402 problems related to steering have been reported for the 2016 Honda Civic. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2016 Honda Civic based on all problems reported for the 2016 Civic.
The steering wheels becomes stiff/sticky & notchy after driving for sometime. It is most prevalent at interstate speeds & ramps. It causes me to have to constantly overcorrect to stay in my line & often doesn't return to center. This is a serious safety concern which has been addressed in class action lawsuit for 22-23 models of the Civic, but it has yet to be recalled or fixed for later models with the same issue.
Sometimes when driving the steering wheel will tend to “jerk”, or appear “stuck” when trying to turn. This has started to happen recently and I have noticed it when not using lane “assistance” this issue has not only been seen from me, but rather by many others as seen in forms such as the following: [xxx] this issue has yet to cause a wreck for me, but this does pose a safety risk as it could prevent me from moving out of the way of cars, or worse prevent me from turning causing me to hit someone or something around my environment. I hope that this is something that can be fixed or recalled for as I am not the only one experiencing this and does genuinely pose a risk. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
Civic ex 4d bought new in 2016, steering wheel is “sticking” seems to be a common issue on 10th gen Civic’s but is only recalled on 11th generation models. When driving straight at highway speed, steering wheel does not want to stay in the middle. Car has been aligned (twice) and has 4 new tires and it seems the issue is even more felt. The car does not pull either side, it is just impossible to keep the steering wheel centered. It causes it to be extremely jerky and hard to drive long distances. Can be felt at lower speeds when turning the wheel left to right in quick succession, feels as though there is a pop in the middle/something gets caught causing the wheel to pop back.
The steering has been sticking for quite some time in the "straight" or center position. One must provide excessive force to the steering wheel to get the car to alter direction left or right. The steering wheel will resists normal minor corrections to follow the road. The steering wheel requires excessive force to "break loose" of the center position which results in overcorrection to the left or right. Picture a car veering left and right over and over while traveling straight as no road is completely straight and requires minor steering corrections to maintain a straight path. Almost ran off the road due to the force required to correct the car's path. This is an extremely majot safety issue that Honda must address. The car has far too few miles to have this major problem. I have never had a car in the past that was so dangerous to myself and the public at large. Steering is the most basic of controls. Even a car with a worn out reciprocating ball or a worm gear rack will still steer off-center as required. This is an accident and disaster just waiting to happen. I demand Honda and NHTSA approve and require the no cost to me repair of the steering system immediately or public outcry will be unrelenting.
After about 30mins of driving car would start pulling to left even if the steering wheel was straight. When trying to correct it the steering wheel would feel stuck like to magnet and when it would release car would over correct to the right. Found out its a common issue among Hondas 2015 and above no matter the model, took my car in to the dealer to replace the gearbox and the rack and pinion which fixed the problem. There are no warning lights or codes for this.
While driving my 2016 Honda Civic on the freeway, I consistently experience a sticky or notchy steering wheel—especially when making small adjustments near the center position. The steering resists input slightly, then suddenly gives way, making it difficult to make smooth lane corrections. This issue is more noticeable at higher speeds and creates a safety concern, as it affects my ability to maintain proper lane control and react quickly when needed. This issue appears to be a known problem with the eps (electric power steering) system on 2016 Honda Civics, and I’ve seen reports of a Honda-issued TSB (17-014) that addresses similar symptoms via a software update. However, this issue should warrant broader attention, as it affects vehicle handling and road safety. I’m submitting this complaint to request further investigation and to urge Honda to issue a recall or mandatory repair for affected vehicles.
The steering wheel gets stuck in the center position. Cannot make minor steering changes with over correcting. You have to steer left/right back and forth so that the steering wheel does not get stuck. High temperatures make the condition far worse. The steering gets stuck in center position and requires additional force to break free which causes the car to veer too far left or too far right back and forth. Very dangerous.
I purchased my 2016 Honda Civic in 2018. Not too long afterward, I noticed the steering would occasionally stick in place when trying to turn it causing overcorrections in driving. Over time, the occurrences have dramatically increased, especially on the highway (dangerous). I have brought the vehicle to a Honda dealership regarding this issue. They test drove it and did not find the wheel to stick (I brought it in (California) wintertime, but the issue primarily occurs in warmer temperatures). Since Honda issued a recall for this exact problem on its 2022-2025 models, I have contacted the Honda manufacturer regarding this issue, but there is no open recall for my VIN. I find I’m in good company with other 2016 Civic owners, from the number of identical complaints on various automotive forums regarding this same complaint for their Honda Civics. I’ve also noticed that “steering” has the large number of reported complaints on the NHTSA site (over 300 for my vehicle year alone). Please look into this, as Honda is ignoring the many Civic owners concerned for their safety as well as others on the road due to this sticking steering issue.
Steering sticking while driving. Took it to the Honda dealer and was told that power steering failure is common on Civics. Cost around 4k.
When driving on a straight road then having to slightly change course due to perhaps a slight bend in the road the steering wheel feels like it is sticking and takes a bit of force to straighten the wheel. I have had numerous alignments done per maintenance recommendations. It seems to happen more often when it is warm outside. There are no warning lights present. Im afraid that the steering wheel will become actually stuck while driving.
I am experiencing an issue where the steering wheel seems sticky and I have noticed from a google search that it affects vehicles designated from 2016-2022 Honda Civics although my specific VIN doesn’t show as one being affected. It sounds like it most definitely should be. It’s only noticeable at speeds greater than 45 since you use very small amounts of steering wheel turn to make adjustments. How do I get my specific VIN included in this recall since it seems like it most definitely should be?.
Steering feels like it’s getting stuck when driving straight on the highway. The wheel almost fights you when you try to make a course correction. Vehicle feels unsafe to drive since you are constantly trying to keep the car straight.
I’m having a problem with my steering lately. It’s like it’s sticky and jerky feeling when driving, causing me to have to overcorrect left or right when making slight adjustments to center. This happens on long drives on the highway. Over correction on a 2 or 3 lane highway is not safe.
Eps sticks once engine is up to temperature and car is moving at or just below highway speeds. Same symptoms as in 11th gen Civic.
I have noticed my Honda Civic 2016 steering wheel gets stickier while its on highway.
The steering wheel starts to get sticky on freeway after roughly after 45 mins drive, that gives me harder to follow the lane or make a lane change either to the left or right side. My wife experiences that issue for years, she had not brought that into my attention until two weeks ago we took our 2016 Honda Civic for trip to California and I was a driver. I have heard lots of complaints related power steering rack issues on Honda lately. Please consider this is a serious problem.
Steering sticks at highway speeds, hard to maintain center of lane. Waiting to get pulled over for suspected drunk driving, which never am. Wife won't drive the car because of this issue. Honda has issued recall for this issue but only 2022-2024 and needs to be at least to 2016 models. Due to price of the electric rack and pinions for Civic, unable to purchase one to install myself.
In warmer weather while driving at highway speeds the steering wheel sticks in place. It takes about 4 lbs of pressure to “break the wheel free” from this stuck position. It makes it extremely difficult to make minor steering adjustments while traveling. Many others have experienced this same problem. Recently the newer model or generation of Hondas have been issued a recall while the previous or “10th generation” have not. I believe this to be a significant hazard on our roads in America. Why the newer models get the recall and the older do not I do not understand. Here is a link with others with the same issue. With little research you will find many other forums and youtube videos address the same discrepancy. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
When driving at highway speeds the steering is sticky or notches feeling to leave center or return center. Less noticeable at lower speeds.
When driving straight on the freeway small corrections to keep the car straight are resisted when I add force to the wheel. With increasing force the drag is overcome and the wheel will snap to a new position which may be too far the other way. This makes the steering kind of digital instead of analog. I have noticed the issue periodically over the last couple of years and had the alignment done 2x, first by an independant mechanic and then by the Honda dealer. I thought the issue was alignment. Being the problem is not always noticeable it took a while for me to realize this is totally not normal for this or any car. I fully realize that now after testing it out on my last drive.
Sticky steering when on center. Cannot make minor steering adjustments without overcorrecting left or right. This is an ongoing issue for the past few years.
When driving straight, the wheel gets stuck and requires some force to become unstuck which then causes the wheel to jerk in the direction you are turning. This results in over steering and is very dangerous. I have found many complaints about this online after looking for solutions.
While driving, the steering wheel occasionally starts to stick. There have been several instances where it became severely jammed while turning, making it extremely difficult to steer. On a few occasions, it nearly led to a crash because the wheel locked up. This issue has occurred multiple times and seems to be getting progressively worse.
The steering gets notchy when warm. The issue isn't as noticeable during colder month but when the weather warms it becomes very problematic. You have to fight the steering wheel back to center after moving left. The steering will not self center either. This is an accident hazard as someone who might be a new driver could panic or elderly may not have the strength to fight it back.
At highway speeds the steering wheel feels difficult to adjust at times, sticks, driving becomes a constant back and forth to overcome the sticky steering.
Sticky steering, generally after about 10 minutes of highway driving. Dangerous to make small changes as it takes more effort to move wheel then vehicle over-corrects due to steering input.
Just within the last month the steering has been sticking when trying to maintain a straight line. When trying to stay straight there is resistance in the steering and suddenly the resistance stops, causing driver to over correct. Also if the car hits a bump or road irregularity while the steering is resisting movement, then the car wanders even further in lane. This repeats itself constantly and car is wandering back and forth in the lane. The lower ball joints have been replaced and condition continues.
Steering becomes sticky in the middle specifically when it is warm out or after the engine has been on for a while . This was not an issue in the winter. This becomes a safety issue due to trying to keep the car going straight on the interstate you end up having to overcorrect going back and forth left and right. Reading online forms this is an issue with this generation not sure why there's no recall yet. It can lead to going into another lane trying to overcorrect this is definitely a safety issue. This issue has been going on since I bought the car last year.
When driving down the highway the steering sometimes sticks or locks slightly. This is mainly when driving straight and doing a slight turn or correction. Alignment and balance are fine on the car. There are no warning lights. This is an intermittent problem and only occurs occasionally. I cant always duplicate. It has not been diagnosed by a mechanic yet as it is intermittent and it only occurs occasionally. Initially started around may of 2022 and has continued off and on since, most recently occurring on March 27th, 2025.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds during hot weather, the steering wheel felt sticky and failed to turn to the left or the right as intended. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
The steering sticks when driving straight and needs additional force to correct causing an over correction. Vehicle can be difficult to keep in its lane.
Honda - in 2016 I purchased a new Honda Civic tour model from a dealership and currently have 23000 miles (23k) recently the steering became a problem. I took it to the dealer where I purchased the vehicle and was advised that there was an issue known as "notching" where a gear component became defective. It was dangerous to drive and there was no options but to have it repaired. The repair cost nearly $4000. 00 and I was shocked. There was no recall according to the service manager but it was known as a common problem. My wife and I are in our [xxx] and [xxx] so the cost was a large burden financially. I was told that Honda-America had a "goodwill" program that will review a case and possibly offer some financial relief. I complied with the info Honda solicited and submitted the case for consideration. In the meantime, I had the car repaired at the dealership and paid in full. I didn't ask for any specific amount but told Honda I would be appreciative for any financial assistance. Obviously we seldom drive the car usually to doctor appointments and needed errands. The customer service rep called and said my claim was denied because of the age (9 yrs. ) even in spite of only have less that 23k miles. The original tires are on the car and it still has the "new car" smell. My wife and I are very disappointed with Honda's lack of compassion, we even purchased an extended warranty from the dealership when we bought the vehicle but we never used it. Honda could have helped us but the service rep made the decision to deny the claim. The customer service that I thought Honda was known for is not the case anymore. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
The steering feels like it's sticking slightly to the left of center, and I've been noticing it more as the weather gets warmer. It primarily occurs at slower speeds but becomes more pronounced at higher speeds. When making small adjustments while driving, the steering wheel doesn’t move smoothly and seems to stick. Once it passes the sticking point, it causes oversteer, forcing me to overcorrect in the opposite direction. This makes driving, especially at higher speeds, feel very unsafe. Through my research, I’ve found that this is a common issue, and there are recalls for this exact problem in my vehicle’s model year. However, after checking my VIN, it appears my car is not included in the recall. I'm deeply concerned that this steering defect could lead to an accident. Given the numerous reports of the same issue in vehicles not currently covered by the recall, I hope the recall will be expanded to include all affected cars.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the steering wheel was inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel inadvertently turned to the left or the right, causing the contact to forcefully turn the steering wheel. The contact stated that it was difficult to make the turn. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,360.
Not sure what component is causing the issue but steering is sticky. For subtle movements or corrections there will be resistance. This is causing jerky movements while driving which could cause an accident in the future.