Volvo V40 steering locked after power steering malfunction

[bradleyreg]

Hi people. Any help or advice appreciated.

Driving normally. Steering became a little heavier. Not automatically centering if I let go of the wheel for example.

Then a notice popped up.
Power steering service urgent.

I stopped the car and restarted.
The steering was impossibly heavy. Just about got it parked up.
New message. Steering malfunction. Stop safely.

RAC came out. Tried alternator and battery, but these were fine. He reset the codes on the car. Power Steering felt back to normal(except from auto centering) but he advised that it could be the steering rack. Especially as it still didn't re-centre.

The car got me home. As I slowed down near home. Steering got heavy. Same steering malfunction message came back. I parked at home.

A few days later, I needed to move the car up a bit. But I found the steering lock was fully on after the car started. The wheel cannot be moved at all.

My mechanic came out, planning to drive it to his garage, I think expecting that the wheel would unlock. But it didn't. He said "it's not the rack, the steering lock isn't working." I asked if he could sort it but he said it would have to go to Volvo. I can't afford that... It's a killer.

Please, any ideas at all? Help!