A black GMC Sierra Denali with Quadrasteer or rear-wheel steeringModern four-wheel steering systems have been around since the 1980s, when Nissan debuted the R31 Skyline GTS in 1986 with High Capacity Actively-controlled Suspension (HICAS). Mitsubishi followed suit when it launched the Galant VR-4 in 1987 with a trio of fours: a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, full-time 4WD, and the brand's four-wheel steering system (4WS). The following year, Honda's Steering Angle Sensing Honda Four-Wheel Steering System (Honda 4WS) made its U.S. debut in the 1988 Prelude and became the first vehicle to offer four-wheel steering in America.All of these systems were quite different, but the basic concepts are the same — rear wheels turning either the same direction as the front wheels for better stability in high-speed driving or in the opposite direction of the front wheels for improved maneuverability at low speeds. However, the trend didn't last, since early iterations of cars with four-wheel steering didn't offer consistent handling improvements over vehicles with conventional two-wheel steering. It was also expensive: Honda's 4WS for the '88 Prelude was a $1,300 option, which was a noticeable bump for a car that cost under $20,000 new.However, that didn't stop General Motors from dabbling with four-wheel steering, and eventually introducing the Quadrasteer system in the early 2000s for its GMT800 lineup of pickup trucks and SUVs. Developed in collaboration with Delphi Automotive, Quadrasteer was standard in the 2002 GMC Sierra Denali, and it worked wonders. Where other trucks of similar vintage had a turning diameter of around 43.7 to 52.3 ft., the Sierra Denali with Quadrasteer delivered 37.4 ft., making it highly maneuverable when parking or towing. Sadly, those capabilities came at a cost that was ultimately too high for consumers. How does Quadrasteer work?A 2002 GMMC Sierra Denali with Quadrasteer rear wheelsGM's Quadrasteer rear-wheel steering system is essentially a Dana 60 rear axle with a rack-and-pinion assembly, an electric motor, and an array of sensors. The system includes three driver-selectable modes — 2-wheel steer, 4-wheel steer, and 4-wheel steer tow. The 2-wheel steer mode disables rear wheel steering, while 4-wheel steer enables the rear wheels to turn with the front. At below 7 mph, the rear wheels turn as much as 12 degrees opposite the front, while the system reduces the rear-wheel steering angle between 7 and 40 mph. At above 40 mph, the system turns the rear wheels about 5 degrees in the same direction as the front wheels.Quadrasteer also keeps the low-speed steering angle to 12 degrees in 4-wheel steer tow mode, purportedly to keep drivers from hitting their trailers. Shifting into reverse limits the maximum rear wheel steering angle to 5 degrees left or right. The system worked well, according to Car and Driver, and the truck managed to feel like a smaller vehicle when parking and more stable when towing. It was too expensiveA 2005 Chevrolet Silverado parked on the streetside.Unfortunately, GM might have shot itself in the foot when it made Quadrasteer a $7,000 option package for the 2002 model year, as noted in a 2005 postmortem by Wards Auto. As expected, buyers ignored the four-wheel steering option due to its hefty price tag, so GM slashed prices to $4,495 in 2003 (including a $2,000 rebate) and $1,995 in 2004. Another drawback was the complexity and weight of the entire thing, with the system adding a hefty 350 pounds to the GMC Sierra.Unfortunately, first impressions are important and buyers looked at Quadrasteer as more of a rather costly gimmick than a necessity. GM only sold 5,502 Quadrasteer-equipped vehicles in 2004, and the numbers were apparently not enough to justify the production costs. It didn't take long for Quadrasteer to fade into obscurity. By 2005, GM took it off the options list, and four-wheel steering was cancelled for the next-gen GMT900 platform.Four-wheel steering or rear-wheel steering has made a comeback in the 2026 GMC Sierra EV, although it's only available in the mid-tier AT4 and range-topping Denali trims. The party may not last long, though, as GM has reportedly delayed future developments of its electric trucks and SUVs, including the GMC Sierra EV, Chevy Silverado EV, and Cadillac Escalade IQ. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred search source on Google.