2018 Honda Civic Steering

I previously submitted a report to your agency on May 31, 2024 regarding my 2018 Honda Civic Sedan (VIN# provided) relating to what has been widely called a "sticky" steering action. After having one of their dealerships confirming there is a problem with my steering, I wrote Honda America on June 1, 2024 and advised them of that problem and requested my vehicle be added to a recall program that has included other Honda Civic's in the same manufacturing date range as my vehicle. Honda refused. To further confirm and document that my vehicle suffers from this problem, I took my vehicle to another local Honda dealer, who also confirmed my vehicle suffers from this problem. By letter of October 30, 2024 I again wrote Honda America and appealed for them to repair this dangerous steering problem. I must continue to drive this vehicle with this serious problem, and I am writing this to document my communications with Honda, and hope that your agency will intervene with Honda to add my vehicle to a recall program. To be clear, the internet is full of owners of the same year and make of my vehicle who are having the same problem with their steering. Thank You

Steering sticks when driving, causes over correction, and unsafe driving. Purchased the car used with 41k miles on it and just thought it was misaligned, but new tires and alignment done and issue is still VERY present. Honda needs to recall all vehicles affected and make this right because a 4k repair bill for their issue is just insane!

The steering wheel starts sticking when going highway speed around causing me to overcompensate to adjust it to keep following the road, when done so, the car jerks along with the overcompensation. This is causing alot of strain on my arms due to me having to constantly force the wheels to turn to follow the road, took it to the dealership, quoted $4000+ for a steering rack replacement. I hope something gets done about this issue as I’m seeing many similar cases here

On hot, very humid days, typically 80 degrees or hotter, the steering will lock in position which requires a very strong turn of the steering wheel to get it to turn again. This action causes the car to swerve and into other lanes of traffic causing a major safety concern. This problem has been discussed with a Honda quality assurance representative with no resolution. This has not been reproduced by a service center as it is an intermittent issue and the car has not been inspected by the manufacturer as they did not seem concerned about the problem. No warning lights are displayed before, during or after the problem.

The steering wheel sticks and requires abnormal effort to turn the wheel from the neutral (steering straightforward) to either left or right resulting in oversteering situations once the wheel has "broke-free" from the sticking. The sticking is not noticeable until the vehicle has warmed-up, usually ten to fifteen minutes drive time. The 2018 Civic has 74,850 miles and sticking began around 65,000 but has become more prevalent over time.

While driving the vehicle, only left turn direction. The steering wheel will hang when it should go back to center position such as in a curve on the road. It requires a slight jerk to get the wheel to move back to the center position. It is really noticable and could be dangerous if you don’t pay close attention.

Steering sticking at all speeds and when parked.

The steering wheel sticks when traveling causing a definite safety issue. I have had some difficulty maintaining my lane on the road at times. There are a lot of folks posting on the Honda blogs about this same issue. This problem started a while back and continues to happen periodically. I can't afford the $4,500 dollars the dealer wants to fix it. Please issue a recall. Thanks.

When driving highway speeds (50-70 MPH) the steering wheel feels "notched" between 11 and 1 positions. This will cause me to oversteer in making minor adjustments. The problem is more consistent in daytime traffic with the temperatures at the hottest. In morning commutes, the issue arises about 15 minutes into the commute. Looking at online forums there have been many instances of other drivers experiencing the same problem however most could not have the issue resolved due to licensed dealers not fixing the faulty device but instead saying this is a compliant design.

When I drive the car at highway speed or any speed above 30mph, the steering of the car gets sticky, jerky feeling. When trying to make minor adjustments to keep the car straight within its lane, it would feel like the steering wheel will stick and the car doesn't respond to make those adjustments. Therefore, I have to give it a harder force but causing it to jerk more in the direction I’m trying to steer, which causes slight over steering and having to correct back the other direction. This sticky steering happens all the time.

The power steering sticks when driving at highway speed in straight line. Any steering corrections are difficult and could cause over correction and loss of vehicle control.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was sticking and jerking while turning in either direction. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel, the steering would over correct, making it difficult to keep the vehicle inside the desired lane. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 58,000.

The steering sticks when driving, particularly at highway speeds. Steering corrections are slow and difficult and cause over correction with potential loss of vehicle control.

Steering is stiff and sticky at high speeds when trying to make small adjustments while driving. I have read on car forums this is a common issue which requires complete replacement of the steering system. My safety is at risk driving this vehicle due to over correction and being unable to properly steer. It has not been inspected by a dealer. This issue appeared about a year ago. I noticed a very similar recall on 2022-2025 models and I think this is a systemic issue with Honda civics.

The electric power steering rack assembly is malfunctioning. The steering wheel becomes stuck while driving and high force is required to free the steering wheel to enable turning. This can repeat rapidly and can be very clearly heard with an audible knocking noise. This issue is most evident when driving on the highway and driving straight. Making small adjustments to stay within the driving lines is incredibly difficult, exhausting, and leads to unintended oversteering and swerving. This puts the driver and others at risk of death and/or injury. This issue occurs every time the vehicle is operated. This issue has been confirmed by a Honda dealership and there are no warning lamps to notify the user of this issue. This safety issue affects 10th generation Honda Civics and is widely known to owners of these vehicles. Honda recommends replacing the electric power steering rack assembly. Action is needed to ensure a recall of these vehicles and a safe solution is implemented. Failure to do so will likely result in more accidents, injury, and death associated with this safety issue.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, observing that the steering wheel continuously jerked to the left. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the steering rack and pinion. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who confirmed the diagnosis, finding that the steering rack was binding and causing the steering wheel to jerk hard to the left. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 77,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the steering wheel pulled slightly in the opposite direction and made a clicking sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times for the failure; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

The steering does not allow for smaller adjustments making it difficult to keep the vehicle continuing in a straight line in higher speeds (highways, freeways). When attempting to pull the wheel, it will not move until more force is used, causing the wheel to jerk and making the vehicle difficult to control. After checking with the Norm Reeves Honda Center, they suggested it was an issue with the power steering rack, however many others report they've had a similar issue but discovered it was the gearbox at fault. This problem has been occurring after around 40,000 miles but the condition worsened over time.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering failed to function as intended, with the traction control warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to steer. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure occurred while driving on a major highway. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Steering feels rough. When traveling down highway, resistance is felt when trying to make steering adjustments right or left. The pressure required to make adjustments causes the car to weave, as each adjustment right or left requires pressure to overcome resistance. I also have had steering bump against my input going around a corner. This is a dangerous defect and is well documented. Honda should recall these defective electronic steering units.

The problem I have is with the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) rack on my 2018 Honda Civic Si. My safety is at risk because the EPS rack causes the steering wheel to stick at the 12-o clock position while driving in ambient temperatures above 60F. The vehicle is difficult to keep driving straight, and the sticking causes me to have to jerk the wheel from side to side to overcome the sticky spot. This is a common issue on 10th and 11th Gen Hondas and Acuras. My vehicle has not been inspected yet by Honda as they would charge me to diagnose the issue, or simply deny any problem exists. I am a shadetree/at-home mechanic who has determined this issue from my own research and mechanical knowledge. The symptoms first appeared 1 year ago during the summer after I bought the car.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Electronic Power Steering. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? You are not able to comfortably drive in a straight line with this component not working. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No Warning

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering was inoperable. The contact stated that the steering failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed rack and pinon and stabilizer link. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion and the stabilizer link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000.

The steering wheel is very “sticky” and “jerky”. The steering wheel will momentarily get stuck in its place until enough pressure is applied to unstick it, resulting in the car jerking constantly. It is especially noticeable at high speeds which is more dangerous. Online I see a lot of owners experiencing this exact same issue. I believe there needs to be a recall or extended warranty for the part responsible for the steering issue.

The steering wheel sticks & resists movement when traveling at highway speeds. It is resistant to minor steering corrections away from or toward center. This results in a jerky ride and movement when keeping within my lane.