A turbocharger for an internal combustion engine includes a rotating assembly having a turbine wheel disposed inside a turbine housing and a compressor wheel disposed inside a compressor cover. The turbocharger also includes a waste-gate assembly configured to selectively redirect at least a portion of the engine's post-combustion gases away from the turbine wheel. The waste-gate assembly includes a valve, a rotatable shaft connected to the valve, and a bushing fixed relative to the turbine housing and disposed concentrically around the shaft such that the shaft rotates inside the bushing for opening and closing the valve. The bushing is defined by a length, an outer surface in contact with the turbine housing, and an inner surface in contact with the shaft. The inner surface includes a plurality of longitudinal grooves configured to counteract friction between the bushing and the shaft and avoid seizure of the shaft relative to the bushing.