diff --git a/Core/include/Acts/EventData/GenericBoundTrackParameters.hpp b/Core/include/Acts/EventData/GenericBoundTrackParameters.hpp
index f624cd88aee..38f297764b1 100644
--- a/Core/include/Acts/EventData/GenericBoundTrackParameters.hpp
+++ b/Core/include/Acts/EventData/GenericBoundTrackParameters.hpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "Acts/Definitions/Tolerance.hpp"
+#include "Acts/EventData/TrackParameterHelpers.hpp"
 #include "Acts/EventData/TransformationHelpers.hpp"
 #include "Acts/EventData/detail/PrintParameters.hpp"
 #include "Acts/Surfaces/Surface.hpp"
@@ -18,7 +19,6 @@
 #include <cassert>
 #include <cmath>
 #include <memory>
-#include <type_traits>
 
 namespace Acts {
 
@@ -61,7 +61,10 @@ class GenericBoundTrackParameters {
         m_cov(std::move(cov)),
         m_surface(std::move(surface)),
         m_particleHypothesis(std::move(particleHypothesis)) {
-    assert(m_surface);
+    // TODO set `validateAngleRange` to `true` after fixing caller code
+    assert(isBoundVectorValid(m_params, false) &&
+           "Invalid bound parameters vector");
+    assert(m_surface != nullptr && "Reference surface must not be null");
     normalizePhiTheta();
   }
 
diff --git a/Core/include/Acts/EventData/GenericFreeTrackParameters.hpp b/Core/include/Acts/EventData/GenericFreeTrackParameters.hpp
index 214aa2e1551..7a2b4b46522 100644
--- a/Core/include/Acts/EventData/GenericFreeTrackParameters.hpp
+++ b/Core/include/Acts/EventData/GenericFreeTrackParameters.hpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "Acts/Definitions/Algebra.hpp"
 #include "Acts/Definitions/Common.hpp"
 #include "Acts/Definitions/TrackParametrization.hpp"
+#include "Acts/EventData/TrackParameterHelpers.hpp"
 #include "Acts/EventData/TrackParametersConcept.hpp"
 #include "Acts/EventData/TransformationHelpers.hpp"
 #include "Acts/EventData/detail/PrintParameters.hpp"
@@ -18,10 +19,8 @@
 #include "Acts/Utilities/UnitVectors.hpp"
 #include "Acts/Utilities/VectorHelpers.hpp"
 
-#include <cassert>
 #include <cmath>
 #include <optional>
-#include <type_traits>
 
 namespace Acts {
 
@@ -55,7 +54,9 @@ class GenericFreeTrackParameters {
                              ParticleHypothesis particleHypothesis)
       : m_params(params),
         m_cov(std::move(cov)),
-        m_particleHypothesis(std::move(particleHypothesis)) {}
+        m_particleHypothesis(std::move(particleHypothesis)) {
+    assert(isFreeVectorValid(m_params) && "Invalid free parameters vector");
+  }
 
   /// Construct from four-position, direction, absolute momentum, and charge.
   ///
@@ -78,6 +79,8 @@ class GenericFreeTrackParameters {
     m_params[eFreeDir1] = dir[eMom1];
     m_params[eFreeDir2] = dir[eMom2];
     m_params[eFreeQOverP] = qOverP;
+
+    assert(isFreeVectorValid(m_params) && "Invalid free parameters vector");
   }
 
   /// Construct from four-position, angles, absolute momentum, and charge.
@@ -103,6 +106,8 @@ class GenericFreeTrackParameters {
     m_params[eFreeDir1] = dir[eMom1];
     m_params[eFreeDir2] = dir[eMom2];
     m_params[eFreeQOverP] = qOverP;
+
+    assert(isFreeVectorValid(m_params) && "Invalid free parameters vector");
   }
 
   /// Converts a free track parameter with a different hypothesis.
diff --git a/Core/include/Acts/EventData/TrackParameterHelpers.hpp b/Core/include/Acts/EventData/TrackParameterHelpers.hpp
index c9089ff9ab9..df40c934824 100644
--- a/Core/include/Acts/EventData/TrackParameterHelpers.hpp
+++ b/Core/include/Acts/EventData/TrackParameterHelpers.hpp
@@ -11,8 +11,38 @@
 #include "Acts/Definitions/TrackParametrization.hpp"
 #include "Acts/Utilities/detail/periodic.hpp"
 
+#include <limits>
+
 namespace Acts {
 
+/// Check if a bound vector is valid. This checks the following:
+/// - All values are finite
+/// - (optionally) The phi value is in the range [-pi, pi)
+/// - (optionally) The theta value is in the range [0, pi]
+///
+/// @param v The bound vector to check
+/// @param validateAngleRange If true, the phi and theta values are range checked
+/// @param epsilon The epsilon to use for the checks
+/// @param maxAbsEta The maximum allowed eta value
+///
+/// @return True if the bound vector is valid
+bool isBoundVectorValid(
+    const BoundVector& v, bool validateAngleRange, double epsilon = 1e-6,
+    double maxAbsEta = std::numeric_limits<double>::infinity());
+
+/// Check if a free vector is valid. This checks the following:
+/// - All values are finite
+/// - Direction is normalized
+///
+/// @param v The free vector to check
+/// @param epsilon The epsilon to use for the checks
+/// @param maxAbsEta The maximum allowed eta value
+///
+/// @return True if the free vector is valid
+bool isFreeVectorValid(
+    const FreeVector& v, double epsilon = 1e-6,
+    double maxAbsEta = std::numeric_limits<double>::infinity());
+
 /// Normalize the bound parameter angles
 ///
 /// @param boundParams The bound parameters to normalize
diff --git a/Core/include/Acts/EventData/TrackParametersConcept.hpp b/Core/include/Acts/EventData/TrackParametersConcept.hpp
index b39255e5ef7..5e4982545a4 100644
--- a/Core/include/Acts/EventData/TrackParametersConcept.hpp
+++ b/Core/include/Acts/EventData/TrackParametersConcept.hpp
@@ -12,9 +12,7 @@
 #include "Acts/Definitions/TrackParametrization.hpp"
 #include "Acts/Geometry/GeometryContext.hpp"
 
-#include <concepts>
 #include <optional>
-#include <type_traits>
 
 namespace Acts {
 
@@ -68,4 +66,5 @@ concept BoundTrackParametersConcept =
         { p.position(c) } -> std::same_as<Vector3>;
       };
     };
+
 }  // namespace Acts
diff --git a/Core/include/Acts/EventData/detail/GenerateParameters.hpp b/Core/include/Acts/EventData/detail/GenerateParameters.hpp
index 023314e2527..1b591dbcd7a 100644
--- a/Core/include/Acts/EventData/detail/GenerateParameters.hpp
+++ b/Core/include/Acts/EventData/detail/GenerateParameters.hpp
@@ -195,6 +195,10 @@ struct GenerateBoundParametersOptions {
   GenerateQoverPOptions qOverP;
 };
 
+inline BoundVector someBoundParametersA() {
+  return {0.0, 0.0, 0.0, std::numbers::pi / 2, 1.0, 0.0};
+}
+
 template <typename generator_t>
 inline BoundVector generateBoundParameters(
     generator_t& rng, const GenerateBoundParametersOptions& options) {
@@ -242,6 +246,10 @@ struct GenerateFreeParametersOptions {
   GenerateQoverPOptions qOverP;
 };
 
+inline FreeVector someFreeParametersA() {
+  return {0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0};
+}
+
 template <typename generator_t>
 inline FreeVector generateFreeParameters(
     generator_t& rng, const GenerateFreeParametersOptions& options) {
diff --git a/Core/include/Acts/EventData/detail/TestTrackState.hpp b/Core/include/Acts/EventData/detail/TestTrackState.hpp
index c1471566c5b..514ae073c2f 100644
--- a/Core/include/Acts/EventData/detail/TestTrackState.hpp
+++ b/Core/include/Acts/EventData/detail/TestTrackState.hpp
@@ -38,11 +38,11 @@ struct TestTrackState {
       : surface(
             CurvilinearSurface(Vector3::Zero(), Vector3::UnitZ()).surface()),
         // set bogus parameters first since they are not default-constructible
-        predicted(surface, BoundVector::Zero(), std::nullopt,
+        predicted(surface, someBoundParametersA(), std::nullopt,
                   ParticleHypothesis::pion()),
-        filtered(surface, BoundVector::Zero(), std::nullopt,
+        filtered(surface, someBoundParametersA(), std::nullopt,
                  ParticleHypothesis::pion()),
-        smoothed(surface, BoundVector::Zero(), std::nullopt,
+        smoothed(surface, someBoundParametersA(), std::nullopt,
                  ParticleHypothesis::pion()),
         jacobian(BoundMatrix::Identity()),
         chi2(std::chi_squared_distribution<double>(measdim)(rng)),
diff --git a/Core/src/EventData/CMakeLists.txt b/Core/src/EventData/CMakeLists.txt
index 08a69711378..c425d533649 100644
--- a/Core/src/EventData/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Core/src/EventData/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,4 +8,5 @@ target_sources(
         TrackStatePropMask.cpp
         VectorMultiTrajectory.cpp
         VectorTrackContainer.cpp
+        TrackParameterHelpers.cpp
 )
diff --git a/Core/src/EventData/TrackParameterHelpers.cpp b/Core/src/EventData/TrackParameterHelpers.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9e7ddb40abf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Core/src/EventData/TrackParameterHelpers.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+// This file is part of the ACTS project.
+//
+// Copyright (C) 2016 CERN for the benefit of the ACTS project
+//
+// This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+// License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+// file, You can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+
+#include "Acts/EventData/TrackParameterHelpers.hpp"
+
+#include "Acts/Utilities/AngleHelpers.hpp"
+#include "Acts/Utilities/VectorHelpers.hpp"
+
+#include <numbers>
+
+bool Acts::isBoundVectorValid(const BoundVector& v, bool validateAngleRange,
+                              double epsilon, double maxAbsEta) {
+  constexpr auto pi = std::numbers::pi_v<double>;
+
+  bool loc0Valid = std::isfinite(v[eBoundLoc0]);
+  bool loc1Valid = std::isfinite(v[eBoundLoc1]);
+  bool phiValid = std::isfinite(v[eBoundPhi]);
+  bool thetaValid = std::isfinite(v[eBoundTheta]);
+  bool qOverPValid = std::isfinite(v[eBoundQOverP]);
+  bool timeValid = std::isfinite(v[eBoundTime]);
+
+  if (validateAngleRange) {
+    phiValid = phiValid && (v[eBoundPhi] + epsilon >= -pi) &&
+               (v[eBoundPhi] - epsilon < pi);
+    thetaValid = thetaValid && (v[eBoundTheta] + epsilon >= 0) &&
+                 (v[eBoundTheta] - epsilon <= pi);
+  }
+
+  bool etaValid = true;
+  if (std::isfinite(maxAbsEta)) {
+    double eta = AngleHelpers::etaFromTheta(v[eBoundTheta]);
+    etaValid = std::isfinite(eta) && (std::abs(eta) - epsilon <= maxAbsEta);
+  }
+
+  return loc0Valid && loc1Valid && phiValid && thetaValid && qOverPValid &&
+         timeValid && etaValid;
+}
+
+bool Acts::isFreeVectorValid(const FreeVector& v, double epsilon,
+                             double maxAbsEta) {
+  bool pos0Valid = std::isfinite(v[eFreePos0]);
+  bool pos1Valid = std::isfinite(v[eFreePos1]);
+  bool pos2Valid = std::isfinite(v[eFreePos2]);
+  bool dir0Valid = std::isfinite(v[eFreeDir0]);
+  bool dir1Valid = std::isfinite(v[eFreeDir1]);
+  bool dir2Valid = std::isfinite(v[eFreeDir2]);
+  bool dirValid = (std::abs(v.segment<3>(eFreeDir0).norm() - 1) - epsilon <= 0);
+  bool qOverPValid = std::isfinite(v[eFreeQOverP]);
+  bool timeValid = std::isfinite(v[eFreeTime]);
+
+  bool etaValid = true;
+  if (std::isfinite(maxAbsEta)) {
+    double eta = VectorHelpers::eta(v.segment<3>(eFreeDir0));
+    etaValid = std::isfinite(eta) && (std::abs(eta) - epsilon <= maxAbsEta);
+  }
+
+  return pos0Valid && pos1Valid && pos2Valid && dir0Valid && dir1Valid &&
+         dir2Valid && dirValid && qOverPValid && timeValid && etaValid;
+}
diff --git a/Tests/UnitTests/Core/EventData/TrackParameterHelpersTests.cpp b/Tests/UnitTests/Core/EventData/TrackParameterHelpersTests.cpp
index 0a6f3064594..bba77ff8ef2 100644
--- a/Tests/UnitTests/Core/EventData/TrackParameterHelpersTests.cpp
+++ b/Tests/UnitTests/Core/EventData/TrackParameterHelpersTests.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,16 @@
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE(TrackParameterHelpers)
 
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(isBoundVectorValid) {
+  BOOST_CHECK(!Acts::isBoundVectorValid({1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}, true));
+  BOOST_CHECK(Acts::isBoundVectorValid({1, 2, 1, 1, 5, 6}, true));
+}
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(isFreeVectorValid) {
+  BOOST_CHECK(!Acts::isFreeVectorValid({1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}));
+  BOOST_CHECK(Acts::isFreeVectorValid({1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 0, 0, 8}));
+}
+
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(normalizeBoundParameters) {
   CHECK_CLOSE_OR_SMALL(Acts::normalizeBoundParameters({1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}),
                        Acts::BoundVector(1, 2, -0.141593, 2.28319, 5, 6), 1e-3,
diff --git a/Tests/UnitTests/Core/Propagator/MultiStepperTests.cpp b/Tests/UnitTests/Core/Propagator/MultiStepperTests.cpp
index b9842b55420..e7edefb1f03 100644
--- a/Tests/UnitTests/Core/Propagator/MultiStepperTests.cpp
+++ b/Tests/UnitTests/Core/Propagator/MultiStepperTests.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <memory>
 #include <optional>
+#include <random>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <tuple>
 #include <type_traits>
@@ -124,9 +125,30 @@ auto makeDefaultBoundPars(bool cov = true, std::size_t n = 4,
     return c;
   };
 
+  // note that we are using the default random device
+  std::mt19937 gen;
+  std::uniform_real_distribution<> locDis(-10.0, 10.0);
+  std::uniform_real_distribution<> phiDis(-M_PI, M_PI);
+  std::uniform_real_distribution<> thetaDis(0, M_PI);
+  std::uniform_real_distribution<> qOverPDis(-10.0, 10.0);
+  std::uniform_real_distribution<> timeDis(0.0, 100.0);
+
   for (auto i = 0ul; i < n; ++i) {
-    cmps.push_back({1. / n, ext_pars ? *ext_pars : BoundVector::Random(),
-                    cov ? Opt{make_random_sym_matrix()} : Opt{}});
+    BoundVector params = BoundVector::Zero();
+
+    if (ext_pars) {
+      params = *ext_pars;
+    } else {
+      params[eBoundLoc0] = locDis(gen);
+      params[eBoundLoc1] = locDis(gen);
+      params[eBoundPhi] = phiDis(gen);
+      params[eBoundTheta] = thetaDis(gen);
+      params[eBoundQOverP] = qOverPDis(gen);
+      params[eBoundTime] = timeDis(gen);
+    }
+
+    cmps.push_back(
+        {1. / n, params, cov ? Opt{make_random_sym_matrix()} : Opt{}});
   }
 
   auto surface = Acts::CurvilinearSurface(Vector3::Zero(), Vector3{1., 0., 0.})
@@ -430,7 +452,8 @@ void test_multi_stepper_surface_status_update() {
   std::vector<std::tuple<double, BoundVector, std::optional<BoundSquareMatrix>>>
       cmps(2, {0.5, BoundVector::Zero(), std::nullopt});
   std::get<BoundVector>(cmps[0])[eBoundTheta] = M_PI_2;
-  std::get<BoundVector>(cmps[1])[eBoundTheta] = -M_PI_2;
+  std::get<BoundVector>(cmps[1])[eBoundPhi] = M_PI;
+  std::get<BoundVector>(cmps[1])[eBoundTheta] = M_PI_2;
   std::get<BoundVector>(cmps[0])[eBoundQOverP] = 1.0;
   std::get<BoundVector>(cmps[1])[eBoundQOverP] = 1.0;
 
@@ -541,7 +564,8 @@ void test_component_bound_state() {
   std::vector<std::tuple<double, BoundVector, std::optional<BoundSquareMatrix>>>
       cmps(2, {0.5, BoundVector::Zero(), std::nullopt});
   std::get<BoundVector>(cmps[0])[eBoundTheta] = M_PI_2;
-  std::get<BoundVector>(cmps[1])[eBoundTheta] = -M_PI_2;
+  std::get<BoundVector>(cmps[1])[eBoundPhi] = M_PI;
+  std::get<BoundVector>(cmps[1])[eBoundTheta] = M_PI_2;
   std::get<BoundVector>(cmps[0])[eBoundQOverP] = 1.0;
   std::get<BoundVector>(cmps[1])[eBoundQOverP] = 1.0;
 
@@ -703,18 +727,7 @@ void test_single_component_interface_function() {
   using MultiState = typename multi_stepper_t::State;
   using MultiStepper = multi_stepper_t;
 
-  std::vector<std::tuple<double, BoundVector, std::optional<BoundSquareMatrix>>>
-      cmps;
-  for (int i = 0; i < 4; ++i) {
-    cmps.push_back({0.25, BoundVector::Random(), BoundSquareMatrix::Random()});
-  }
-
-  auto surface =
-      Acts::CurvilinearSurface(Vector3::Zero(), Vector3::Ones().normalized())
-          .planeSurface();
-
-  MultiComponentBoundTrackParameters multi_pars(surface, cmps,
-                                                particleHypothesis);
+  MultiComponentBoundTrackParameters multi_pars = makeDefaultBoundPars(true, 4);
 
   MultiState multi_state(geoCtx, magCtx, defaultBField, multi_pars,
                          defaultStepSize);
diff --git a/Tests/UnitTests/Core/Surfaces/LineSurfaceTests.cpp b/Tests/UnitTests/Core/Surfaces/LineSurfaceTests.cpp
index 0175578a423..15d930929af 100644
--- a/Tests/UnitTests/Core/Surfaces/LineSurfaceTests.cpp
+++ b/Tests/UnitTests/Core/Surfaces/LineSurfaceTests.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "Acts/Definitions/TrackParametrization.hpp"
 #include "Acts/EventData/ParticleHypothesis.hpp"
 #include "Acts/EventData/TrackParameters.hpp"
+#include "Acts/EventData/detail/GenerateParameters.hpp"
 #include "Acts/Geometry/GeometryContext.hpp"
 #include "Acts/Material/HomogeneousSurfaceMaterial.hpp"
 #include "Acts/Propagator/Propagator.hpp"
@@ -343,8 +344,9 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(LineSurfaceIntersection) {
           .closest();
   CHECK_CLOSE_ABS(intersection.pathLength(), pathLimit, eps);
 
-  BoundTrackParameters endParameters{surface, BoundVector::Zero(), std::nullopt,
-                                     ParticleHypothesis::pion()};
+  BoundTrackParameters endParameters{surface,
+                                     detail::Test::someBoundParametersA(),
+                                     std::nullopt, ParticleHypothesis::pion()};
   {
     PropagatorOptions options(tgContext, {});
     options.direction = Acts::Direction::Forward;
diff --git a/Tests/UnitTests/Core/Vertexing/ImpactPointEstimatorTests.cpp b/Tests/UnitTests/Core/Vertexing/ImpactPointEstimatorTests.cpp
index c9743e90d7f..279f2c1a739 100644
--- a/Tests/UnitTests/Core/Vertexing/ImpactPointEstimatorTests.cpp
+++ b/Tests/UnitTests/Core/Vertexing/ImpactPointEstimatorTests.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include <cmath>
 #include <limits>
 #include <memory>
+#include <numbers>
 #include <optional>
 #include <tuple>
 #include <utility>
@@ -371,6 +372,9 @@ BOOST_DATA_TEST_CASE(VertexCompatibility4D, IPs* vertices, d0, l0, vx0, vy0,
   BoundVector paramVecClose = BoundVector::Zero();
   paramVecClose[eBoundLoc0] = d0;
   paramVecClose[eBoundLoc1] = l0;
+  paramVecClose[eBoundPhi] = 0;
+  paramVecClose[eBoundTheta] = std::numbers::pi / 2;
+  paramVecClose[eBoundQOverP] = 0;
   paramVecClose[eBoundTime] = vt0 + sgnClose * timeDiffClose;
 
   BoundVector paramVecFar = paramVecClose;
diff --git a/Tests/UnitTests/Plugins/Json/TrackParametersJsonConverterTests.cpp b/Tests/UnitTests/Plugins/Json/TrackParametersJsonConverterTests.cpp
index 566464a1889..5c0882cb12c 100644
--- a/Tests/UnitTests/Plugins/Json/TrackParametersJsonConverterTests.cpp
+++ b/Tests/UnitTests/Plugins/Json/TrackParametersJsonConverterTests.cpp
@@ -8,12 +8,12 @@
 
 #include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
 
+#include "Acts/EventData/ParticleHypothesis.hpp"
+#include "Acts/EventData/TrackParameters.hpp"
 #include "Acts/Plugins/Json/TrackParametersJsonConverter.hpp"
 #include "Acts/Surfaces/PlaneSurface.hpp"
 #include "Acts/Surfaces/RectangleBounds.hpp"
-#include "Acts/Tests/CommonHelpers/FloatComparisons.hpp"
 
-#include <fstream>
 #include <memory>
 
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>