2018 Honda CR-V Steering

The power steering on my 2018 Honda CRV XE is sticky or sticks when I when I try to keep my CRV is the middle of the lane and/or change lanes a majority of the time on the freeway/highway. At times, the CRV will slides/drifts from one side to the other. The CRV is going in this week for an inspection / evaluation at a Honda dealership. There were no signs or warnings when I purchased the CRV from a private party. I will make the CRV for inspection.

The car model year is 2018 and has 49,580 miles when it was taken to the Honda dealer for inspection. The steering wheel was 'sticking' as if it were in a groove. Turning the steering wheel became somewhat difficult. It was if the steering wheel needed to be turned with enough force to get it up and over the lip of the groove so the car would turn. It also made a ticking or cracking sound when turning the steering wheel. Dealer test drove the car and was able to duplicate the concern. They found the power steering rack assembly had failed and stated so on the invoice. The entire unit needed to be replaced, and a 4-wheel alignment would then be required. The cost of the unit was $5,813.75, and the cost of the alignment was $139.95. This is a serious safety issue when the steering rack assembly fails.

Summary of Problem: Steering issue with 2018 Honda CR-V – unsafe wandering and direction changes at highway speeds. Detailed Description: Approximately four months ago, the steering on my 2018 Honda CR-V began to feel unstable. Over time, the condition has progressively worsened. At highway speeds, the steering will unpredictably shift direction and “wander” within the lane without driver input. This requires constant correction to maintain lane position and creates a serious safety hazard. The condition feels especially unsafe at speeds over 55 mph because it compromises the driver’s ability to keep the vehicle centered in the lane. Due to the severity of the issue, we have stopped driving the vehicle for the past month. A Honda dealership confirmed a problem with the steering gearbox and quoted $4,800 for repair. Honda has acknowledged the defect but will only offer 10% coverage. This is unacceptable given that other 2018 CR-V vehicles have been recalled for steering box defects, and the symptoms in my vehicle match those recall descriptions. My VIN, however, is not currently included in the recall. This defect matches NHTSA Campaign 18V663000, which describes a torque sensor magnet in the steering gearbox that may become dislodged, causing unexpected steering behavior and increasing crash risk. Only four 2018 CR-V vehicles were officially recalled, but numerous other owners have reported identical symptoms. Public complaints from owners on forums such as r/crv and sites like [XXX] and [XXX] describe wandering steering and sticky steering at highway speeds, often resolved only after steering gearbox replacement. These issues mirror my experience exactly. The problem is systemic and not limited to the small number of VINs in the official recall. The defect significantly affects vehicle control and poses a risk of loss of steering at highway speeds. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate and consider INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

No crash, but ongoing issue that could cause a crash easily as it is increasing in difficulty in steering the vehicle. Abnormal sound when turning. Sticky wheel that has difficulty releasing at the end of a turn. Increased effort to turn. Safety issue due to uneven force needed to turn or straighten at end of turn which can result in under or over correcting. Honda dealer can reproduce and says the steering gearbox needs to be replaced but the cost is over $5000 and will have to be budgeted for. Other models of Hondas have been recalled for same issue but not this year of vehicle.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds and turning the steering wheel, the steering wheel was sticking and returned to the center unintendedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

CLICKING NOISE AND STICKY FEELING WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL LEFT AND RIGHT(NOT CONTINUOUS) AND A LIGHT JERKY AT TIMES STARTED ABOUT A WEEK AGO (STARTED MARCH 24,2025) MILEAGE 64405

Issue: Sticky or catching steering. I am having an issue with the steering sticking or catching when I make small turns with the steering wheel. It seems to be worse with turns less than 45° then complete 90° turns. It also seems to catch with smaller right turns then left turns. The steering seems to catch or stick with turns that are less than 45° or subtle adjustments to keep the car in the lane. I am concerned that at some point my wife or I will not be able to apply enough force to overcome the catch or sticking of the steering which will result in a crash, injury or death. The issue has become worse in the last few months and seems to be constant.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel jerked in the opposite direction and seized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 78,500.

After turning to the tight, steering resists centering and tries to continue to the right. Problem first occurred in late 2023. Honda dealer could not identify the cause but suggested rotating and realigning the tires. That reduced the problem for a while. However, it has retuned now and requires much greater effort to return to center, more so at higher speed, I.e. on the freeway.

STEERING "STICKY STEERING CHECK STEERING THE STEERING WHEEL STICKS IN CERTAIN SPOTS ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING WHEEL

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel failed to respond as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact and her husband diagnosed the vehicle with sticky steering. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because it was not under recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while her mother was driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn while making left or right turns or while driving straight. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the steering gear assembly needed to be replaced, as well as the rack and pinion. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 2 18-103 (2017-18 CR-V: Steering Gearbox); however, the VIN was not included in the bulletin. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact there was no recall on the VIN related to the failure. The failure mileage was 53,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel was stuck. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent; however, the failure had since become a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with rack and pinion failure. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Steering has become sticky when making minor steering adjustments, has become more prevalent over past few months. Very concerning, fearful of failure if driving highway speeds.

The steering has started sticking. The sticking makes it difficult to control the vehicle in turns. According to mechanic, it's the steering gearbox. There have been recalls on the 2018 crv for this very issue and somehow this vehicle does not fit into the recall.

The steering sticks. The sticking is making it difficult to control the vehicle without excessive jerking. According to mechanic, it's the gearbox.

Steering sticks in position and requires extra force to correct.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle jerked and made an abnormal popping sound. No warning lights were illuminated. After researching, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was at the dealer for a month before being repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,251.

Power Steering rack. Same issue per Honda of Rutland VT that is stated in Safety Recall 18-103 Bulletin. I have a case with Honda #15771485 and they have just informed me that there is no coverage for the $6k expense because my VIN isn't included in the recall. This tells me the recall should be expanded! It's too much of a coincidence that my vehicle has the exact same issue as others of the same year/make/model. I have just 54k miles on this car and I'm being advised by my personal mechanic and two others (one being Honda of Rutland VT) that this part should last the life of the vehicle. I'm super frustrated and super disappointed in the quality of this vehicle/part and the fact that Honda isn't making good on it.

Steering grabs and is tight then loose. Grabs on highway loose back and forth difficult to control steering back and forth always having to correct to maintain on roadway. The electronic steering box had been recalled on this vehicle but not my vin number. I had to have the vehicle repaired in order to continue to drive it safely. When repaired the vehicle had 47,199 miles and the cost for the gear box part was over 3,600 dollars and total to repair was 4,373.00 I see by your complaints I am not the only person to complain about this problem and for safety reasons had to have the vehicle repaired.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was sticky. The contact stated that upon using excessive force to turn the steering wheel, the steering wheel jerked while turning to the intended direction. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with steering gear box internal failure due to magnet dislodgement. The dealer determined that the steering gear box assembly needed to be replaced, and an alignment needed to be performed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,500.

Steering sticks while cruising down the highway

The contact’s mother owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact’s mother stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was unintendedly jumping. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering gearbox had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 48,439.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and turning the steering wheel, the steering wheel was sticking and was difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with steering gear box failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle back to the dealer for diagnostic testing and repair. The manufacturer informed the contact that reimbursement could be provided after the dealer had repaired the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Steering wheel gets a sticky spot in it when driving and you making corrections