A rack and pinion steering system is a mechanical steering system that uses the interaction of a rack and pinion to convert the rotational motion of the steering wheel into lateral movement of the wheels. This relatively simple design is very efficient and has been widely used in many vehicles, including cars, SUVs and light trucks.

Although the basic design of the two is similar, the steering ratio of the power system is usually designed to be lower due to the addition of the power system, while the manual system tends to have a higher steering ratio.