I had a similar problem. Mine was caused by a defective battery in the step well storage area that just happened to be directly above the step motor. The leaking battery acid caused corrision on the bolts that held the motor on tight. The motor housing is aluminum and the bolts are steel. The battery acid only corroded the stell components and had no effect on the aluminum casing. I removed the motor assembly cleaned it all and drilled and replaced the corroded steel bolts sealed the unit with silicone and reassembled it. Took 3-4 hours. I now have plastic battery trays under each battery to catch any battery acid that may leak in the future. The Kwickee steps now work flawlessly. (for now!)