5 (1), Chery Tiggo 7 Pro (2). Several of the owners drive the Jaecoo J7, the Russian version of the UK petrol Jaecoo 7; the rest drive Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, Tiggo 7 Pro Max and Omoda C5 cars built on the same platform, and we did not check whether their steering racks are the same part (part numbers not compared). All reports come from petrol cars; the SHS hybrid shares the body, but we have not confirmed it uses the same steering rack.

One Tiggo 7 Pro Max owner says the knock was loudest in a Russian winter before the car warmed up. Za Rulem links rack wear to road quality; UK potholes may matter more than temperature.

Known causes

  • Play in the steering rack itself, found by an independent garage after the dealer had not reproduced the knock. [3]
  • One owner traces the knock to the electric power steering unit after a new steering column joint did not stop it; no dealer confirmed this. [1]
  • Za Rulem's guide to the Tiggo 7 Pro calls its rack-type steering delicate and says it can start knocking from about 70,000 km on bad roads, or after 120,000 km on better ones. The owner reports here come at much lower mileage. [13]

How dealers have fixed it

What was doneReportsOutcome reported
Steering rack replaced under warranty (or new rack ordered)3 of 12Not stated
Rack adjusted by the dealer under warranty1 of 12Fixed
Steering column joint tightened, then replaced; knock remained1 of 12Not fixed
Dealer found no fault; independent garage found rack play; parts awaited1 of 12Not stated
Rack knock or failed rack reported with no repair described6 of 12Not stated

Reports that did not say what was done are left out of this table, so the rows need not add up to 12.

What to ask your dealer

  • “Can you check the steering rack for play with the front wheels off the ground, and road-test the car over rough surfaces with me, not only on the ramp?”
  • “Have the rack mountings and the steering fasteners been checked for tightness?”
  • “If the rack needs replacing, is it covered by the warranty, and how long is the wait for the part?”
  • “Please record the knock on the job card even if you cannot reproduce it today, so a repeat visit is on file.”

Is it safe to keep driving?

A knock from the steering is a safety item: book the car in with a dealer soon and describe when the knock happens. If the steering feels loose, has free play, pulls or becomes heavy, stop driving and arrange recovery to the dealer. Do not try to adjust or tighten steering parts yourself.

Questions

Is a steering rack knock on a Jaecoo 7 covered by the warranty?
In the owner reports that say who paid, rack adjustments and rack replacements were done under warranty. One owner had to visit three times before the play was found, so ask for a road test and for the complaint to be recorded.
At what mileage does the knock start?
Owners who gave a mileage reported it early, some by the first service. The fact box shows the spread. Za Rulem expects rack wear much later, from about 70,000 km on bad roads.

Related faults

All 24 known Jaecoo 7 faults, ranked by owner reports

Sources

Facts are restated in our own words; nothing is translated word for word. Follow the links for the originals.

  1. Owner review, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max, 2023, 1.5T CVT (drom.ru, in Russian)
  2. Owner review, Jaecoo J7, 2023, 1.6T DCT, 16,000 km (drom.ru, in Russian)
  3. Owner review, Omoda C5, 2024, 1.6T DCT, 2,000 km (drom.ru, in Russian)
  4. Short owner review, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, 2023, 1.5T CVT, 35,000 km (drom.ru, in Russian)
  5. Short owner review, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max, 2022, 1.5T, 16,000 km (drom.ru, in Russian)
  6. Short owner review, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max, 2024, 1.6T, 4,000 km (drom.ru, in Russian)
  7. Short owner review, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, 2023, 1.5T (drom.ru, in Russian)
  8. Short owner review, Jaecoo J7, 2024, 1.6T, 10,000 km (drom.ru, in Russian)
  9. Short owner review, Jaecoo J7, 2023, 1.6T, 8,000 km (drom.ru, in Russian)
  10. Short owner review, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max, 2023, 1.5T CVT (drom.ru, in Russian)
  11. Short owner review, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max, 2024, 1.6T DCT (drom.ru, in Russian)
  12. Short owner review, Jaecoo J7, 2025, 1.6T (drom.ru, in Russian)
  13. Za Rulem: Chery Tiggo 7 Pro faults (steering rack) (zr.ru, in Russian)

Last updated 12 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us; we correct errors within 72 hours.